Maverick Ian Anderson commits to Vikings wrestling program

MOSES LAKE — After closing the chapter on his time as a Maverick, Ian Anderson is staying home after he announced his commitment to the Big Bend Community College Vikings men’s wrestling program. However, it was never clear throughout his time at Moses Lake High School if that’s what he wanted to do, he said.  

“The first three years, I wasn't really doing much at state because of my knees,” Anderson said. 

In back-to-back years, Anderson dealt with knee injuries that limited his time on the mat. By his junior year, he suffered a torn meniscus in both of his knees, ultimately requiring surgery. Despite the setbacks, he kept his focus on having a strong senior season.  

“I was always determined to get back out there,” he said. “I had something to prove to not just to myself, but also to my family, that I could come back from injury, like I can't just quit on myself just because something got in my way.” 

It was at the 2026 Mat Classic in Tacoma that he realized he wanted to keep wrestling after high school.  

“Senior year was popping off for me, I was doing really well,” he said. “Around state, I was kind of thinking about (college), because I love wrestling. Being in that arena, wrestling on those mats just meant a lot to me. The second day of state (I thought) I need to wrestle in college, or it's going to be a really boring life. So that was the day I decided that I needed to go wrestle in college.” 

Anderson battled all the way to the semifinals in the 157-lb class before placing fourth in the multi-day state tournament. Shortly after the season wrapped up, he reached out to the Vikings program expressing his interest in wrestling for them. It turned out to be a great match for both parties.  

“I just hit them up one day on the phone. I was like, ‘Hey, I really want to wrestle for you guys,’ and they were just like perfect, because they've been looking for a Moses Lake kid since Dayton Regan, so it's really nice to be one of the first guys to stay home,” Anderson said.  

Mavs Head Coach Jose Tanguma is not surprised to see one of his former student athletes moving to the next level. He addressed what makes him successful on the mat.  

“He just stays in great position during the whole match,” Tanguma said. “He knows how to control the match his way, but I believe he is going to do great in that division and should be helping the Vikings out.” 

Over his four years with the program, Tanguma feels his confidence has grown the most. From Anderson’s perspective, he also feels the Mavs program helped him learn how to deal with adversity, he said.  

“They really taught me how to flip the switch when I needed to, and come back from what was in my way,” Anderson said. “Especially with my knees, they were really helping me out with that. They were helping me out with recovery and just helped me figure out different moves as well to do to where my knees weren't hurting as bad.” 

As he reflected on his four years as a Maverick, one of the aspects of his experience he’ll miss the most is getting to be teammates with his brother, Eli Anderson.  

“That's going to be a heartbreaker for not just me, but for him as well,” he said. “We're so close with each other that playing sports was just the thing for us, like driving to football practice and wrestling practice, and it’s going to be really sad when I'm out.”  

While he’ll still be close enough to see him often, Anderson will also miss the community he found in the Mavericks program, too.  

“It’s just the kindness,” he said. “If you're on a sports team, there's nothing to be worried about. Your friends got your back, the coaches also have your back, it's just a really big community. Even the athletes who are in different sports, we're all hanging out together, no matter what.”

    The Mavs’ Ian Anderson eyes his opponent during their match at the 2026 Mat Classic. Anderson said the Mavericks program taught him how to deal with adversity.
  

    The Mavericks’ Ian Anderson circles his opponent at the 2026 Mat Classic. Anderson overcame multiple knee injuries during high school, eventually realizing he wanted to keep competing at the college level.