Sumner High grappler Travis Filleau earned a prestigious berth at the state 2A wrestling championships at the Tacoma Dome as a 103-pound freshman.

Things didn’t go so well at the big show, as Filleau dropped his first two matches and was bounced from competition.

His journey began against Mount Baker’s Carsen Monaghan, who pinned him.

“I was trying not to give Monaghan any openings, because he knew that I was a freshman and he was trying from the beginning to get inside my head and bully me a little bit, to scare me into making mistakes,” Filleau said.

Filleau admitted to feeling pressure being the only wrestler representing Sumner.

“My teammates told me not to worry about all the people watching me and just told me to do the best I could and don’t get stressed out,” he said. “Also, coach (Matthew) Harshman kind of put me at ease by telling me that Monaghan was the No. 1-ranked wrestler at that weight from his region and to just to relax and wrestle the way I had all season long.”

He then lost an 11-4 to R.A. Long’s Adrian Castro.

“If nothing else I am a quick learner,” Filleau said. “Especially since my foe in the consolation bracket was a senior, I was attempting not give him anything to shoot for. I actually was the first one to score in that match.

“If I go next year, I will definitely have a much better idea of what to expect,” Filleau said.