Warden girls state champion

TACOMA — The Lady Cougars capped of an unbelievable season with the first girls state championship in school history.

Warden led from start to finish and bested the competition with 113.5 points. Othello placed eighth with 58.5 points, Quincy was 20th with 28.

"I am so proud of our girls," coach Valerie Hernandez said. "We brought 16 individuals and eight placed. We had some tough losses, but all the girls are going home as state champions."

Two Warden wrestlers, Mixey Gonzales and Deianeria Caudle made it to the championship match. Both finished second. Caudle (100) lost a 5-3 decision to Marizza Birrueta from Grandview, and Gonzlaes (130) lost by fall to Mariah Horton from Kelso.

"I think the loss was harder on Mixey because she's a senior and won't be back," Hernandez said. "But she contributed more than she knows to this championship. She beat Megan Young from Mt. Baker in the semi's and that win sealed it for us."

The six other placers for Warden were Bianca Hernandez (145) who finished third, Melisa Vasquez (106) and Brenda DeLeon (118) who took fifth, Alexys Jolley (137) was seventh, and Aneissa Gonzales (155) and Andrea Conteras (235) finished eighth.

"A lot of these girls were here for the first time, so they didn't know what to expect," Hernandez said. "But they worked had to get here. Our goal at the beginning was to make it to state ... I treated them like wrestlers and not like girls and I think that helped accomplish what we set out to do ... win the championship. I hope its the first of many."

Hernandez said this was the first time any Lady Cougars team finished higher than the Warden boys in any sport.

The boys wresting team place 10th, but she doesn't think coach Rick Bowers will harbor any had feelings toward the girls.

"Coach Bowers has been very supportive of our program," Hernandez said. "That has really allowed us to soar and get to where we are at today."