CORRECTION: Due to a source error, a previous version of this article contained incorrect information. Felicia Bell has two losses this season.
To win large wrestling tournaments, depth is the key.
That has been a tried-and-true formula for the Aberdeen Bobcats through the years and it proved correct once again with a team title at the 8th Annual Grizzly Stocking Stuffer on Saturday at Hoquiam High School.
Though the Bobcats had just one weight-class champion at the 14-team meet – Kadence Braaten at 140 pounds – Aberdeen placed wrestlers in the top-four medalist spots in 11 of the event’s 14 weight classes, and had 15 medalists in total to score 189.5 points, well ahead of second-place North Mason (132.5) and third-place Montesano (100.5).
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Aberdeen’s Paisley Floch (left) wrestles with Montesano’s Kiara Whisenhunt during a 120-pound quarterfinal match at the Grizzly Stocking Stuffer on Saturday at Hoquiam High School.
Braaten was the lone victor for the Cats, defeating Ilwaco’s Bailey Womack via fall at 2:36 in the 140-pound championship match.
Bobcats Alondra Santibanez (100 pounds), Daisy Vessey (110), Ava Benn (135) and Mycah Good (170) each placed second in their respective weight class.
Aberdeen standout Felicia Bell entered the meet as the favorite to win the 130-pound weight class but had her trip to the top of the podium derailed in her semifinal match against Forks’ Larayne Blair.
During the match, Bell was deemed to have slammed Blair to the mat in a controversial call by the referee. Blair got back to her feet and appeared to be ready to continue until it was determined she was unable to do so, winning over Bell via a medical forfeit.
It was just the second loss of the season for Bell, but the Aberdeen senior who recently signed to compete for UNLV followed with two straight victories, including a pinfall win over Montesano’s Angelina Brunzie 53 seconds into their third-place match.
The victory was the 100th in Bell’s career, making her the lone Aberdeen girls wrestler to crack the century mark in wins.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Aberdeen’s Felicia Bell became the first Bobcats girls wrestler to win 100 career matches with a victory in the 130-pound third-place match at the Grizzly Stocking Stuffer on Saturday in Hoquiam.
Led by a first-place finish at 100 pounds by Julianna Smith, Montesano placed third overall with a total of six medalists over five weight classes.
Smith defeated Santibanez via 17-2 technical fall to win their weight-class final.
Montesano’s Kiara Whisenhunt (120) and Emma Peterson (155) placed second for the Bulldogs, which are in their second full season as a program.
Hoquiam also had a weight-class winner on Saturday.
Grizzlies standout Meribel Mazariegos pinned Klahowya’s Linley Wolfard-Henry with 17 seconds left in the 145-pound championship, leading Hoquiam to a seventh-place finish with 70 points.
Hannah Dhooghe (115) and Emily Brodhead (120) placed second and third, respectively, in their weight classes for the Grizzlies.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Elma’s Olivia Mason (left) placed third overall in the 115-pound weight class at the Grizzly Stocking Stuffer wrestling tournament on Saturday at Hoquiam High School.
Elma had one medalist in the meet as Olivia Mason defeated Aberdeen’s Makaila Boyer via fall at 2:46 to place third at 115 pounds.
Full results available at trackwrestling.com.
~~~
Results
Team standings
1, Aberdeen, 189.5. 2, North Mason, 132.5. 3, Montesano, 100.5. 4, Forks, 91. 5-tie, Klahowya, 74. 5-t, Rainier, 74. 7, Hoquiam, 70. 8, Graham-Kapowsin, 57. 9, Elma, 34.5. 10, Tumwater, 28. 11, Ilwaco, 26. 12, Olympia, 24. 13, Tenino, 16. 14, Ocosta, 0.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam’s Shye Hinchen (left) and Montesano’s Angelina Brunzie wrestle in a 130-pound quarterfinal match at the Grizzly Stocking Stuffer wrestling tournament on Saturday at Hoquiam High School.
Individual medalists
100 pounds: 1, Julianna Smith, Montesano. 2, Alondra Santibanez, Aberdeen. 3, Makayla Neeley, Aberdeen. 4, Sayde Machado, Tumwater.
105: 1, Flora Horejsi, Forks. 2, Kinley Rondeau, Forks. 3, Micah Turpin, Aberdeen. 4, Lillian Adams, Graham-Kapowsin.
110: 1, Lillianna Galeana, Forks. 2, Daisy Vessey, Aberdeen. 3, Karlee Watson, Montesano. 4, Audree Gaddis, Aberdeen.
115: 1, Raven Stoner, Klahowya. 2, Hannah Dhooghe, Hoquiam. 3, Olivia Mason, Elma. 4, Makaila Boyer, Aberdeen.
120: 1, Evelyn Talbot, North Mason. 2, Kiara Whisenhunt, Montesano. 3, Emily Brodhead, Hoquiam. 4, Jessica Peterson, Montesano.
125: 1, Peyton Johnson, Forks. 2, Jade Blair, Forks.
130: 1, Brooke Howard, North Mason. 2, Larayne Blair, Forks. 3, Felicia Bell, Aberdeen. 4, Angelina Brunzie, Montesano.
135: 1, Cheyanne Wolfard-Henry, Klahowya. 2, Ava Benn, Aberdeen. 3, Ariyah Kluski, North Mason. 4, Alyssa Robinson, Graham-Kapowsin.
140: 1, Kadence Braaten, Aberdeen. 2, Bailey Womack, Ilwaco. 3, Annabelle Whiteman, Rainier. 4, Lyah Marrero Vazquez, Tumwater.
145: 1, Meribel Mazariegos, Hoquiam. 2, Linley Wolfard-Henry, Klahowya. 3, Ariel Evans, North Mason. 4, Kayleen Rouska, Aberdeen.
155: 1, Sadie Evans, North Mason. 2, Emma Peterson, Montesano. 3, Trinity Stone, Aberdeen. 4, Halo Wilson, Aberdeen.
170: 1, Kiera Anderson, Rainier. 2, Mycah Good, Aberdeen. 3, Camrynn Pike, North Mason. 4, Madison Winter, Aberdeen.
190: 1, Selena Mares-Castro, Graham-Kapowsin. 2, Alexia Sloboda, Olympia. 3, Abigail Warmoth, Aberdeen. 4, Gian Pama, Olympia.
235: 1, Ryleigh Cruse, Rainier. 2, Chloe Willis, Rainier. 3, Reagan Humphries, Tumwater. 4, Caroline ‘Joey’ Coty, Tumwater.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam’s Emily Brodhead (right) gains control of North Thurston’s Evelyn Talbot during a 120-pound match at the Grizzly Stocking Stuffer on Saturday at Hoquiam High School.
