Washington (Mat Classic) wrestling state championships recap: Day 2 scores, results, top stories
TACOMA, Wash. - There might not have been much suspense in most of the team-title races before the finals, but the one that was up in the air had a crazy ending.
It gave Peninsula the Class 4A/3A girls championship in a squeaker over Curtis.
Tahoma (4A), Mead (3A), Orting (2A), Tonasket (B) and both Toppenish squads (1A boys and 2A/1A/B girls) all walked out of the dome victorious.
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CLASS 4A TOURNAMENT
Photo by Joshua Hart
Final team scores: Tahoma 193.5, Chiawana 169.0, Skyview 114..0, Lake Stevens 95.5
As the Tahoma program has evolved, so has longtime coach Chris Feist.
He's isn't the caffeine-fueled, intensity-driven builder of the program anymore. Instead, he is less concerned about results and more focused on "effort ... and being gritty."
Maybe that is why the Bears rolled to their first 4A team title since 2017 as the team set a classification record with 12 state placers, including champion Crew Lambro, at 106 pounds.
"There is so much chaos around us, I realized in my much older age, they (his wrestlers) need a calm rider," Feist said.
Four-time defending champion Chiawana hung around, but Tahoma's consolation-bracket scoring leading up the finals clinched the title.
"We knew ti was going o be hard," Feist said. "Hats off to them, they are phenomenal."
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CLASS 3A TOURNAMENT
Photo by Joshua Hart
Final team scores: Mead 272.5, Hermiston 132.0, Lincoln of Tacoma 119.0, University 114.0
Phil McLean has been a coach for every Mat Classic in history, and admitted he hasn't had as much fun over the year as he had in 2024 guiding Mead to another convincing title run.
In fact, the Panthers reset their own 3A scoring record with 272.5 points.- 36 more than they tallied in 2022.
Why so much enjoyment?
"It's because they have just been great workers, they compete and they don't worry about winning and losing so much," McLean said. "It's because they love wrestling."
Mead crowned three Mat Classic winners, too - Kaysic Lundquist (106), Josh Neiwert (132) and Jeroen Smith (150).
Equally impressive in McLean's is that all 17 of the combatants he brought to Tacoma scored points.
"We talk all the time, this is a team," McLean said. "I believe it and I mean it."
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CLASS 2A TOURNAMENT
Photo by Joshua Hart
Final team scores: Orting 299.5, Othello 120.0, White River 103.0, W.F. West 88.0, Pullman 88.0
Good news: The Cardinals, who won their third consecutive 2A title, set the classification scoring record Saturday with 299.5 points.
But they fell short of their last goal - their first 300-point tournament.
"We talked about it quite a bit," said senior Bryan Dickinson.
Orting crowned five Mat Classic winners as well - Dominic Thomas (113), A.J. Salquero (136), Dickinson (132), Quentin Harding (138) and Levi DiCugno (175).
"This never gets old," Dickinson said. "It is a great feeling."
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CLASS 1A TOURNAMENT
Photo by Joshua Hart
Final team scores: Toppenish 330.0, Castle Rock 167.0, Omak 91.5, Wapato 88.0,
After blasting their way to another dominant 1A title - their third in a row - the Toppenish Wildcats are looking for a different challenge.
They should find in starting next season when they move back up to 2A where Orting resides.
"I told Jody (Coleman, Orting coach) already, 'Keep the throne nice and warm because we’re coming back for it.,'" Toppenish coach Pepe Segovia said.
In fact, before Toppenish went back to 1A, it had won three 2A titles where Orting was the runner-up.
Both programs are sailing high now.
I give a lot of credit to Orting for doing what they are doing, finishing strong and getting their numbers up," Segovia said. "It is a duplicate of what we’re doing."
The Wildcats crowned a tournament-best eight Mat Classic champions - Steve Romero (113), Adan Estrada (126), Justyce Zuniga (132), Kiyanno Zuniga (144), Marcos Torrez (140), Kaiden Kintner (175), Darrell Leslie (215) and Anthony Nava (285, going a perfect 8-for-8 in the finals.
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CLASS 'B" TOURNAMENT
Final team scores: Tonasket 217.0, Forks 132.0, Goldendale 111.5, Okanogan 106.5
While Mead, Orting and Toppenish get a lot of the headlines for their dominant stretches of team titles - the Tigers have matched virtually every feat in 2B/1B.
With three state champions - Gerardo Hernandez (126), Aaron Polito (132) and Logan Stucker (138) - the Tigers cruised to their sixth WIAA title in the past seven years.
"We try not to change what is working," Tonasket coach Cole Denison said.
And to a man, Denison and his staff - all former Tonasket wrestlers - gave credit to how this program performs to former coach Dave Mitchell.
"We’ve all been through the program - and he started it," Denison said. "Now he gets to sit back … and watch us work with the kids."
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CLASS 4A/3A GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Photo by Joshua Hart
Final team scores: Peninsula 122.0, Curtis 119.0, Glacier Peak 95.0, Davis of Yakima 85.0
Peninsula girls coach Gary Griffin said his team did all it could do - and sitting back and waiting for the next 45 minutes would be hard.
Turns out the wait was worth it as the Seahawks held off favored Curtis - all because of an unlikely hero.
After Mira Sonnen pinned returning state champion Flor Parker-Borrero, of Graham-Kapowsin, in the 140 finals, and teammate Bailey Parker rolled past Kent-Meridian's Oksana Galian by pin in the 145 title match - the ball was in Curtis' corner.
The Vikings trailed by nine points, but defending state champion Clarissa Wangen won by pin over Kentwood's Sarah Wright in the 155 finals.
It all came down to the Vikings' final returning Mat Classic champion - Ryley Nager - in the 170 championship match against first-year wrestler Selena Mares-Castro, of Auburn Riverside.
Mares-Castro pulled off the stunner, 4-2, in overtime - and Peninsula had its first girls title.
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CLASS 2A/1A/B GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Final team scores: Toppenish 166.0, Orting 103.0, Royal 89.5, Othello 87.0
The nation's No. 2 ranked team won its third consecutive team title, getting tournament title wins from Sophia Torrez (105), Adalyne Montiel (110), Ruby Clark (140) and Makayla Torres (145).
"The goal this weekend was finishing 1-2 overall in team points," Segovia said. "This is kind of where we’re at with our programs."
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