BASIN WRESTLING REPORT: Local wrestlers advance to Tacoma

COLUMBIA BASIN — Regional wrestling tournaments were held around the state Saturday, with Basin teams qualifying nearly 70 wrestlers for this week’s Mat Classic in Tacoma.

Boys 4A Region 4 — Yakima

Moses Lake took seventh as a team at Saturday’s 4A Region 4 tournament at Davis High School, having five wrestlers place and advance to the Mat Classic.

Sophomore Ian Garza (106, third), freshman Duane Zamora (120, second), junior Drayden Gaither (126, fourth), freshman Trenton Vasquez (132, second) and senior Dayton Regan (150, first) all reached the podium. Moses Lake scored 83.5 team points at the regional tournament.

Girls 3A/4A Region 4 — Sunnyside

Moses Lake finished seventh as a team with 80 points at Saturday’s 3A/4A Region 4 tournament, with six wrestlers placing; sophomore Elyssa Armendariz (105, fifth), senior Ashley Naranjo (110, first), freshman Kamilah Martinez (110, sixth), sophomore Reese Prescott (115, first), senior Gabriela Vela (135, fifth) and freshman Kenia Corona (235, sixth). The top four wrestlers advanced to the Mat Classic.

Boys 2A Region 4 — Ellensburg

The Othello Huskies won Saturday’s 2A Region 4 tournament, scoring 202 points and having 14 wrestlers reach the podium. Ephrata finished in 10th place with 61 team points. The top four wrestlers in each bracket qualified for the state tournament.

Othello junior Christopher Garcia (106, fifth), senior Isaac Campos (113, first), sophomore Daniel Gonzalez (113, third), sophomore Mason Russell (126, second), senior Adriel Flores (126, fifth), senior Anthony Abundiz (132, first), senior Marcos Zuniga (132, sixth), junior Jeremiah Flores (150, third), sophomore Camilo Mendez III (157, third) junior Parker Freeman (157, fourth), senior Jesus Bonilla (165, fifth), sophomore Miguel Zuniga (190, fourth), junior Anthony Solorio (215, second) and junior Mason Perez (285, first) all placed at Saturday’s regional tournament. 

Tiger freshman Mike Ramirez (106, sixth), senior Zander Boyd (113, fourth), senior Alex Gutierrez (120, second), senior Jorge Rodriguez (126, fourth) sophomore Micah Sandberg (215, fifth) and sophomore Peyton Woods (215, sixth) all reached the podium in their respective brackets.

Girls 2A/1A/B Region 3 — Toppenish

Both Othello and Warden finished in the top four of Saturday’s 2A/1A/B Region 3 tournament in Toppenish, with the Huskies scoring 256 team points and placing second while the Cougars scored 120 points to finish fourth.

Reaching the podium for Othello were sophomore Janissa Barrera (100, sixth), junior Bella Garza (105, third), freshman Brooklyn Hillman (105, fourth), freshman Grayce Mendez (110, second), junior Grace Rocha (115, third), sophomore Briseida Galvez (120, third), sophomore Serenity Ayala (125, third), junior Diamond Van Cleve (135, first), freshman Jessica Basurto (135, sixth), freshman Miriam Garcia (140, fourth), sophomore Kiara Haertling (145, first), senior Bresais Campos (145, fourth), junior Jadira Perez (155, fifth), freshman Karla Guzman (155, sixth), senior Elia Velazquez (190, first) and sophomore Alejandria Espindola (235, second). 

Five of the six Cougars who wrestled at regionals reached the finals; senior Alona Castro (100, second), senior Brianalee Martinez (115, first), senior Jada Hernandez (120, first), sophomore Dana Yorgesen (120, sixth), senior Maira Yanet Zaragoza (125, first) and sophomore Ashley Cruz (125, second).

The top three wrestlers in each bracket advanced to the Mat Classic.

Boys 1A Region 3 — Connell

The Royal Knights took fourth (116 points) in Saturday’s 1A Region 3 tournament at Connell High School, competing against other teams in the South Central Athletic Conference’s East and West divisions. 

Royal had 11 wrestlers place; sophomore Dennis Hernandez (113, second), sophomore Thomas Antonio (120, fourth), sophomore Carlos Barajas (132, fourth), sophomore Kevin Almonte (132, sixth), freshman Easton Eilers (138, fifth), freshman Cael Orth (144, fourth), sophomore Shea Stevenson (150, second), sophomore Alan Garcia (165, sixth), senior Aram Garnick (175, fourth), sophomore Mario De La Rosa (175, sixth) and senior Moysees Campos (285, fourth). The top three wrestlers advance to the Mat Classic.

Wahluke did not have any wrestlers place Saturday.

Boys 1B/2B Region 2 — Tonasket

Warden placed fifth as a team at Saturday’s 1B/2B Region 2 tournament, scoring 91 points and seeing eight wrestlers reach the podium. The top four wrestlers from each weight class advanced to the state tournament.

Cougar freshman Raylen Heredia (113, sixth), senior Manny Canales (120, fifth), junior Michael Gonzalez (126, fourth), junior Junio Santiago (138, fifth), freshman Jaden Hernandez (190, third), senior Omar Pruneda (215, second), sophomore Gabriel Serna (215, sixth) and senior Anthony Contreras (285, second) all placed in the tournament.

Boys 1B/2B Region 3 — Spangle

LRS and ACH traveled to Liberty High School for the 1B/2B Region 3 tournament Saturday, with the Broncos finishing fifth and the Warriors placing sixth with team scores of 101 and 96 points, respectively. The top three wrestlers in each bracket advanced to this week’s Mat Classic in Tacoma.

Bronco senior Octavio Paredes Martinez (113, third), senior Alexander Bonner (132, sixth), junior Carson Kubik (144, first), freshman Pete Spain (150, sixth), senior Gabriel Smith (215, first) and junior Brock Tracy (285, first) all finished on the podium. 

For the Warriors, junior Jack Molitor (120, third), freshman Porter Wood (138, second), senior Everett Wood (157, first), senior John Pierce (175, third), junior Grayson Beal (190, sixth) and freshman Noah Butler (215, second) all placed at the regional tournament.

Editor's Note: Coverage for the wrestling tournament held in Quincy over the weekend will be published online on Feb. 13 and in the paper on Valentine's Day.

    Warden senior Brianalee Martinez, right, won her finals match at Saturday’s 2A/1A/B Region 3 tournament in Toppenish.
  

    The Othello Huskies won a regional title at Saturday’s 2A Region 4 tournament in Ellensburg, scoring 202 points at the tournament.