STATE WRESTLING: Forks’ Lucas wins state championship, two other area grapplers make state finals

TACOMA — Forks’ Josue Lucas claimed the 106-pound Class 1A state championship in wrestling action at Mat Classic XXIX at the Tacoma Dome on Saturday.

Lucas is one of three North Olympic Peninsula wrestlers who could finish first and one of 12 area grapplers who will come home with a state medal after competition closed Saturday evening. Forks’ Jack Dahlgren and Sequim’s Alma Mendoza also have shots at state titles.

The results of most medal round contests came after press time. Photographs from the Tacoma Dome and a more detailed recap will appear in Monday’s sports section.

Lucas won his championship match 8-4 over Connell’s Johnathan Magana.

He earned a win by pin at 5:14 of his opening-round 106-pound contest with Zillah’s Dawson Husted, slipped past Jeff Friedman of Lakeside (9-Mile Falls) 8-7 and outpointed Granger’s Jeremiah Salcedo 6-4 to reach the final.

Lucas finished eighth at state as a freshman last season.

Lucas’ teammate Jack Dahlgren reached a state final for the second straight season.

Dahlgren wrestled Juan Zamora of Granger for the 195-pound crown late Saturday.

He finished second in the 182-pound bracket last season and third as a sophomore.

Dahlgren pinned Levi Huls of Castle Rock at 3:36 of his first-round contest, outpointed Freeman’s Zach Hyta 8-3 and pinned King’s Way Christian’s Mike Garrison at 2:34 of his semifinal matchup.

Sequim junior Mendoza became the second North Olympic Peninsula girls wrestler to reach a state final, joining her former competitor Chloe Rogers of Port Townsend, who graduated last year.

Mendoza wrestled for the 155-pound girls title against Kamiak’s Ally De La Cruz.

She advanced to the final by edging Pasco’s Natalie Hall 2-0, rolling past Giulian Pepe of Mount Rainier 11-0 and dominating Hoquiam’s Jenna Doll 17-1 to earn a technical fall victory.

Mendoza has placed in all three Mat Classics she has competed after earning seventh place as a freshman and sophomore.

Forks had the largest contingent of wrestlers with 12 boys, one boys alternate and girls wrestler Marissa Bailey. The Spartans were in fifth place in the team competition as of press time.

Besides Lucas and Dahlgren, four other Spartans will bring home medals.

Garrison Schumack reached the third/fourth-place match in after losing in the 145-pound quarterfinals and fighting his way through the consolation bracket.

Luke Dahlgren advanced to the semifinals by pinning Nooksack Valley’s Luke Winter at 3:18 and outpointing Garrett Trevino of Freeman 4-3.

But Dahlgren lost to Noel Orozco 3-0 in the semifinals and was pinned at 0:54 of his consolation semifinal match against Jared Boswell of Deer Park.

Eden Cisneros endured two three-overtime matches in his march to sixth place for the Spartans.

Forks heavyweight Nathan Flores wrestled Tyson Mergel of Nooksack Valley for seventh/eighth place. Flores beat Mergel 9-0 in the opening round. Cisneros beat Evergreen League foe Tyrick Weyrauch 5-3 in a consolation quarterfinal before falling to King’s Way Christian’s Mike Garrison.

Port Angeles had a rough go in the Class 2A competition, as only one of seven Roughrider wrestlers advanced to the medal round, senior Ben Basden in the 138-pound bracket.

Basden controlled his first two matches, a 13-3 win against Jacob Nowels of W.F. West and an 11-5 win over Jake Freeman of Clarkston, to advance to the semifinals.

But he fell 8-3 to Carlos Lopez of Selah and then lost a 5-4 decision to White River’s Weston Lyver to fall into the fifth/sixth place match.

Basden is now a three-time state medalist.

Sequim’s Grant Pierson (160) fought back through the consolation bracket after suffering a first-round defeat by pin to make his way to the fifth/sixth-place match.

Sequim’s Adrian Klarich (182) wrestled Darius Gilchrist of Orting for seventh/eighth place.

On the girls side, Wolves wrestler Kiara Pierson was a tough-luck 1-0 loser in the quarterfinals, but worked her way back to the third/fourth-place match with three straight victories, including a pin of Granger’s Mayu Molina at 2:06.

None of Port Townsend’s three wrestlers made it to the medal rounds.

Chimacum’s Cody McClain lost in the first round but won four straight 220-pound contests to reach the third/fourth-place match.

McClain finished seventh at 220 for Port Townsend last season.

Mat Classic XXIX

Tacoma Dome

Friday and Saturday

Forks

Josue Lucas, 106 (4-0): won by fall 5:14 over Zillah’s Dawson Husted, won 8-7 over Jeff Friedman of Lakeside (9-Mile Falls), won 6-4 against Granger’s Jeremiah Salcedo. Defeated Johnathan Magana of Connell 8-4 in Finals.

Garrison Schumack, 145 (4-1): pinned Jonathan Sanchez of Mount Baker 2:29; lost 17-12 to Ethan Newman of Deer Park; defeated Jakob Weaver of Sultan 8-6 in OT; def. Jared Navarro of Naches Valley 3-2; def. Dean Lockwood of Deer Park 3-2. Wrestled Newman for third/fourth-place.

Colby Demorest, 145: (0-2): pinned by Franky Almaguer 1:31; pinned by Braden Wirth of Medical Lake 4:38.

Gavin Palmer, 152 (1-2): Lost to Tony Almaguer of Granger 15-3; def. Braeden Waymire of Stevenson 20-6; lost 13-6 to Navarro Nanpuya of Omak.

Bretty Moody, 160 (2-2): Def. Elijah Gonsalez of Warden 13-3; lost by pin (2:52) to Robert Vasquez of Granger; pinned Jason Cole of Columbia-Burbank (1:38); lost 4-1 to Kaleb Dennis of Sultan.

Shane Queen, 160 (0-2): Lost by technical fall (15-0) to Jesse Hoffberger of Stevenson; lost by pin (2:31) to Kaleb Dennis of Sultan.

Kenny Gale, 170 (1-2): Lost by pin (3:03) to Akio Yamada of Lakeside; pinned Robeth Gomez of Zillah (2:45); pinned by Takota Ashley of Colville (3:19).

Jack Dahlgren, 195 (3-0): Pinned Levi Huls of Castle Rock at 3:36; def. Zach Hyta of Freeman 8-3; pinned Mike Garrison of King’s Way Christian 2:34; Wrestle Juan Zamora of Granger for state championship.

Eden Cisneros, 195 (2-2): pinned Devin Roberts of River View 1:53; lost by pin at 0:38 to Conner Krouse of Chewelah; def. Marco Arteaga of Chelan 5-3; def. Tyrick Weyrauch of Tenino 5-3, 3OT; lost 2-1, 3 OT to Mike Garrison of King’s Way Christian; wrestled Freeman’s Zach Hyta for fifth/sixth.

Luke Dahlgren, 220 (2-1): Pinned Luke Winter of Nooksack Valley 3:18; defeated Garrett Trevino of Freeman 4-3; lost 3-0 to Noel Orozco of Grandview; lost by pin (0:54) to Jared Boswell of Deer Park. Wrestled Alex Medina of Columbia-White Salmon for fifth/sixth.

Tristen Pisani, 220-(2-2): Pinned by Noel Orozco 0:38; pins Amir Nuriddeen of Deer Park 2:55; lost to Braxton Shannon of Mount Baker Disqualified.

Nathan Flores, 285 (2-2): Won 9-0 against Tyson Mergel of Nooksack Valley; pinned at 4:34 by Alexander Deines of Connell; defeated Hunter Reinhart of Cascade Leavenworth 14-5; pinned at 2:08 by Jon Eslick of Castle Rock; wrestled Mergel for seventh/eighth place.

Forks Girls

Marissa Bailey, 105 (1-2): Lost by pin to Angelica Vela of Warden 3:46; won by injury default against Kayla Trujillo of Eatonville; Lost 14-2 to Anabella Garcia of Federal Way.

Port Angeles

Cody Anderson, 120 (1-2): Lost 4-0 to Klayten Babino of Clarkston; def. Zach Rowe of Steilacoom 5-2; lost 4-1 to Lazaro Lombill of Tyee.

Ben Basden, 138 (2-2): Def. Jacob Nowels of W.F. West 13-3; def. Jake Freeman of Clarkston 11-5; lost 8-3 to Carlos Lopez of Selah; lost to Weston Lyver of White River 5-4. Wrestled for Zack Nguyen of Cheney for fifth/sixth-place.

Caleb Joslin, 152 (1-2): Lost 11-2 to Caleb McBride of White River; def. Sebastian Martinez of Woodland 4-3; lost 9-2 to Glenn Moe of Olympic.

Thomas Blevins, 170 (0-2): Pinned by Ryan Redford of White River (5:22); lost 6-0 to Quintin Stansbury of West Valley Spokane.

Bryce Lauderback, 195 (1-2): Lost by pin to Jacob Jamieson of Aberdeen (4:45); def. Barrera of Tyee 10-1; pinned by Lennon Rock of Pullman (1:28).

Bailey White, 220 (0-2): Lost by pin to Isaiah Perez of Othello (0:15); lost by pin to Jonathan Gonzalez of Franklin Pierce (0:55).

Hayden Wickham, 285 (0-2): Lost by pin to Bedolla of Ephrata (2:26); lost by pin to Skyler Murray of Aberdeen (2:11).

Sequim Girls

Kiara Pierson, 120 (3-1): Pinned Alexis Mendoza of Warden (1:59); Lost 1-0 to Sierra Joner of Battle Ground; pinned Ashley Hubble of Klahowya (2:06); def. Stroud of White River 3-2; pinned Mayu Molina of Grandview (2:06). Wrestled Julie De La Cruz of Meridian for third/fourth-place.

Alma Mendoza, 155 (3-0): Def. Becca Averys of Nooksack Valley 2-0; Def. Giuliana Pepe of Mount Rainier 11-0; def. Jenna Doll of Hoquaim 17-1 (technical fall); wrestled Ally De La Cruz of Kamiak for state championship.

Sequim

Grant Pierson, 160 (2-2): Lost by pin (4:44) to EJ Matagi of Chewelah; def. Ty Shanklin of Highline 12-7; def. Flores Pimentel of Selah 4-3; lost 6-1 to DeAndre Williams of Washington; wrestled Ahmad Jumper of Steilacoom for fifth/sixth.

Austin Budd, 170 (1-2): Def. Tobia Brown of Steilacoom 9-0; lost 6-3 to Reese Jones of Othello; lost 10-4 to Jordan LaPointe of Franklin Pierce.

Adrian Klarich, 182 (2-2): Pinned Darius Gilchrist of Orting (5:43); lost 17-10 to Salvador Osorio of Toppenish; pinned Aundre Seabrook of Mountlake Terrace (4:37); pinned by Boedy Taylor of Cheney (4:37). Wrestled Gilchrist for seventh/eighth-place.

Dylan Perreira, 195 (0-2): Lost 9-2 to Reyne Mack of Mountlake Terrace; lost 12-6 to Jonvan Omar of Highline.

Port Townsend

Henry Veitenhans, 145 (0-2): lost 14-2 to Jared Navarro Naches Valley; lost 10-6 to Wayne Baker of Castle Rock.

Jacob Massie, 285 (1-2): Won by pin 1:36 against Chase Barthlett of South Whidbey; lost by pin at 5:58 to Gabe Sanchez Deer Park. Lost 16-8 to Jon Eslick of Castle Rock.

Tucker Booth, 285 (0-2): Pinned at 0:51 seconds by Noe Perez of Highland; pinned at 0:59 seconds by Hunter Reinhart of Cascade-Leavenworth.

Chimacum

Ryan Caldwell, 182 (1-2):-Lost 12-3 to Chase Pidgeon of Zillah. Won 16-0 Technical fall to Brandon Connell Stevenson; pinned at 1:20 by Scout Walker of Colville.

Cody McClain, 220 (3-1): Lost 15-9 to Braxton Shannon of Mount Baker; pinned Bryan Mendoza of Chelan 1:32; pinned Martin Dominguez 2:06; pinned Alex Medina of Columbia White Salmon (1:22); wrestled Jared Boswell of Deer Park for third/fourth.