Winter-season athletes are fully off and running, competing on the basketball court, wresting mats, in the pool, on the lanes and in the various gymnastics disciplines.

It is, indeed, a busy time on the Enumclaw High and White River athletic calendars. Below, we take a quick, early-season look and the Plateau’s wrestling, swimming, bowling and gymnastics programs. A week ago, this space previewed the basketball teams (boys and girls) from both sides of the river.

BOYS WRESTLING

White River

The Hornets have opened the winter season in a position of strength, returning six wrestlers who advanced to last year’s Class 2A state meet and boosted the team to a third-place finish.

Key returnees for coach Josh Sneva include senior Riley Simmons, a defending state champion. Fellow seniors Caleb Dale and Luke Lisherness advanced to the title bout at Mat Classic and walked off with second-place honors.

Also qualifying for the state meet were Tyson Moran, who placed sixth, and Hunter Oswold, seventh, both back for a senior season, along with sophomore Brayden Thacker, seventh.

The squad is back in action tonight (Wednesday), hosting the Todd Beamer Titans.

The team’s talent was recognized at the close of last season when Simmons, Dale and Lisherness were awarded first team, all-league honors; Oswold and Moran were second team selections.

Enumclaw

The biggest development on the EHS wrestling scene is the arrival of a new coach. Gage Elder has stepped into the lead role, replacing Adam Eilers who guided the program since taking the reins in 2013.

Elder is a familiar face within the wrestling room, having served as a Hornet assistant since 2019. A 2002 EHS graduate, he was an accomplished grappler for the Hornets, qualifying for the state meet during his senior season.

Elder’s squad opens the season with a lineup featuring two Mat Classic veterans. Senior Caleb Grantham and sophomore Cole Schumacher wrestled in the Tacoma Dome a season ago, each winning a state match.

This year’s Hornet edition opened the season with an invitational in Edmonds and a 3A NPSL dual meet last night (Tuesday) at Kentlake. Up next is a Dec. 17 trip to Federal Way to challenge the host Todd Beamer Titans.

Photo by Kevin Hanson White River’s Lilyana Lamothe was crowned the SPSL 2A state champion at 130 pounds last year at the Mat Classic XXXV; the WR girls placed seventh overall.

GIRLS WRESTLING

White River

Coming off a seventh-place finish at last season’s state meet, the White River girls appear loaded for continued success.

It’s a new world for Plateau athletes, of course, with the jump up a classification and membership in the 3A North Puget Sound League. White River’s state success a year ago came at the Class 2A level.

But the grapplers who showed so well in the Tacoma Dome have, for the most part, returned.

The returnees include senior Lilyana Lamothe and sophomores Amanda Lillie and Sydnee Hloshyk. All three were first team, all-league selections last season. Named to the second team were senior Nancy Woodard, junior Mya Turcott and sophomore Marli Miller.

The group includes success at the highest level. Lamothe was a state champion last season, Lillie placed third and Miller split her four matches at Mat Classic.

Enumclaw

The EHS squad is headed by junior Sydney Poe, who placed fifth at last year’s state championships and was named a first team, all-league selection.

Adding to the squad are fellow juniors Madison Cooper and Lilly Pederson. Cooper also landed on the all-league first team a season ago and Pederson was a second team pick.

Already three meets into the season, the EHS girls will next hit the mat on Wednesday, Dec. 18, participating in a large meet at Todd Beamer High School.

BOYS SWIM & DIVE

White River

Leading the way for the White River program, which turns out with Enumclaw but scores separately at meets, is junior Conroy Meyers. A season ago, he was honored as the league’s Athlete of the Year.

Competing at the 2A level last year, he qualified for the state meet where he placed second in the 100-yard freestyle and third in the 50-yard freestyle.

Also back are battle-tested veterans William Halaas and Evan Weisheyer who helped make up two WRHS relay teams at state.

During the team’s first meet of this season, Meyers won both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events and joined Halaas and Weisheyer on two winning relays.

Yesterday (Tuesday), the squad traveled to Fife to take on the Trojans. Thursday has the team heading to the King County Aquatic Center to challenge Decatur High.

Enumclaw

The Enumclaw squad’s first meet of the season saw the Hornets splashing past the Kentlake Falcons 100-70. The season-opening victory came on Dec. 5 in the Hornets’ home pool.

A handful of EHS competitors earned individual victories, including Melvin Johnson in the 200-yard freestyle, Aaron Gruner in the individual medley, Federico Pascucci in the 50-yard freestyle, David Prince in the butterfly, Ellis Behrens in the 500-yard freestyle, Ian Dickson in the backstroke and Riley Jensen in diving.

Prince is a veteran of the state meet, competing last season in diving (placing eighth) and the 200-yard freestyle (12th).

Tomorrow (Thursday), the Enumclaw squad heads to the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way to challenge Decatur High. The team already competed once this week, traveling to Fife on Tuesday to take on the Trojans.

GIRLS BOWLING

White River

Coach Becky Tiller’s White River team will be looking to build on a successful start to the season today (Wednesday) when the Hornets take on Highline High.

The afternoon match will be contested at Roxbury Lanes in Burien.

White River opened the season by winning three of four contests, knocking off Federal Way, Todd Beamer and Decatur, falling only to Kennedy Catholic.

Among the regulars Tiller has welcomed back is junior Shelby Lee, who earned second team all-league honors a season ago.

GYMNASTICS

Under the direction of veteran coach Ben Skipworth, the gymnastics program – which has athletes from Enumclaw and White River turning out and traveling together but competing individually – kicks off the 2024 season tonight (Wednesday, Dec. 11).

The season-opener will have the Plateau schools heading to Kent-Meridian High to face the host Royals, Federal Way High, Kentwood and Mount Rainier High.

According to an early-season turnout list, Skipworth has an all-new roster of EHS gymnasts.

Back for another season on the White River side are seniors Maci Roach and junior Jayden Savalza Saborio. Both advanced to last year’s Class 2A/3A state meet.