TACOMA — Both the Othello boys and girls wrestling teams left the Tacoma Dome with hardware Saturday, with the boys taking second in the 2A classification and the girls taking fourth in the 2A/1A/B Girls classification.

“Since day one they’ve been locked in, and they had goals in mind,” Othello boys wrestling coach Rudy Ochoa II said. “Our schedule hopefully prepares them with tough competition all year, where they’re able to feel confident in these tough competition-type matches.”

The Othello boys scored 120 points at the 2024 Mat Classic, finishing ahead of third-place White River by 17 points. Orting came out on top of the 2A Mat Classic for the third straight year.

Othello has finished in the top three of 2A for three consecutive seasons.

“It’s the kids; they put in the work, they buy into the system, they’re the ones showing up,” Ochoa said. “At morning practices they’re the ones showing up, they’re the ones going through this grueling season and the grind of our tough tournaments that we go to. It’s all credit to the kids.”

Seven Huskies reached the podium in their respective weight classes; senior Isaac Campos (113, second), sophomore Daniel Gonzalez (113, fourth), sophomore Mason Russell (126, fifth), senior Anthony Abundiz (132, fourth), junior Jeremiah Flores (150, fourth), sophomore Camilo Mendez III (157, fourth) and junior Mason Perez (285, second).

“Just trusting themselves — they’ve proved it all year, they’ve been proving it,” Ochoa said. “Sticking to what they do, and really not trying to do anything different. Just wrestle their match, and stay within their realm.”

Both finalists had previously made it to the championship match, with Campos taking second in 2023 and Perez placing second in 2022. 

Campos opened the tournament with a first-round pin of Archbishop Murphy’s Dillon Bonnar, then defeated Sequim’s Cayden Beauregard 4-1 in the quarterfinals. The senior pinned Washington’s Andre Lewis in the semifinals to reach the championship match.

Perez pinned all three of his opponents in the first round before reaching the 2A 285-pound championship match.

“They had their own personal goals in mind,” Ochoa said. “They had a game plan for each of those matches, and stuck with it.”

Of the 10 Huskie state qualifiers this year, only two will graduate; Campos and Abundiz.

“Now we have some kids who got a taste of the (Tacoma Dome) for the first time, and some kids who have gotten there a couple times,” Ochoa said. “It’s nice where they have that experience going into next year, and hopefully they can lead by example to others who haven’t got to the state tournament yet.”

A year after placing 17th in the inaugural 2A/1A/B Girls Mat Classic, as well as only seeing one wrestler place, the Huskies responded by finishing fourth in the classification by scoring 87 points and having four wrestlers reach the podium.

“We have a really great team that’s learned to come together and work hard — not just for themselves, but for each other,” Othello girls wrestling coach Rafael Ruiz said. “We have a great coaching staff that’s helped along the way to get our girls there this year.”

Ruiz said the goal for the year was to send 12 wrestlers to the Mat Classic, as well as bring back more placers than a year ago. Othello had nine girls wrestlers qualify, as well as three alternates.

“I think we achieved our goals this season, and finishing fourth was a reflection of that,” Ruiz said. 

Leaving the Mat Classic with medals were freshman Grayce Mendez (110, fourth), junior Diamond Van Cleve (135, fifth), senior Elia Velazquez (190, second) and sophomore Alejandria Espindola (235, fourth).

“I think getting them to the podium was part of their progress, as they will continue next year to climb higher,” Ruiz said. “It was a reflection of their dedication and hard work in the practice room.”

As Othello’s lone returning state placer from 2023, Velazquez reached the 190-pound finals after a third-round pin of Kiona-Benton’s Audrey Newberry in the quarterfinals and a 12-1 major decision over Tenino’s Ynavi Rodriguez in the semifinals. The senior fell 7-1 in the finals to Squalicum’s Isabella Phillips.

“She had been there before at that stage — last year was a tough loss in the semis, so she used that to fuel her desire to get past that,” Ruiz said. “She did that, she accomplished her goal of getting to the finals.”

Velazquez is Othello’s only state qualifier graduating this May, meaning the Huskies can return eight state veterans in the 2024-25 season.

“I’m excited about it because we have most of them all returning,” Ruiz said. “We left home some pretty skilled wrestlers that just didn’t have a great day at regionals — being overall a freshman, sophomore team, we’re pretty excited.”

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

    Othello sophomore Daniel Gonzalez, right, wrestles in the 2A 113-pound third/fourth-place match at the Tacoma Dome. Gonzalez was one of seven Othello boys wrestlers that placed in the tournament.
  

    Othello senior Elia Velazquez, top, defeated Tenino’s Ynavi Rodriguez, bottom, 12-1 in the 2A/1A/B 190-pound semifinals.
  

    Othello junior Mason Perez, left, wrestles in the 2A 285-pound finals at the Mat Classic.