TACOMA — The North Kitsap girls led the way for West Sound Wrestling at Mat Classic XXXII as the highest-placing team amongst the seven classifications.
Led by state champions Holly Beaudoin and Kenzie Cormier, the Vikings girls team finished third overall with 80 points behind White River and Kennewick. The team took five wrestlers to state and placed three of them, including the two champions.
“They do something that not a lot of girls teams do,” said North Kitsap head coach Robert Gomez. “They practice with the boys year-round.”
Beaudoin dominated her competition in the 120 bracket, pinning every single one of her opponents, including Maizy Feltwell of Liberty (Spangle) in the finals. After placing second in three consecutive Mat Classics, Beaudoin went out a winner in her senior season.
“I just knew it was my time,” Beaudoin said.
Fellow senior Cormier took care of business in the 140 finals as well, defeating Annelise Whitaker of Walla Walla in a 6-1 decision. Cormier was well in control for much of the match and while she couldn’t get her opponent down the mat, she was easily able to run out the clock for a win.
“Everything I’ve ever done was to be a state champion,” Cormier said. “And now I’ve accomplished my goal and I’m setting a new goal for myself. It feels really good.”
Elise Scrafford also went to the finals at 135 but had a very strong opponent in Allison Blaine of Hudson’s Bay. Blaine ended up winning a 15-4 decision.
Six West Sound wrestlers went to the finals in all. Bremerton’s Thor Michaelson wrestled an incredibly close match with two-time state champion Kyler Romero of Toppenish. Michaelson was up 2-1 late, but Romero was able to get a takedown with eight seconds left to capture his third championship.
North Kitsap’s Nouh Hammou went to the finals at 195, but couldn’t hang in there with Mac Laird of Ephrata. The two wrestlers traded points, but Laird’s endurance allowed him to gain the upper hand late and win a 14-6 decision.
South Kitsap junior Xavier Eaglin returned to the finals at his third Mat Classic, facing a stockier opponent in Robby Vaughn on Chiwana. Eaglin wasn’t able to put a dent in Vaughn’s lead once he fell behind and Vaughn ended up winning a 5-2 decision.
The Wolves placed five other wrestlers in the top eight. Freshman standout Mitchell Neiner bounced back from a quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Jonathan Tanguma of Moses Lake to finish third. He defeated Sunnyside’s Alejandro Fernandez, 7-2, in his last match.
Logan Stafford knocked off Brad Clay of Decatur to take fifth at 182. Peyton Motter defeated Spencer Needham with a second-period pin to take seventh at 106 and Joseph Laws finished eighth after losing a close match to Drew Krehbiel of Enumclaw.
South Kitsap finished ninth overall in 4A.
Klahowya’s Hunter Wallis reached the semifinals at 1A 182, but lost to eventual champ Sammy DesRoches of Riverside. But he rebounded nicely and pinned Brian Sims of Zillah in 24 seconds in the third place match. Cameron Johnson took fourth at 1A 106 and Kelton Gagnon defeated Juan Martinez of Cascade (Leavenworth) with a late-second period pin to finish seventh at 1A 113.
Olympic senior Anjelo Pangelinan took fifth at 113 in 2A and Annabelle Moden finished sixth in the girls 190 weight class.
Mat Classic XXXII
Local placers
Girls 120 — Holly Beaudoin, North Kitsap, first.
Girls 135 — Elise Scrafford, North Kitsap, second.
Girls 140 — Kenzie Cormier, North Kitsap, first.
Girls 190 — Annabelle Moden, Olympic, sixth.
4A 106 — Peyton Motter, South Kitsap, seventh.
4A 113 — Mitchell Neiner, South Kitsap, third.
4A 138 — Xavier Eaglin, South Kitsap, second.
4A 152 — Joseph Laws, South Kitsap, eighth.
4A 182 — Logan Stafford, South Kitsap, fifth.
2A 113 — Anjelo Pangelinan, Olympic, fifth.
2A 132 — Robert Gomez, North Kitsap, seventh.
2A 138 — Thor Michaelson, Bremerton, second.
2A 195 — Nouh Hammou, North Kitsap, second.
2A 220 — Sofian Hammou, North Kitsap, third.
1A 106 — Cameron Johnson, Klahowya, fourth.
1A 113 — Kelton Gagnon, Klahowya, seventh.
1A 182 — Hunter Wallis, Klahowya, third.
