Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Broncos take four to state Mat Classic
Wrestling in the championship 215-pound match, Bronco senior Gabriel Smith throws Almira/Coulee-Hartline freshman Noah Butler.
Bronco senior Brock Tracey stands proudly on the podium after finishing fifth at 235 pounds in the state Mat Classic on Saturday, Feb. 17, in the Tacoma Dome.
Lind-Ritzville's Brock Tracey advances on Darrington's Kade West in the 235 pound semifinals.
Bronco Coach Jason Hilzer celebrates a win from his corner of the mat.
Lind-Ritzville's Octavio Paredes Martinez stands up in an escape attempt against Xavier Smith of Ilwaco in a 113-pound bout.
Warden's Jada Hernandez screams with excitement after winning the girls 120-pound state title with a 4-2 decision over Brooklyn Jones of Orting.
Carson Kubik of Lind-Ritzville controls the arm of Titan Tapia of Jenkins (Chewelah), ultimately winning a 16-7 major decision at 144 pounds.
Mya Herrera of Cascade (Leavenworth), left, uses a double armbar to pin Bella Garza of Othello in a 115-pound match.
TACOMA - As Mat Classic XXXV wound down Saturday evening, Feb. 17, one Lind-Ritzville wrestler found himself among elite company as a state champion.
Gabriel Smith, wrestling at 215 pounds, earned the gold medal in his weight class before a crowd of thousands in the Tacoma Dome.
Smith alone scored 27.0 team points for the Broncos, which finished tied for 14th place with Kettle Falls. Both teams finished with 44.0 team points.
Tonasket won the 1B/2B division with 217.0 team points, followed by Forks with 132.0 and Goldendale with 111.5.
Smith wasn't the only Bronco to bring home bling.
At 235 pounds, Brock Tracey finished fifth in his weight class.
Other Broncos qualifying at competing at state include Octavio Paredes Martinez at 113 and Carson Kubik at 144.
Smith's title run opened with a bye on Friday, Feb. 16.
In the quarterfinals, he pinned Jaje Drake of Coupeville in 47 seconds. In the semifinals, he won a 5-2 decision over Damien Spears of Liberty Bell.
In the championships, he won a 17-5 major decision over Noah Butler of Almira/Coulee-Hartline.
Tracey brought home a fifth-place medal.
He, too, opened with a bye.
In the quarterfinals, he pinned Ryder Cruse of Rainier in 5:50. But he lost the semifinals by pin to Kade West of Darrington in 5:59.
In the wrestlebacks, he was pinned by Kaden Hippler of Kettle Falls in 4:55.
Tracey closed out the season by pinning Cruse again, this time in 4:39, for fifth-place.
Wrestling at 113, Martinez was pinned in his opening bout by Xavier Smith of Ilwaco in 1:25. After receiving a bye in the wrestlebacks, he was pinned by Abraham Montealegre of Forks in 42 seconds.
Kubik won one and lost two at state.
He opened with a bye and then was pinned by Pablo Gonzalez of Granger in 4:24.
In the wrestlebacks, he won a major decision, 16-7, over Titan Tapia of Jenkins (Chewelah). But he was eliminated in his next match by technical fall (15-0 in 1:23) to Andrew Martin of Ocosta.
Roger Harnack is co-owner and publisher of Free Press Publishing. An award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher who grew up in Eastern Washington, he's one of only two Washington state journalists ever to receive the international Golden Quill for editorial/commentary writing. Roger is committed to preserving local media, and along with it, a local voice for Eastern Washington.
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