Washington (Mat Classic) wrestling state championships live updates: Day 1 scores, results, top stories
TACOMA, Wash. - University's Libby Roberts is back for her third season at Mat Classic - and that is bad news for the competition.
She is the undisputed best girl wrestling in Washington right now.
And she is on track to leave as an all-time great.
Yet, Roberts is different in the sense she cares so little about her wins-and-losses records. She is more concerned with seeking out top competition, even if that means wrestling against top boys at Tri-State - or traveling to the Sierra Nevada Classic.
"I don’t really ever look at my record," said Roberts, who opened her 4A/3A tournament Friday with a first-round fall over Peninsula's Georgina Johnson. "I don’t really count my losses like, 'Oh no, another loss in the book.’
"It's like, 'OK, I lost here, how do I improve from that loss?'"
Since she arrived at University, Roberts has entered Tri-State three times - with a runner-up finish in 2022, and a seventh-place finish last December. All of her matches have come against boys.
"Absolutely not," was Roberts' response when asked if she ever had any reservation about wrestling at Tri-State.
Photo by Todd Milles
"I don't think of myself different as the guys on the team. Another weekend, another tournament with the guys."
Two weeks after Tri-State, Roberts suffered her first in-season loss by fall to another girls at the Sierra Nevada Classic.
In the 107-pound semifinals, she faced Grace Davis (Calif.)' Jazmine Turner - and was pinned in the second round at 2:36.
Win or lose, Roberts is meticulous when it comes to reviewing her performances.
"In the wins like that where I am not out there that long, I look mostly at my position and what I did a good job doing. But I cannot nitpick something if you are not out there very long," Roberts said. "The losses is where I look for what I did wrong."
Case in point: The loss to Turner.
"I’ve replayed it quite a bit- the little mistakes the happened in that match that led to me getting caught," Roberts said. "Going into big matches, I think about that match a lot. I got out of position that one time, and it cost me a match. I’ve got to make sure and stay in position."
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SHOWDOWN OF RETURNING STATE CHAMPIONS
Photo by Todd Milles
In the eight tournaments, there is only one weight class - in one classification - that features returning WIAA champions.
It is in the 120-pound bracket in Class 3A - Soutthridge's two-time state champion Jacob Chapa (106 pounds in 2022, 113 pounds in 2023) and Lincoln of Tacoma's Andrew Flores, the 120 winner last season.
They will meet in the semifinals Saturday morning for a spot in the championship finals.
"I saw him (Flores) wrestle today for the first time," Chapa said. "Let's see how it goes. It would be a good match."
But first, Chapa had to conquer another opponent this winter - poor grades.
In fact, he was so behind academically, he admitted "I knew I wasn't wrestling."
"I wasn't even practicing," Chapa said.
But three weeks ago, he was given one more opportunity to pass his civic class.
"They told me I passed my final Monday, and the following week was districts," Chapa said. "I only had a week of training to get ready."
He admits he is not in the best shape of his career, but "at the end of the day, I feel like it's going to come down to heart, and how much I want it."
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HOP ON THE BIG TAHOMA BUS
Photo by Todd Milles
Because this isn't Tahoma coach Chris Feist's first Mat Classic rodeo, he did not panic when the news came to him at 6 a.m. Friday that his scheduled team charter bus was sent to a different campus.
"It showed up at Mount Tahoma," he said.
So, Feist called in a favor to 12-year Maple Valley mayor Sean Kelly, who is also a certified bus driver.
"(Kelly) showed up in another bus with fire and police escort," Feist said.
If all goes well this weekend, they might need an escort home.
The Bears brought a state-best 19 wrestlers to the Tacoma Dome in pursuit of their first WIAA team championship since 2017.
To do so, they will have to end Chiawana's reign as the four-time defending Class 4A champion.
"Did I expect (19 entrants)? Yes," Feist said. "The expectation was we'd wrestler really hard for each other, and we saw that all season, in league and at regionals. The young guys just followed the older guys."
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UPDATED TEAM SCORES
Class 4A: Tahoma 105.5, Chiawana 91.0, Lake Stevens 55.5, Skyview 50.0
Class 3A: Mead 182.5, Hermiston 94.0, Lincoln of Tacoma 81.0, Arlington 67.0
Class 2A: Orting 128.0, Othello 62.0, White River 54.0, W.F. West 49.0
Class 1A: Toppenish 131.0, Castle Rock 72.0, Wapato 52.0, Deer Park 45.0
Class 'B': Tonasket 100.0, Goldendale 62.5, Forks 59.0, Granger 54.0
Class 4A/3A girls: Peninsula 73.0, Curtis 65.0, Glacier Peak 58.0, Snohomish 57.0
Class 2A/1A/B girls: Toppenish 62.5, Othello 52.0, Orting 42.0, Warden 39.0
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HOW DEFENDING 4A CHAMPIONS FARED
Curtis Carlisle, Rogers of Puyallup, sr. (113 pounds): Defeated Hanford’s Hunter Duncan in the first round (fall in :28), and Tahoma’s Jackson Stoops in the quarterfinals (11-2 decision).
Elias McDonald, Sumner, sr. (132 pounds): Defeated Richland’s Xavier Salinas in the first round (13-6 decision), and Kentwood’s Isaiah Adamson in the quarterfinals (7-1 decision).
Daeton Johnson, Chiawana, jr. (138 pounds): Defeated Newport of Bellevue’s Noah Saqaliah in the first round (fall in 1:40), and Bethel’s Tristin Gibbons in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:04).
Cody Miller, Sumner, sr. (157 pounds); Defeated Inglemoor’s Christophe Najjarzadeh in the first round (fall in :38), and Glacier Peak’s Colin Edmonds in the quarterfinals (21-7 decision).
JJ Schoenlein, Skyview, jr. (175 pounds): Defeated Gonzaga Prep’s William Jackson in the first round (fall in :17), and Pasco’s Victor Cuellar in the quarterfinals (11-3).
Navarre Dixon, Emerald Ridge, sr. (190 pounds; won 3A title with Lincoln of Tacoma in 2023): Defeated Tahoma's Kage Repenn in the firs round (15-8 decision), and Eastmont's Ricardo Jr Colunga in the quarterfinals (5-3 decision)
Connor Aney, Glacier Peak, jr. (285 pounds): Defeated Sumner’s Sean Ponce in the first round (14-0 decision), and Kamiakin’s Gavin McCallum in the quarterfinals (1-0).
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HOW DEFENDING 3A CHAMPIONS FARED
Czar Quintanilla, University, soph. (113 pounds): Defeated Spanaway Lake’s Jayden Vo in the first round (fall in :20), and Stanwood's Aven Andersen in the quarterfinals (6-0 decision).
Jacob Chapa, Southridge, sr. (120 pounds): Defeated Timberline's Jay Carolino in the first round (fall in 2:55), and O'Dea's Anthony Nguyen in the quarterfinals (4-1 decision).
Andrew Flores, Lincoln of Tacoma, soph. (120 pounds): Defeated Prairie's James Stager oi the first round (8-2 decision), and Hermiston's Jacoby Rodriguez in the quarterfinals (2-0 decision).
Josh Neiwert, Mead, sr. (132 pounds): Defeated Meadowdale's Maddox Millikan in the first round (fall in :57), and Kent-Meridian's Adonal Garza in the quarterfinals (fall in 2:48).
Tre Haines, Arlington, soph. (157 pounds): Defeated North Central's Tommy Elliott in the first round (fall in 5:13), and Bainbridge's Wyatt Chabot in the quarterfinals (19-6 decision).
Ezekiel McEwen, Capital, sr. (175 pounds): Defeated Mead's Caden Brooks in the first round (16-1 decision), and Inglemoor's Eli Davis-Rudin in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:06).
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HOW DEFENDING 2A CHAMPIONS FARED
Dominic Thomas, Orting, soph. (113 pounds): Defeated Columbia River's Aidan Deeney in the firs round (fall in :50), and East Valley of Yakima's Peyton Miller in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:26).
Alan (A.J.) Salguero, Orting, sr. (126 ponds): Defeated Cheney's Adrian Jaimes Monteneg in the first round (forfeit), and Othello's Mason Russell in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:14).
Bryan Dickerson, Orting, sr. (132 pounds): Defeated Burlington Edison's Zaylen Vaquero in the first round (12-0 decision), and Ellensburg's Leif Holmgren in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:19).
Quentin Harding, Orting, jr. (138 pounds): Defeated Tumwater's Andrew Yocom in the first round (fall in 1:48), and Rogers of Spokane's Gus Baliman in the quarterfinals (fall in :21).
Michael Fritz, Orting, soph. (144 pounds): Defeated Ridgefield's Nolan Carney in the first round (11-2 decision), and lost to Grandview's Julian Sanchez in the quarterfinals (4-2 decision).
Apollo Cruz, Orting, sr. (150 pounds): Defeated Aberdeen's Michael Hatton in the first round (fall in :49), and Shadle Park's Tyrese Guzman in the quarterfinals (fall in 3:47).
Lars Michaelson, Bremerton, sr. (190 pounds): Defeated Burlington-Edison's Izel Morales in the first round (fall in 1:14), and Ellensburg's Kase Montgomery in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:31).
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HOW DEFENDING 1A CHAMPIONS FARED
Steve Romero, Toppenish, soph. (113 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Quincy Saidt Alvarez in quarterfinals (fall in 3:23)
Adan Estrada, Toppenish, sr. (126 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Seton Catholic's Alex Gomez-Paz in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:13).
Justyce Zuniga, Toppenish, soph. (132 pounds):Bye in first round; defeated Cascade of Leavenworth's Tristan Sharpe in the quarterfinals (19-3 decision).
Darrell Nanpuya, Omak, jr. (138 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Wapato's Christophe Garza in the quarterfinals (fall in 5:50).
Kiyanno Zuniga, Toppenish, jr. (144 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Omak's Jessie Garcia in the quarterfinals (11-0 decision).
Marcos Torrez, Toppenish, sr. (150 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Stevenson's Kasen Polzel in the quarterfinals (17-2 decision).
Darrell Leslie, Toppenish, sr. (215 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls' Liam Hamilton in the quarterfinals (fall in 2:52).
Anthony Nava, Toppenish, jr. (285 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Blaine's Otto Shelton in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:19).
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HOW DEFENDING 'B' CHAMPIONS FARED
Tanner Grooms, Okanogan, jr. (120 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated ACH's Jack Molitor in the quarterfinals (16-1 decision).
Gerardo Hernandez, Tonasket, jr. (126 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Kalama's Harrison Suzara in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:51)
Aaron Polito, Tonasket, sr. (132 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Muckleshoot's Eddieshiloh Cormier-Higgins in the quarterfinals (fall in 3:25).
Cody Northwind, Granger, sr. (175 ponds): Bye in first round; defeated ACH's John Pierce in the quarterfinals (10-1 decision).
Sloan Tumaua, Forks, sr. (285 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Kettle Falls' Kaden Hipper in the quarterfinals (3-2 decision).
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HOW DEFENDING 2A/1A/B GIRLS CHAMPIONS FARED
Sophia Torrez, Toppenish, soph. (105 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Forks' Flora Horejsi in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:45).
Adalyne Montiel, Toppenish, soph. (110 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Rogers of Spokane's Yadira Covarrubias in the quarterfinals (17-2 decision).
Ruby Clark, Toppenish, sr. (140 pounds): Bye in first round; defeated Liberty Bell's Cassidy Jones-Mowen in the quarterfinals (6-1 decision).
Makayla Torres, Toppenish, jr. (145 pounds): Defeated Wahluke's Mariangela Torres in the first round (fall in 3:23), and Black Hills' Isabella Steinebach in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:45).
Madisen Pillers, Newport, sr. (235 pounds): Defeated Anacortes' Hailey Rains in the first round (fall in 1:22), and Toppenish's Charlene Underwood in the quarterfinals (fall in 1:02).
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HOW DEFENDING 4A/3A GIRLS CHAMPIONS FARED
Libby Roberts, University, jr. (105 pounds);
Ashley Dayana Naranjo, Moses Lake, sr. (110 pounds):
Zeta Lee, Lincoln of Tacoma, sr. (115 pounds):
Madisyn Erickson, Yelm, sr. (120 pounds):
Karianne Baldwin, Glacier Peak, sr. (125 pounds)
Sierra Wangen, Curtis, sr. (135 pounds):
Flor Parker-Borrero, Graham-Kapowsin, soph. (140 pounds):
Clarissa Wangen, Curtis, sr. (155 pounds):
Ryley Nager, Curtis, soph. (170 pounds):
Faith Tarrant, Prairie, jr. (235 pounds):
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