Backed behind champions Kylie Norton, Mikaela Kilcup and Sam Mitchell, the White River High girls wrestling team will move 12 girls on to the regional wrestling tournament Saturday at Emerald Ridge in Puyallup. From there the top wrestlers will advance to the state tournament Feb. 17 and 18 in the Tacoma Dome.

Coach Rich Valdez was excited and said the squad wrestled tough and aggressive Saturday at the subdistrict tournament.

“Your goal as a team is to move everyone to the regional, obviously, and this is the first of three very tough emotional weeks to come,” Valdez said. “Some athlete’s seasons ended this week and that is always a heart-wrenching situation to deal with but you have to move forward as a team and keep marching toward the ultimate goal, which for us is to finish as high as possible in the Tacoma Dome.”

The Hornets put eight in the finals with Norton, Kilcup and Mitchell taking home titles. Katie Johnson, Morgan Shirey, Kalynn Gulin, Dylan Fagan and Kamy Padgett were runners-up.

Ericka Selby and Ericka Jackson finished third for the Hornets and Kendra Blue took fourth for her slot into regionals. Jesslyn Blue finished fifth and will serve as an alternate.

“This team’s athletes have set high individual goals for themselves,” Valdez said. “I have girls on this team who will not rest until they are state champions, there isn’t a member of this team that doesn’t believe that this group can bring home a state championship for this school every one of them has a goal to be a state placer. They are a highly motivated group and I couldn’t ask for them to be more united as a team if I tried.”