BOYS WRESTLING
The Bonney Lake boys wrestling team took home its first Mat Classic 3A state championship trophy Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.
The quest for the trophy came down to the final match. The Panthers and Kelso battled all day for the lead.
During the 220 pound matches Ricky Victoriano from Kelso took fifth giving Kelso a slim advantage.
The team title rested on the 220-pound championship between the Panthers Sam Peterson and Dustyn Camacho from O’Dea.
The match was three rounds of tough, technical wrestling, and when time ticked away at the end of the third period the junior Panther lifted his arm in victory with both an individual title and the team championship.
Peterson out wrestled Camacho, a skilled and strong athlete, taking a 6-4 decision. He lost in the first round last year in the 285-pound division. He returned this season after a summer of intense training ready for a run at the title
“It’s just a great feeling,” Peterson said. “I’ve been working all summer since I lost. It’s a great feeling to accomplish. Hard work and determination pays off.”
Peterson said the match went differently than he expected.
“I thought there would be more underhooks and throws,” he said. “But you know, when you really want it you go for it. I went for it and I won.”
The Panthers ended the day with three championships and four in the top eight.
Brandon Kaylor at 113 pounds won his third consecutive title and is taking aim at a fourth in his senior year.
Kaylor beat Blake Haney from Mount Spokane 3-2, whom he had beaten 6-3 last year for the 106-pound title.
He said the match was a challenge, “I expected it to be close and difficult. Haney is a great opponent and good wrestler…. He was keeping his feet back like he should, staying in good position. My dad always told me, ‘It’s easy to get to the top and hard to stay there.’ I had more to lose. My third straight title was on the line. I had to win for my family and friends… got to give glory to God. (But) I think it was more me, my nerves getting to me more than him learning how to wrestle me.”
Kaylor has now won 47 straight matches and he plans to train hard in the offseason for a run at No. 4.
The third champion for the Panthers was sophomore Brenden Chaowanapibool. He brought home his first championship in the 106-pound division pinning Jarret Sharp from Mount Spokane at 5 minutes, 23 seconds.
Chaowanapibool finished sixth in 2016 as a freshman.
He dominated the division this year pinning his first opponent and taking a 14-6 win in the second round and 16-4 in the semifinal over Ben Hunnicutt from Kelso.
Mason Sabin has now placed twice in the state tournament after taking second this season at 145 pounds.
Ryan Shaffer took eighth at 145.
Zach Koeller took third at 152, which is the third time the senior has placed in the top eight at the Mat Classic.
Senior Keegan Dorsey took fourth at 170, his second time placing at state.
Bonney Lake has finished in the top 10 as a team every year since 2009 and twice in third place, including last season.
White River
White River took third as a team scoring 112.5 points at the 2A division Mat Classic.
The team came home Saturday evening with a championship and six wrestlers in the top eight.
Sophomore Nate Moore took the 145 pound title 9-3 over Garrett Cheney from Ellensburg.
“This is probably the greatest feeling I’ve ever had in my entire life,” Moore said after his championship win. “I’m so happy…. It’s been a dream since I was a little kid. I lost an overtime match last year in the semifinals. Good to get it back.”
Moore said his strategy was to put, “pressure on him all the time. That’s always my strategy.”
Taking home a silver for the Hornets was junior Ryan Redford at 170.
Max Wheeler also took home a second place medal at 120.
Gabe Hawthorne came in fifth at 113, Weston Lyver third at 138, Johnny Mcbride seventh at 152 and Jack Ervien seventh at 160.
Sumner
The Spartans finished 10th in the 4A division at the Mat Classic with 52 points.
Sophomore C.J. Richmond took home a second place medal in the 126 pound division.
Austin Cleland, also a sophomore, picked up fourth at 126.
Junior Kalel Salcedo came home fifth in the 113 and sophomore Marcus Peterson eighth at 132 pounds.
Enumclaw
The Hornets took 27th with 18 points n the 4A division at the state tournament.
Quinton Southcott, a junior, took fourth at 138 pounds.
GIRLS WRESTLING
White River
The Hornet girls wrestling team took fifth at the Mat Classic scoring 51 points with a championship and two in the to eight.
Bringing home the gold for White River was senior Erin Redford. She beat Nikki Velazquez of Othello 13-6 in the championship round.
This was Redford’s first state title. She took third last year and third in 2015 at 125.
She said this was the second time she had wrestled Velazquez and it was the most difficult.
“She caught my by surprise.” Redford said. “But I trusted my training and kept my head. I knew that I could win.”
She said her conditioning helped her. “I do a ton of training…. I do as much cardio as I can and I train three times a day.”
Redford said she began playing softball and switched to wrestling because she likes the competitive nature of the sport.
“I love wrestling. I committed to Oklahoma City as a wrestler,” she said.
There was a tinge of sadness to the day when her younger brother, Ryan Redford, finished second at 170 pounds.
“We were supposed to be the first brother-sister state championship,” she said through tears. “He’s just worked so hard; it was hard to see.”
Her brother is a junior and will have another season to bring home a gold to hang next to his sister’s medal.
Placing for the Hornets were sophomore Payton Stroud taking seventh at 120 and senior Jacey Lindner, 190, finishing fourth.
Bonney Lake
The Panthers finished 13th as a team with 38 points at the state wrestling tournament with a championship and a state placing.
Junior Dreakeanna Adair took the victory in dominating fashion by pinning her opponent in 43 seconds.
Adair beat Dakota Moon from Kalama.
Adair opened the Mat Classic by pinning Megan Mason of Newport in 3:33. She won 13-1 in the second round and pinned Jacqueline Luna in 26 seconds to reach the title match.
This is the first state championship for Adair. She took sixth last season at 190.
At 125 junior Nia Lawes took seventh for Bonney Lake.
Enumclaw
The Enumclaw girls wrestling team took 14th with 35 points.
A newcomer to the ranks, freshman Kenzie Cormier took home a silver medal in her first Mat Classic.
Wrestling at 100 pounds, Cormier took a 5-2 decision in the first round and pinned her opponent in the second round in 1:58. She pinned Aaliyah Escamilla from Warden at 4:46 to move to the title match.
In the championship match she lost to Leah Olsen from Sedro Wooley 7-1.
Junior Alexandra Puzon finished seventh in state at 100 pounds.
Sumner
The Spartans had one girl who placed third at the state tournament.
Junior Nicole Clark wrestled at 135 pounds taking the third place medal.
She pinned Elizabeth Giles from Othello at 2:45.
Brandon Kaylor, a Bonney Lake junior, won the 113-pound title, his third consecutive championship. He has set high sights on a fourth title next year as a senior. Photo by Dennis Box.
