MOSES LAKE — On July 14, Mavericks boys wrestler Eli Anderson competed in the Fargo National Championship in Fargo, N.D. While he did not get the outcome he hoped for, Anderson feels like it was a valuable experience.  

“The tournament itself was really big, and there was a lot of good talent there from across the nation, and so I felt like just being there was really special and unique. I learned a lot as well,” Anderson said.  

Anderson started in the round of 128 facing Grady Isaacs from Florida. According to Anderson, he fought hard but lost by a takedown. The final score of that matchup was 6-2. From there, he moved into the consolation bracket.  

Anderson next faced Garrett Cowan from North Dakota and won 18-12 to advance to the next round. He next faced Landon Tucker out of Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania. According to Anderson, it was a competitive battle, but after some unlucky moments, he was defeated and officially eliminated from the tournament.  

“I went back, slept on it (Monday night), I came back ready to rock. I came out hot in my first match and then had an unlucky battle in my next match against a Pennsylvania kid,” Anderson said.  

Mavericks head coach Jose Tanguma was happy to see Anderson get an experience, he said, that not many wrestlers get to do.  

“I'm glad that he got to experience that tournament. Not many wrestlers get to experience that, but he still has two more years to go to qualify for that tournament and hopefully become an All-American before he graduates,” Tanguma said.  

According to Tanguma, Anderson has invested a lot of training time outside of the season to develop. He has matured mentally and built up his strength throughout his first two seasons with the Mavs. Since he wrestles in the 215-pound weight class, his experiences have mostly come against upperclassmen, he said. Last year, he was the only sophomore boys wrestler ranked in the top eight in the state. 

Tanguma said Anderson has been motivated since his appearance in the state tournament last season. After not being pleased with his performance, he said it appears that it motivated him in the offseason.  

“I know he wasn't pleased with his performance at the state tournament last year, but I see that he has that fire lit up under him, and he knows what he could get if he just puts all of his effort into it,” Tanguma said.  

After Anderson finished wrestling, he spent a lot of time watching the other matches, he said. He called it an unreal experience seeing high-level wrestling matches like Vito Arujau versus Jax Forrest facing off for a spot on the World Team.  

In terms of his performance, Anderson is hard on himself but has no doubts about the effort he put into the tournament, he said.  

“I gave it my all, and I feel like maybe I could have done better in some situations, but for the most part, I gave it all I had,” he said.  

He hopes to continue developing his freestyle wrestling abilities through the summer and the rest of high school. According to Anderson, freestyle wrestling is used worldwide and at Olympic levels, whereas most high school athletes participate in folk style wrestling in the U.S.  

He calls freestyle a scrappier form of wrestling. It’s a quicker pace; wrestlers have 15 seconds to score on a takedown, where in folk style you can spend more time sitting on your opponent, he said. He has wrestled since he was four years old but has only competed in freestyle wrestling a couple of times.  

In preparation for the tournament, Anderson attended several open mats at the high school held Mondays and Wednesdays. Seeing this level of effort from Anderson gives Tanguma confidence in his potential over the next couple of years.  

“He's one of those kids that goes out there and gets some extra training,” Tanguma said. “That type of kid and wrestler you want on your team, kids that go out there and do more than what they're expected to do. Eli is just one of those kids, and especially now that he knows he could be on top of the podium next year. So, he's putting in that extra work.” 

    Mavericks Eli Anderson representing Team Washington in the 16U U.S Marine Corps Fargo National Championship. Anderson competed in three matches before being eliminated. He called it an unreal experience and added that he learned a lot.
  

    Moses Lake wrestler Eli Anderson competes against a Wenatchee wrestler last season. Anderson is a rising junior with aspirations of improving his performance in the state tournament last season.
  

    Mavericks wrestler Eli Anderson scores a pin in a match last season. Anderson said he has been wrestling since he was 4 years old and feels like wrestling is an art form.