TACOMA — Kingston wrestler Peyton Reece, 125, won her first-round state championship match in 31 seconds by fall, early Feb. 20 at the Tacoma Dome.
Reece defeated Madeline Corn of Concrete and next faces Nikki Valazquez of Othello at 4:50 p.m. The winner of that match will face Hailey Huerta of Centralia or Xochithl Surarez of Kent Meridian at 10:50 a.m. Feb. 21.
The title match is Feb. 21, 6:40 p.m.
Reece, sister of four-time state wrestling champion Bobby Reece III (KHS class of 2014), was runner-up in the 2014 Mat Classic. She is undefeated this year and won the Reno World Tournament in 2014.
“Last year I took second [at the Mat Classic], and this year I got into the mindset that I was not going to lose to anybody,” Reece said after her first-round win.
Of each match, she said, “I don’t try to study my opponent too much. I just go out there.”
Coach Chris Gilbreath said Reece is a seasoned, confident competitor.
Because she’s competed in the Tacoma Dome and at the Reno Worlds, “The Mat Classic is not an overpowering experience for her. That helps give her the confidence she needs,” he said.
Kingston’s Dawson Johnson, 182, went to the Mat Classic as an alternate, but a slot didn’t open up.
