COLUMBIA BASIN – Of the 64 wrestlers from the Columbia Basin who qualified to wrestle at the 2023 Mat Classic, 33 ended up placing under the bright lights of the Tacoma Dome.

Four squads also finished inside the top ten of their respective tournaments as a team; the Moses Lake girls (first place in 3A/4A), the Royal girls (third place in 2A/1A/2B/1B), the Othello boys (third in 2A) and the Warden boys (10th in 2B/1B).

2023 being the first year that the girls wrestlers were split into two divisions at the Mat Classic, Moses Lake girls wrestling Head Coach David Peralez said the time is now for the Moses Lake girls wrestlers to create a legacy to last for years to come. The Mavericks had three wrestlers reach the finals; junior Ashley Naranjo won her second-straight state title, while senior Bianca Johnson and freshman Reese Prescott both placed second at state.

“Other teams here at Moses Lake, they think about all those past (boys) championships and all those great past wrestlers,” he said. “And I think the girls have the opportunity to do the same thing. Build this giant legacy, represent Moses Lake and the style that we wrestle and the history that we have – but now it’s for the girls, and I think it’s now their time.”

Royal senior Alondra Morales also won her second-straight state title, winning the girls 145-pound bracket and going out on top as a senior. Knights Head Coach Jesus Carlos Villa said the girls are setting the example for incoming Royal wrestlers – and other teams – that even if they don’t have high roster numbers, they can still succeed as a team at state.

“It should be inspiring to other teams that don’t have the 20-numbers like some of the other schools,” Villa said. “You can show up with five girls and put on a show.”

The Warden boys finished 10th among the 2B/1B boys teams, seeing three of the seven wrestlers that competed end up placing.

“It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been in the top 10, so it’s good to get back,” Warden boy wrestling coach Johnny Hernandez said. “Credit to the wrestlers for stepping up this weekend.”

In the 2A boys bracket, Othello placed third as a team and had two wrestlers advance to the finals, including senior Terrill Freeman who was the 195-pound champion. Ephrata finished 16th as a team and had seniors Hudson Sager and Jose Pelayo finish second and third, respectively, in their brackets (160 and 285).

Quincy senior David Medina, who set a Jackrabbit record for wins in a season this year with 44, placed second in the 1A boys 220-pound bracket. Sophomore Saidt Alvarez moved up from a fifth-place finish to a fourth-place finish.

The two’s finishes at state will serve as an example to other Quincy wrestlers, according to Head Coach Breck Webley.

“They can look up to their work ethic during the wrestling season, they can look to what these boys have done in the off-season,” Webley said. “They were the two stalwart guys that wrestled freestyle consistently last off-season together, and really that’s what we try to use them as examples for – look at our guys that have been to state and see what they’re doing in the practice room.”

Wahluke senior Anthony Zebrano placed third in the 1A boys 220-pound bracket after leaving last year’s Mat Classic one round short of medaling.

“It’s really great, for the team and for (Zebrano), I know that that was his goal was to get a medal at state,” Wahluke Head Coach Jose Marin said. “Seeing him get his goal is really great. As coaches, we’ve been in that spot before where we’ve set a goal at the beginning of the season, where we want to be at the end and we understand the importance of meeting that goal.”

With many first-year wrestlers hitting the mat, Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Head Coach Jason Hilzer said that the experiences in Tacoma will serve as a confidence booster for returning and incoming Bronco wrestlers for next season.

“We had a great season with a lot of young kids,” Hilzer said. “I’m proud of the effort and work that they put in, and I’m happy to see them bask next year and hope to build the team a little more.”

Almira/Coulee-Hartline senior Tristen Wood placed fourth in the 2B/1B boys 145-pound bracket, while the entire Warrior team was honored for being named the Academic State Champions with a team GPA of 3.791.

“It’s a neat honor for the kids to get recognized that way,” ACH Head Coach Brandon Walsh said. “It’s a credit to them as student-athletes. They put in a lot of hard work in the wrestling room and on the mats, and for them to get recognized for their work in the classroom is pretty cool.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.

Placings

4A Boys

Moses Lake (25th place, 21 points): junior Dayton Regan (152), fourth place.

4A/3A Girls

Moses Lake (1st place, 136 points): senior Jhaile De Guzman (100), fifth place; junior Ashley Naranjo (115), first place; freshman Reese Prescott (120), second place; senior Bianca Johnson (130), second place; sophomore Katelyn Rodriguez (170), fifth place.

2A Boys

Ephrata (16th place, 38 points): senior Hudson Sager (160), second place; senior Jose Pelayo (285), fourth place.

Othello (3rd place, 126 points): junior Isaac Campos (113), second place; freshman Mason Russell (120), third place; junior Anthony Abundiz (126), fifth place; senior Forrest Roylance (138), fourth place; senior Brandon Garza (182), seventh place; senior Terrill Freeman (195), first place; senior Josue Solorio (195), fifth place.

2A/1A/2B/1B Girls

Ephrata (26th place, 23 points): junior Leslie Sanchez Guerrero (135), sixth place; junior Kadie McMullen (140).

Othello (17th place, 27.5 points): junior Elia Velazquez (190), fourth place.

Quincy (49th place, 11 points): junior Michelle Acevedo (130), sixth place.

Royal (3rd place, 70.5 points): freshman Sharon Arroyo (100), fifth place; senior Alondra Morales (145), first place; junior Emma Villa (170), third place.

Warden (16th place, 28.5 points): junior Brianalee Martinez (110), fourth place; junior Jada Hernandez (115), fourth place.

1A Boys

Quincy (17th place, 36 points): sophomore Saidt Alvarez (106), fourth place; senior David Medina (220), second place.

Royal (33rd place, 10.5 points): freshman Dennis Hernandez (113), fifth place.

Wahluke (24th place, 22 points): senior Anthony Zebrano (220), third place.

2B/1B Boys

ACH (26th place, 20 points): senior Tristen Wood (145), fourth place.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague (18th place, 31 points): junior Gabe Smith (195), third place; sophomore Brock Tracy (285), fifth place.

Warden (10th place, 64 points): senior Gio Castro (106), sixth place; senior Angel Cruz (132), third place; junior Anthony Contreras (285), second place.