Those who attended the state wrestling meet at the Tacoma Dome Feb. 16-17 witnessed grit and determination rivaling that witnessed by those who watched the Winter Olympics on TV.

Front and center in the eyes of wrestling fans were the South Kitsap High wrestlers, who captured the Washington state high school 4A title with a dominating performance. Domination is not an exaggeration. The Wolves finished with 160 points, 53.5 points ahead of a distant second-place team from Mead.

Congratulations to brothers Xavier and Mason Eaglin, crowned champs in the 106- and 170-pound weight classes, respectively. Xavier’s individual win was all the more impressive, knowing that he is a freshman wrestler.

The Wolves also got a boost from two second-place finishes by seniors Izaiah Davis and Nathan Marin in the 195- and 160-pound classes. Sebastian Robles, Davonn Keyes and Ethan Fragoso finished third, and Devin Gentz took fourth. A special shout-out to all of you.

All students deserve our encouragement and support in their efforts in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities, through which they learn about sportsmanship, accountability and character. Whether a student participates in a sport, club or community service, the experience is an important part of growing into an individual with a sense of healthy competition, fairness and a social good.

We are proud of our student-athletes, as well as our student artists, actors and activists. We look forward to seeing what new heights you’ll reach in the future.

— Port Orchard Independent News Editorial Board: Terry Ward, publisher; Donna Etchey, general manager; Richard Walker, managing editor; and Bob Smith, regional editor.