TACOMA — The months-long grind that makes up a wrestling season pays off with the opening of Mat Classic XXVIII, the state wrestling tournament, at 10 a.m. today and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.
A total of 21 North Olympic Peninsula grapplers, 18 boys and three girls, will participate at state.
Forks brings the largest contingent, a 10-strong group that will compete for individual placement and for points toward a team trophy.
The Spartans finished fifth in Class 1A at last season’s Mat Classic, and six wrestlers from that team are making a return trip to Tacoma.
That includes 182-pounder Jack Dahlgren, who took third at state last season as a sophomore.
Dahlgren claimed subregional and regional championships earlier this month without having to wrestle a final-round match thanks to injury defaults both times by Montesano’s Kylar Prante.
Prante beat Dahlgren 4-0 in a league dual in early January and is the lone wrestler ranked ahead of Dahlgren in the Washington Wrestling Report’s 182-pound 1A rankings.
Alvaro Ortiz, who has finished fifth in the 120-pound bracket the past two seasons, is another of Forks’ returners.
He cut weight this season and will wrestle at 113 pounds.
Also returning for the Spartans: Garrison Schumack at 138 pounds, Joel Mohn at 160 pounds, Johnny Lua-Ceja at 170 and heavyweight Tristan Tumaua.
■ Forks state wrestlers: Josue Lucas (106 pounds), Alvaro Ortiz (113 pounds), Garrison Schumack (138 pounds), Gavin Palmer (145 pounds), Joseph Mariner (152 pounds), Joel Mohn (160 pounds), Kenny Gale, Johnny Lua-Ceja (170 pounds), Jack Dahlgren (182 pounds), Tristan Tumaua (285 pounds).
Sequim sending six
The Wolves will be represented by four boys and two girls at the state meet.
Senior Kevyn Ward is the lone boys wrestler who has state experience after going 1-2 at Mat Classic last season.
“Kevyn’s wrestling a kid [Aberdeen’s Connor Horton] he’s wrestled before in the opening round,” Sequim coach Charles Drabek said.
“He wrestled that kid in the Klahowya tournament final and lost, but we really think Kevyn can get past him.”
Fellow senior Michael Latimer is making his first Mat Classic appearance at 220 pounds.
“Michael has been snakebit a little bit,” Drabek said.
Latimer endured a skin infection that kept him out of the postseason his freshman year, a pair of concussions late in the season as a sophomore and “tore his knee up” at regionals as a junior.
“When he placed last weekend at regionals, even though it was fourth and he didn’t have his best day, you could see the sigh of relief,” Drabek said.
“He got that monkey off his back, and I think he will wrestle loose and with confidence.”
The two Sequim girls grapplers have state experience.
Junior Alma Mendoza (140 pounds) finished seventh as a sophomore at 125 pounds last season, while sophomore Kiara Pierson (110 pounds) finished eighth as a freshman at 115 pounds.
“Those girls work at it and make each other better every day at practice,” Drabek said.
“They have a good shot of placing again.”
■ Boys state wrestlers: Craig Baker (132 pounds), Kevyn Ward (160 pounds), Adrian Klarich (182 pounds), Michael Latimer (220 pounds).
■ Girls state wrestlers: Kiara Pierson (110 pounds), Alma Mendoza (140 pounds).
Port Angeles trio
The Roughriders are sending a trio to state under first-year head coach Brent Wasche.
“They’ve been pinning and winning all year,” Wasche said of Tyler Gale (113 pounds), Ben Basden (126 pounds) and Morgan Mower (138 pounds).
“Those guys definitely have a shot to take home some hardware.”
Gale brings a 39-2 overall mark and subregional and regional titles into his fourth appearance at Mat Classic. He previously placed fourth, fifth and seventh in the 106-pound bracket earlier in his career.
“Tyler controls and controls his matches,” Wasche said.
“He was a finalist at the Gut Check [Invitational], and there’s no reason to think he can’t get that far at state.
Basden also sports a gaudy record at 37-5 on the season.
“Ben is one of the best kids in the state coming out of the neutral position,” Wasche said.
Wasche said Mower (32-11) has been seasoned by competing against top-ranked wrestlers all season.
“Mower has been able to hang with the best,” Wasche said.
“I think all three kids can place, and that’s definitely our goal.”
Wasche, who moved to Port Angeles from Texas, also is excited to see the athletic spectacle that is Mat Classic.
“Having 24 mats going at once should be a pretty cool experience,” Wasche said.
“I’ve heard it’s an awesome end-of-season event, and I’m just looking to be part of it.”
■ Boys state wrestlers: Tyler Gale (113 pounds), Ben Basden (126 pounds), Morgan Mower (138 pounds).
Port Townsend duo
Chloe Rogers (32-2) made history last year as the first female Redhawks wrestler to win a state match and place at state as she blazed a trail to a runner-up finish at 140 pounds.
She’s back at Mat Classic, with subregional and regional titles recently added to her resume, and faces an advantageous draw.
Rogers is ranked second by Washington Wrestling Report, and the other four wrestlers ranked in the top-five in her class are on the opposite side of the bracket.
If Sequim’s Mendoza can pull off some upsets there is potential for an All-North Olympic Peninsula final.
McClain (18-6) opened the season as a heavyweight but has trimmed down and will wrestle at 220 pounds. He won the subregional title and was second last weekend at regionals.
■ Boys state wrestler: Cody McClain (220 pounds).
■ Girls state wrestler: Chloe Rogers (140 pounds).
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 57050 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
