TACOMA – Mia Cienega wanted things to be different this time. The Everett junior had reached the championship bout in each of her first two Mat Classics, only to fall short both times. So when she reached the Girls 3A 190-pound finals at the Tacoma Dome on Friday, she did not want to walk away heartbroken for a third year in a row.
In the final, facing Enumclaw junior Sydney Poe, it was never close. Cienega pinned her at 1:37 of the first period. Her hands flew to her head in disbelief, the Everett cheering section of the Dome – high up on the second bowl – roared in applause. Cienega flipped assistant coach Camden Bach onto the mat in celebration.
Finally, she did it.
“It means everything to me,” Cienega said of her first state title. “I’ve been training since last year’s finals, and I put all my blood, sweat and tears into this moment, and I’m just so happy to be here right now.”
The win improved her to 26-0 on the season, and helped the Everett finish team finish in sixth place in the Girls 3A standings – the highest of the area teams in Girls 3A. Cienega’s sister, freshman Vida, placed third in the 190 weight class, and four other Seagulls reached the podium.
But Cienega was Everett’s only state champion, and her coaches believed this would be her year after coming so close as a freshman and sophomore.
“She wanted this more than anybody could want this,” Everett head coach Jordain Harrop said. “She had the heart, she had the smarts. She had the hard work and the dedication. Honestly, when this season started, we knew. I think Bach and I both knew this was her season. Nothing’s gonna stop her this year.
“I think last year when we looked at her, we were like, ‘She wants it, she’s gonna get far.’ But this year, we knew.”
Cienega’s tears had started to dry, a few minutes after securing the state title, when she started thinking back to when she first started wrestling at seven years old. The tears started flowing again.
Everett’s Mia Cienga waves as she walks onto the floor before her championship match at the Mat Classic on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 in Tacoma, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
She thought of the reasons she started wrestling, and all that she’s been through to reach this point. Most of all, she thought about how her 7-year-old self would feel.
“Seven-year-old me came into this sport so I could learn how to defend myself,” Cienega said. “Because it’s a cruel world out there, and she never would have thought that I’d be standing here today – undefeated season, state champ, and soon-to-be collegiate athlete – she’d be proud. I’ve made her proud.”
While a cruel world pushed Cienega into the sport, it has given her love in return. Coaches from other schools with whom she had trained with in the past took turns congratulating her. A group of Everett teammates wrapped her in a bear hug across the gates. Her grandmother even traveled from Nevada to watch her compete.
“Everyone loves her,” Bach said. “It’s a privilege to have her. We’re privileged.”
The Seagulls will have her for one more year, where she’ll have the chance to defend her title before she chooses which college she’ll compete at. After two years of entering the offseason wishing things turned out differently, Cienega now gets to spend the next year training to ensure things remain the same.
Lake Stevens’ Kylee Wicklund flips her opponent over during the 4A girls 145-pound championship match at the Mat Classic on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 in Tacoma, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens girls placed third in 4A
After winning the District 1 Championship on Feb. 7, the Lake Stevens girls wrestling team (150.5) placed third in 4A at Mat Classic XXXVI at the Tacoma Dome on Friday, behind Richland (180.0) and Sumner (150.5). They placed the highest of any area team between Boys and Girls 3A-4A.
For coach Krys Dupree, it was simply confirmation for what he knew all along.
“I believe we were a top 10 team all season,” Dupree said. “A lot of kids stepped up to the plate.”
The Vikings had four girls reach the podium, headlined by Kylee Wicklund. The sophomore won the 140-pound state championship against Curtis’ Rubylove Koch. After falling behind 3-0 early in the championship bout, she got on the board with a reversal before taking the lead to end the first period, After starting out strong in the second, she secured the pin at 2:21.
Before the match, Dupree told her the same thing he always does: She deserves this because she works hard for it.
“One of the hardest-working kids in the room you’ll ever meet is Kylee,” Dupree said. “It was time for her to prove it and show who she is, and I think she did.”
Between Wicklund and freshman Maddy Vincent, who placed sixth in the 110, Lake Stevens’ lower classmen pulled serious weight, which has Dupree excited for the future of the program.
“Next year is going to be big for us,” he said. “We have a lot to build on.”
Snohomish’s Malia Ottow becomes emotional after winning the 3A girls 120-pound championship title at the Mat Classic on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 in Tacoma, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Area State Medalists
Championship matches
3A: 105–Elisabeth Norton (Shorewood) pinned Leah Wallway (Kelso); 110–Libby Roberts (University) pinned Finley Houck (Shorewood) 2:28; 115–Malia Ottow (Snohomish) dec. Kamiah Gaerlan (Kelso) 6-1; 120–Hannah Baldock (Edmonds-Woodway) maj. dec. Amanda Lillie (White River) 13-2; 155–Bailey Parker (Peninsula) pinned Jillian Hradec (Sno) 5:35; 190–Mia Cienega (Everett) pinned Sydney Poe (Enumclaw) 1:37.
Jackson’s Emily Ortiz Marque has blood drip from her nose as she reaches for her opponent’s wrist during the 4A girls 170-pound championship match at the Mat Classic on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 in Tacoma, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
4A: 105–Danica Torres (Sunnyside) dec. Cameron Erdmann (Glacier Peak) 17-12; 140–Kylee Wicklund (Lake Stevens) pinned Rubylove Koch (Curtis) 2:21; Emily Ortiz (Jackson) pinned Karlee Brummett (Spanaway Lake) :58.
3rd place: Kamryn Mason, Lake Stevens, 110; Araxi Crew, Arlington, 115; Samantha Wilner, Glacier Peak, 145; Kira Songer, Marysville Getchell, 115; Makayla Finch, Stanwood, 170; Vida Cienega, Everett, 190.
4th place: Dallas Kautz, Lake Stevens, 170; Hailey Carswell, Monroe, 130.
5th place: Abigail Gamm, Snohomish, 120; Isabella Crave, Shorewood, 135; Grace Fitting, Edmonds-Woodway, 140; Caitriona Wieber, Everett, 155.
6th place: Maddy Vincent, Lake Stevens, 110.
7th place: Signe Cairus, Stanwood, 115; Liliana Frank, Edmonds-Woodway, 125; Sienna Kuehn, Everett, 140.
8th place: Samantha Wilner, Glacier Peak, 170; Kailyann Dencker, Everett, 100; Lucy Dalseg, Everett, 110; Shyla Weeks, Snohomish, 135.
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