Published: Saturday, February 18, 2012
Everett's Palabrica wins state championship on girls side
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Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald Jennifer Buchanan
Everett's Justine Palabrica (bottom) lifts up opponent Isabella Silva-Pires from Centralia in their 100 pound final.
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Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
Stanwood's Laura Charboneau celebrates after beating Bellingham's Susie Molioo in the 265-pound final at Mat Classic XXIV
TACOMA — It was a moment of redemption and exultation for Everett's Justine Palabrica at Saturday's 100-pound girls final bout of Mat Classic XXIV.
Palabrica — the first girls wrestler in Everett history — had been to state four times and in 2011 lost in the semifinals in controversial fashion.
The Seagull, who wrestles at 106 pounds for the Everett boys varsity team during the dual season, battled back a year ago to beat Centralia's Isabella Silvia-Perez for third place. Saturday's final was another match with Silvia-Perez and Palabrica controlled throughout, nearly pinning the Centralia junior twice on the way to a 13-4 major decision victory.
“It feels wonderful,” Palabrica said. “I've been working forever.”
After the win she jumped into the arms of Everett coach Brien Elliott.
“I apologized for being so hard on her for the last seven years that I coached her, but it's because I wanted her to experience this moment,” Elliott said. “I just told her that I'm so proud of her. She really worked hard to get to this.
“Technically she wrestled a great tournament. She listened and executed and it was the best wrestling I've ever seen her do. The timing of it couldn't have been more perfect.”
Entering the tournament Elliott's only concern for Palabrica was the adjustment going from wrestling boys all year to girls. Though she said she prefers to wrestle boys, she never struggled on the way to four wins against girls in Tacoma.
Everett won the Wesco 3A team crown this year and Elliott, who has a solid team of boys, including Jessie Lopez, the winner of the 132-pound boys title, gives Palabrica the most credit.
“We definitely won the league championship because of her,” Elliott said. “It's been a pleasure to have her on the team. When we coach her, we don't see the kids as male or female they are just an Everett wrestler.”
Palabrica started wrestling in sixth grade to get closer to her brother Joel, who now wrestles in college in California, and doesn't see herself stopping anytime soon.
“This sport is really hard to get away from once you've started,” Palabrica said. “I love how dedicated and committed you need to get where you want to be.”
The girl that beat Palabrica in the semifinals in 2011, Winlock's Rachel Archer, won the 106-pound title Saturday. This season the WIAA split the 103-pound class into 100 and 106, meaning Palabrica and Archer wouldn't square off, initially a disappointment on the Seagulls' side.
“We definitely wanted her to wrestle Archer because we felt that she won the match,” Elliott said.
Palabrica wrestles at 95 pounds in freestyle and couldn't justify wrestling at 106 for the girls tournament.
“They will have their day another day,” Elliott said. “I don't know when it will happen but they will see each other another day.”
In the girls team competition Stanwood jumped into second place in Friday's early session, but fell back by the end of day one. Entering Saturday night's final bout between the Spartans Laura Charboneau and and Bellingham's Susie Molioo, Stanwood needed a pin to edge Fife for second place.
As she did in each of her previous three bouts of the tournament, Charboneau earned a pin this time in 3 minutes, 38 seconds. After Charboneau took a 2-0 edge, Molioo made it 2-2, scoring the first points on the Stanwood wrestler in the tournament. But Charboneau made Molioo look helpless in the second period as the Bellingham sophomore, flailed with her back to the mat just before the referee's pin signal.
The team accomplishment was not lost on the Stanwood senior, who took home her third consecutive individual top-8 medal after finishing second a year ago.
“It means so much,” Charboneau said. “This is the first glass (team trophy) that we've brought home.”
Charboneau also hopes to continue her wrestling career after picking the sport up in favor of soccer and basketball four years ago.
“Ever since I began wrestling, achieving this dream just confirmed that I want to go to college and do wrestling,” Charboneau said. “Hopefully one day I can be on the Olympic team, but first they have to make a weight class heavy enough for me.”
Stanwood girls coach Bruce VanScoy beamed with pride at the end of the day at Charboneau and the team's trophy.
“It's awesome,” VanScoy said. “I'm hoping it's going to help with recruiting girls in our area.”
Also placing for Stanwood was senior Savannah Phillips (fourth place, 106 pounds) and Casey Mather (third place, 112 pounds).
The only other area girls placer was Oak Harbor's Jennifer Fremd (fourth place, 145 pounds).
At Tacoma Dome
100—Justine Palabrica, champion (Eve) def. Silva-Pires (Cent) 13-4 in final; 106—Savannah Phillips (Stan), fourth lost to Lawson (Brem) 9-8; 112—Casey Mather (Stan), third pinned Gutierrez (Mabt) 2:36; 145—Jennifer Fremd (OH), third pinned Bond (ER) 2:27; 265—Laura Charboneau (Stan), champion pinned Molioo (Bell) 3:38 in final.
Palabrica — the first girls wrestler in Everett history — had been to state four times and in 2011 lost in the semifinals in controversial fashion.
The Seagull, who wrestles at 106 pounds for the Everett boys varsity team during the dual season, battled back a year ago to beat Centralia's Isabella Silvia-Perez for third place. Saturday's final was another match with Silvia-Perez and Palabrica controlled throughout, nearly pinning the Centralia junior twice on the way to a 13-4 major decision victory.
“It feels wonderful,” Palabrica said. “I've been working forever.”
After the win she jumped into the arms of Everett coach Brien Elliott.
“I apologized for being so hard on her for the last seven years that I coached her, but it's because I wanted her to experience this moment,” Elliott said. “I just told her that I'm so proud of her. She really worked hard to get to this.
“Technically she wrestled a great tournament. She listened and executed and it was the best wrestling I've ever seen her do. The timing of it couldn't have been more perfect.”
Entering the tournament Elliott's only concern for Palabrica was the adjustment going from wrestling boys all year to girls. Though she said she prefers to wrestle boys, she never struggled on the way to four wins against girls in Tacoma.
Everett won the Wesco 3A team crown this year and Elliott, who has a solid team of boys, including Jessie Lopez, the winner of the 132-pound boys title, gives Palabrica the most credit.
“We definitely won the league championship because of her,” Elliott said. “It's been a pleasure to have her on the team. When we coach her, we don't see the kids as male or female they are just an Everett wrestler.”
Palabrica started wrestling in sixth grade to get closer to her brother Joel, who now wrestles in college in California, and doesn't see herself stopping anytime soon.
“This sport is really hard to get away from once you've started,” Palabrica said. “I love how dedicated and committed you need to get where you want to be.”
The girl that beat Palabrica in the semifinals in 2011, Winlock's Rachel Archer, won the 106-pound title Saturday. This season the WIAA split the 103-pound class into 100 and 106, meaning Palabrica and Archer wouldn't square off, initially a disappointment on the Seagulls' side.
“We definitely wanted her to wrestle Archer because we felt that she won the match,” Elliott said.
Palabrica wrestles at 95 pounds in freestyle and couldn't justify wrestling at 106 for the girls tournament.
“They will have their day another day,” Elliott said. “I don't know when it will happen but they will see each other another day.”
In the girls team competition Stanwood jumped into second place in Friday's early session, but fell back by the end of day one. Entering Saturday night's final bout between the Spartans Laura Charboneau and and Bellingham's Susie Molioo, Stanwood needed a pin to edge Fife for second place.
As she did in each of her previous three bouts of the tournament, Charboneau earned a pin this time in 3 minutes, 38 seconds. After Charboneau took a 2-0 edge, Molioo made it 2-2, scoring the first points on the Stanwood wrestler in the tournament. But Charboneau made Molioo look helpless in the second period as the Bellingham sophomore, flailed with her back to the mat just before the referee's pin signal.
The team accomplishment was not lost on the Stanwood senior, who took home her third consecutive individual top-8 medal after finishing second a year ago.
“It means so much,” Charboneau said. “This is the first glass (team trophy) that we've brought home.”
Charboneau also hopes to continue her wrestling career after picking the sport up in favor of soccer and basketball four years ago.
“Ever since I began wrestling, achieving this dream just confirmed that I want to go to college and do wrestling,” Charboneau said. “Hopefully one day I can be on the Olympic team, but first they have to make a weight class heavy enough for me.”
Stanwood girls coach Bruce VanScoy beamed with pride at the end of the day at Charboneau and the team's trophy.
“It's awesome,” VanScoy said. “I'm hoping it's going to help with recruiting girls in our area.”
Also placing for Stanwood was senior Savannah Phillips (fourth place, 106 pounds) and Casey Mather (third place, 112 pounds).
The only other area girls placer was Oak Harbor's Jennifer Fremd (fourth place, 145 pounds).
At Tacoma Dome
100—Justine Palabrica, champion (Eve) def. Silva-Pires (Cent) 13-4 in final; 106—Savannah Phillips (Stan), fourth lost to Lawson (Brem) 9-8; 112—Casey Mather (Stan), third pinned Gutierrez (Mabt) 2:36; 145—Jennifer Fremd (OH), third pinned Bond (ER) 2:27; 265—Laura Charboneau (Stan), champion pinned Molioo (Bell) 3:38 in final.
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