16 Mavs on to Tacoma

MOSES LAKE – Between the boys and girls Maverick wrestling programs, 16 Moses Lake wrestlers are heading to the 2023 Mat Classic at the Tacoma Dome.

Moses Lake boys

A year after having no Mavericks wrestle at the Mat Classic, Moses Lake is sending six wrestlers to this year’s state tournament.

Freshman Ian Garza (106), sophomore Drayden Gaither (120), freshman Ian Anderson (132), senior Joshua Grubb (145), junior Dayton Regan (152) and senior Ashton Sanchez (220) will all represent Moses Lake in their respective 4A brackets.

“It feels good,” Moses Lake boys wrestling Head Coach Jose Tanguma said. “We’ve been working hard for this. I’m glad we got six through, it’s a big improvement from last year. The kids are very excited and ready to put work in at the dome.”

Junior Dayton Regan was the lone Maverick boys wrestler to make it to state last year, doing so as an alternate.

“It shows that we’re improving, getting back on track,” Tanguma said. “We’ve been working hard to get Moses Lake back up there again, and I think we’re on the right path right now.”

Tanguma said the junior, who had the highest placing among Moses Lake wrestlers at last weekend’s regional competition (second place in the 152-pound bracket), has learned from last year despite not wrestling at the 2022 Mat Classic.

“He has experience; he knows what the dome’s about,’ Tanguma said. “He felt the atmosphere there last year. He knows it’s a bigger stage, but I feel very confident that that’s not going to affect him.”

“They’re excited,” Tanguma said. “Still working hard, grinding it out. Right now we’re mostly sharpening our skills – timing moves, finishing our moves a lot better. The kids are working hard and excited to wrestle at the dome.”

With the end of the season on the horizon, goals have changed for Moses Lake.

“A lot of these guys, their goal was to get to state,” Tanguma said. “Now, their goal is to try and place.”

Tanguma said coaches have been preaching to wrestlers to treat state competition as if it’s just another tournament.

“It’s just another tournament – just take it like that, go in there and do your business,” Tanguma said.”

Moses Lake girls

Junior Ashley Dayana Naranjo and senior Bianca Johnson are two of seven Maverick wrestlers to qualify for state, just a year after the two were crowned state champions in the 115- and 120-pound brackets, respectively.

The two were the only Moses Lake wrestlers to qualify for state last year, with 10 total Maverick girls wrestlers heading to state this year.

“I’m just so excited about how big of a jump (girls wrestling has) made,” Moses Lake girls wrestling Head Coach David Peralez said. “It’s nice to see how that, in how short of a time span, it really has turned around and has gotten support.”

Also heading to state are senior Jhaile De Guzman (100), freshman Nyellie Martinez (105),

freshman Reese Prescott (120), senior Lakailey Rodriguez (135) and sophomore Katelyn Rodriguez (170). Senior Brianna Martinez (115), junior Gabriela Vela (130) and senior Kathryn Pugh (145) are alternates.

“It’s really fun because the results are the accumulation of what they’ve done all season, and that’s work hard, learn from mistakes, continue to stay after practice and work on their individual moves and their individual skillset,” Peralez said. “Just being really mentally tough and having that resiliency.”

Dayana Naranjo and Johnson have been using their past experiences at state to help guide along the Maverick underclassmen in preparation for this year’s state bout, according to Peralez.

“Bianca (Johnson) and Ashley (Dayana Naranjo), they’re great teammates and I see it in the room where they’re helping their teammates because they understand it's going to take a full team in order to make a run at state,” Peralez said. “They’re trying to make sure that their teammates are accountable in every position, every drill, fixing little things. They’re really coaches in the room and on the mat.”

With 11 wrestlers qualifying for regionals at the 3A/4A Region 4 tournament at Hanford High School, the Mavericks left with a team regional title as well as Dayana Naranjo, Prescott and Johnson all winning regional championships.

“The wrestlers deserve a lot of the credit because they’re the ones that have to do all the hard work,” Peralez said. “There’s been some ups and downs this season that they’ve had to endure in order to get to where they are now as regional champions.”

Moses Lake state wrestlers

Boys

Freshman Ian Garza (106)

Sophomore Drayden Gaither (120)

Freshman Ian Anderson (132)

Senior Joshua Grubb (145)

Junior Dayton Regan (152)

Senior Ashton Sanchez (220)

Girls

Senior Jhaile De Guzman (100)

Freshman Nyellie Martinez (105)

Junior Ashley Dayana Naranjo (115)

Senior Brianna Martinez (115)*

Freshman Reese Prescott (120)

Senior Bianca Johnson (130)

Junior Gabriela Vela (130)*

Senior Lakailey Rodriguez (135)

Senior Kathryn Pugh (145)*

Sophomore Katelyn Rodriguez (170)