Othello girls wrestling team qualifies three for state tournament

EPHRATA — The Othello High School girls wrestling team qualified three wrestlers for the state tournament and finished second in regional competition Saturday in Ephrata.

Othello took second with 84 points, behind Toppenish, which scored 194 points.

Othello head coach Rafael Ruiz said his team put in a lot of work to earn its second-place finish. Many teams in Region 4 are state-ranked, some of them pretty highly ranked, he said. Othello is a young team with a lot of underclassmen, he said, and the second place finish shows the results of that hard work.

“This just shows their progress. Their dedication,” he said. “When you work hard, it does pay off.”

Mat Classic XXXIII is scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Tacoma.

Lexi Monday finished second in the 115-pound class, and Hazel Gonzalez finished third in the 125-pound class.

Thalia Gallegos, 170 pounds, qualified by finishing fifth. Ruiz said Gallegos had worked hard all season.

“That (match) was pretty exciting to watch. She (Gallegos) was a little emotional when she made it,” Ruiz said.

Marsha Gomez qualified as an alternate by finishing sixth in the 125-pound class. Ruiz said 2021-22 is her first year in wrestling competition.

Only Monday has previous state experience, he said.

“We’re excited to be taking four (wrestlers),” Ruiz said.

The wrestlers worked hard and made a lot of progress this season, he said, and the coaches were impressed with the results. The coaching staff is already thinking ahead.

“Next year we’ll hopefully triple that number (of state qualifiers),” Ruiz said.