Seven Borderites headed to Mat Classic

By Ian Ferguson

Blaine wrestlers are rolling to the state meet after the Borderites put on a powerhouse performance at the regional tournament in Bremerton February 13.

Three Blaine wrestlers battled to the top of the podium at regionals, and seven Borderites wrestled well enough to move on to the state tournament.

Colton Economy (126), Caleb Frey (152) and Riley Fritsch (160) won championships. Anthony Frey finished second at 145. Finishing third for Blaine were Derreck Camba (132) and Preston Bellville (138). Saul Magallon (195) placed fourth. Stuey Rasar (113)*, Matt Mcauley (145), and Eric Davis (160) placed fifth.

Bellville’s match against Morgan Mower from Port Angeles went to overtime after Bellville scored a 2-point reversal with 12 seconds left to tie the match. In overtime, Bellville scored a takedown to win third place.

With the top four finishers from each weight moving on to state, Blaine will send seven wrestlers to the Mat Classic at the Tacoma Dome. It was a productive regional tournament for the Borderites, but not unusual given the team’s recent history.

Last year, Blaine sent 10 wrestlers to the Mat Classic, and six of those athletes earned medals against the best 2A wrestlers from across the state. The year before, Blaine won the state championship as a 1A school.

This year at state, the Borderites have a tough road to finals in every weight class, and it’s likely they will face rivals from Sedro-Woolley to get there. Sedro-Woolley placed second at regionals, edging out Blaine by 1.5 points (161.5–160). Olympic won the tournament with 172 points.

The state tournament, officially named the WIAA Mat Classic XXVIII, features two days of wrestling to determine the state champion for each weight class. The Mat Classic is held in the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma on Friday and Saturday, February 19–20. Doors open to the public at 9 a.m., and wrestling begins at 10 a.m. on both days.

*Article corrected to include Stuey Rasar February 19. We regret the error.