Fifteen Whatcom County wrestlers remain alive at state — with eight reaching semifinal matches — following day one of the Mat Classic XXXV tournament on Friday, Feb. 16 at the Tacoma Dome.
Of the 54 local athletes that advanced to the tournament, less than 30% remain. The other seven not headed to the semifinals are in consolation brackets, with a chance to finish as high as third.
Mount Baker leads the county’s nine schools that sent wrestlers to the tournament with five grapplers remaining, and Daniel Washburn remains in contention for the 1A boys 157-pound title.
Andrew Montieth (boys, 126 pounds), Wyatt Freeman (boys, 165), Vance Lawrence (boys, 175) and Tyla Olson (girls, 140) are all in consolation brackets.
Blaine is sending two wrestlers to the semifinals and has one in a consolation bracket. Victor Gervol is competing for a 1A boys 285-pound title, while Lucyanna Dahl is in contention for a girls 1B/2B/1A/2A championship at 145 pounds.
Cal Fitzgerald is in the boys 144-pound consolation bracket for the Borderites.
Meridian’s Regan Swope is headed to the girls 170-pound semifinals, while Rhett Dursch (1A boys, 215 pounds) and Kennedy Farrar (girls, 170 pounds) are in consolation matches.
Squalicum, Lynden, Ferndale and Nooksack Valley all have one wrestler off to the semifinals.
Squalicum’s Bella Phillips dominated the girls 1B/2B/1A/2A 190-pound bracket, while Lynden’s Belen Lopez has not lost in the 155-pound weight class.
Ferndale’s Wyatt Strait is in the 3A boys 285-pound semifinals, and Nooksack Valley’s Wyatt Bacon will compete for a title in the 1A 190-pound bracket.
Connor J. Benintendi is a former CDN sports reporter, send tips and information to newstips@cascadiadaily.com.
