Local girls wrestlers gear up for Tacoma Dome this weekend

TACOMA — Eight wrestlers cemented their berth to the Mat Classic at the Region IV girls tournament in Othello last weekend.

The top-ranked wrestler in her division at 155, Quincy sophomore Shannon Workinger walked away with yet another top-place finish in Othello. Workinger defeated Kennewick’s Ayanna Asselin with the pin in the econd round.

After finishing eighth as a freshman at the Mat Classic, Workinger will look to ride the momentum she’s had all season on the mat. The Quincy sophomore will face Adna junior Keaton Dowell in her opening matchup on Friday. A potential matchup with second-ranked Federal Way senior, Jennifer Tongi, awaits in the semifinals.

Wahluke’s Laly Gonzalez is also in the 155-pound bracket. Gonzalez made a miraculous run to the state finals as a freshman and is returning to Tacoma for the third consecutive season.

Three Huskies will represent Othello in Tacoma after securing the berths on their home mat over the weekend.

Senior Emily Mendez, junior Iyazely Barraza and sophomore Alexis Monday will make the trip to the west side to compete to bring a state title back to Othello. Coming off a second-place finish last year in Tacoma, Mendez will look to cap off her Othello career with a title in the 110-pound weight class. Mendez picked up the win in the final seconds over Sunnyside’s Alexxus Ramos in the first-place match last weekend at regionals.

A rematch with top-ranked Salyna Shotwell of Rogers for Mendez would have to wait until the finals. Mendez will have Diana Cantini of Kamiak and Mead’s Kelsey Loeun, both top-six wrestlers, standing in front of a title shot. Shotwell, Alexxus Ramos and fellow Husky, Alexis Monday, wait on the bottom side of the bracket. First up for the senior will be a matchup against a freshman, Genesis Vasquez from Blaine High School.

“We expect a tough matchup if she makes it to finals,” Othello head coach Rafael Ruiz said.

Barraza will make her second-straight trip to Tacoma as a junior after taking first place over the weekend at 115. Fourth-ranked Barraza took down Moses Lake freshman Bianca Johnson in the finals on Saturday, with Johnson coming in as the No. 5 wrestler in the weight class.

First up on Friday for Barraza will be a bout against W.F. West sophomore Elizabeth Patana. Third-ranked Natasha Puzon of Enumclaw stands ahead of Barraza’s path to the semifinals and a possible title bout.

Monday will join Mendez in the bracket at 110 in Tacoma after a third-place finish on Saturday. Monday took the 3-0 decision over Mead’s Kelsey Loeun in the third-place match.

Monday, ranked fifth in the weight class, will have to go through the reigning champion for a chance at a title. Luckily, Monday will have until the semifinal round to prepare.

“Our hope is she places top four, but it’s gonna be a really tough match,” Ruiz said. “If we can get her to place, that will be pretty amazing, especially as a sophomore.”

Her first bout on Friday will be against Claudia Rojas-Guzmen, a senior coming in ranked twelfth in the state. This will be Monday’s first trip to the Mat Classic.

The Warden Cougars will have a pair of representatives in Tacoma on Friday, Aaliyah Escamilla and Alexia Hernandez.

Escamilla makes her fourth trip to the Mat Classic, placing all three years so far. With a fifth-place finish in 2019, Escamilla will look to cement her Cougar legacy with a title as a senior.

Warden Head coach Valerie Hernandez expects the time and work her senior has put in these past four years paired with a string of tough matchups have Escamilla ready to make a run.

“It’s been weekend after weekend of just beating on each other on this side that we feel confident it will be our region in the finals in state,” Hernandez said.

Ranked second in the state at 105, Escamilla chose to forfeit the title match on Saturday with eyes on being full strength heading into Friday, Valerie Hernandez said.

Craydi Moen will be the first bout for Escamilla on Friday. Top-ranked Isabella Morales of Toppenish awaits on the opposite side of the bracket.

Junior Alexia Hernandez grabbed the final spot in the 135 weight class on Saturday, taking fourth over the weekend to advance to Tacoma. Hernandez fell to Goldendale’s Kali Watson in the third-place match in the second round, but did what she needed to secure the berth in the Mat Classic.

Alexia Hernandez will have a daunting matchup to kick off the tournament. Top-ranked Allison Blaine of Hudson’s Bay, state champion the past two seasons in the weight class, awaits.

Bianca Johnson will be the sole representative for the Chiefs. The first freshman to make it to the Mat Classic for Moses Lake, Johnson said she has her eyes on a top-three finish in her first February trip to the Tacoma Dome.

Johnson fell to Othello’s Iyazely Barraza in the finals at 115 on Saturday, an opponent she’s seen a few times this season already. The Moses Lake freshman will look to utilize her experience against some of the top wrestlers in her class this weekend. Johnson will face Kelso senior Mayci Bloomfeldt in her opening matchup on Friday.

Moses Lake first round matches

115: Bianca Johnson vs. Mayci Bloomfeldt (Kelso)

Othello first round matches

110: Emily Mendez vs. Genesis Vazquez (Blaine)

110: Alexis Monday vs. Claudia Rojas-Guzman (Cascade)

115: Iyazely Barraza vs. Elizabeth Patana (Chehalis)

Quincy first round matches

155: Shannon Workinger vs. Keaton Dowell (Adna)

Wahluke first round matches

155: Laly Gonzalez vs. Nevaeh Cassidy (Union)

Warden first round matches

105: Aaliyah Escamilla vs. Craydi Moen (Everett)

135: Alexia Hernandez vs. Allison Blaine (Hudson’s Bay)