Double-leg takedowns, pins, filled bleachers and the smell of pizza and popcorn from the concession stands: Wrestling season is underway.
Below is a glance at some of the local teams and wrestlers to watch this season. All state rankings refer to Washington Wrestling Report’s latest rankings.
4A BOYS TEAMS TO WATCH
Lake Stevens
WWR team ranking: No. 6 in 4A
Derek Lopez enters his second season leading the Vikings after taking over for longtime head coach Brent Barnes, who spent 35 seasons guiding the program into a Wesco 4A powerhouse. Lake Stevens returns all but one of their five state placers from last season — seniors Ahmad Banishamsa, Jacob Christianson, Troy Valentine and Koen Mattern. The team is also coming off its second straight sixth-place team finish at state, a second-place finish at regionals and a second straight Wesco 4A champion since 2021-22. The Vikings also feature senior Levi Allison, who holds the WWR No. 9 ranking at 150 pounds. The team recently placed seventh out of 68 schools at the Tri-State tournament in Idaho during winter break.
Lake Stevens’ Jacob Christianson and Glacier Peak’s Ulysses Lopez-Vazquez wrestle during the 120-pound match at Lake Stevens High School on Jan. 26, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Glacier Peak
WWR team ranking: No. 8 in 4A
The Grizzlies have placed in the top 12 at Mat Classic, top five at regionals and as the runners-up at leagues the past two seasons. They welcome back defending 285-pound state champion Connor Aney and 145-pound state runner-up Gil Mossburg, the son of head coach Bryan Mossburg, who’s in his 15th season. The Grizzlies also return sophomore Colin Edmonds, ranked No. 4 at 157 pounds, and John Allison, ranked No. 10 at 190 pounds.
4A BOYS WRESTLERS TO WATCH
Ahmad Banishamsa, sr., Lake Stevens
WWR ranking: No. 1 at 113 pounds
Banishamsa seeks a return trip to the Tacoma Dome after placing fourth at state and winning regional and league titles as a junior. He recently placed fifth at Tri-State.
Jacob Christianson, sr., Lake Stevens
WWR ranking: No. 4 at 120 pounds
Christanson is a favorite to claim a state title this season. The senior has earned a pair of top-four state medals, and he won a regional title as a junior. He’s also been a two-time league champion. Christianson recently placed third at Tri-State.
Gil Mossburg, sr., Glacier Peak
WWR ranking: No. 1 at 150 pounds
Mossburg is also a favorite to be a state champion this season. He owns a pair of top-three state medals, won a regional title as a junior and has claimed two straight league championships. Mossburg added a trio of tournament titles to his resume last month, claiming first at the Edmonds Invite, Pac Coast and Gut Check. He also picked up an impressive 6-4 decision win over Arlington’s Tre Haines, the defending 3A 138-pound state champion, in December.
Koen Mattern, sr., Lake Stevens
WWR ranking: No. 1 at 215 pounds
Mattern has won two top-eight state medals, including a runner-up finish at 220 pounds last season, and is a favorite to claim a state title in his final season. He earned league and regional titles as a junior and was runner-up for both those spots as a sophomore. Mattern recently placed second at Tri-State after falling by sudden victory in the finals. He also earned a first-place finish at a national tournament in October, winning the 285-pound division at the Boys National High School Recruiting Showcase.
Connor Aney, jr., Glacier Peak
WWR ranking: No. 1 at 285 pounds
Aney’s two state title matches have come by way of tiebreaker. He narrowly lost the first-place match as a freshman but redeemed himself and won it his sophomore year. Aney also owns two league and regional championship medals and looks to repeat again this season. He recently placed first at the Edmonds Invite.
Glacier Peak’s Connor Aney pins Lake Stevens Bryce Slezak during the 285-pound match at Lake Stevens High School on Jan. 26, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
3A BOYS TEAMS TO WATCH
Arlington
WWR ranking: No. 7 in 3A
The Eagles return all three of their state placers, as well as welcoming many new faces, as they look to continue being a top-notch Wesco 3A program under head coach Jonny Gilbertson. Arlington has placed in the top 20 at state, top six at regionals and top four at leagues the past two seasons. Senior Dustin Baxter seeks to be a first-time state champion this year, and teammates Tre Haines and Beau Gudde look to repeat their postseason success. Junior Chase Deberry, who holds the No. 6 ranking at 144 pounds, adds to the mix. The Eagles are currently 2-0 in Wesco 3A North and have a key home dual meet with Snohomish on Tuesday.
Arlington’s Dustin Baxter (left) and Walla Walla’s Mateo Caso wrestle during the 3A boys 152-pound championship match during Mat Classic XXXIV at the Tacoma Dome on Feb. 18, 2023, in Tacoma. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Stanwood
WWR ranking: No. 16 in 3A
The Spartans arrive this season coming off of two top-10 finishes at state, a 2023 regional championship and back-to-back league titles. Bryan Roodzant, Tyler Rhue, Keaton Mayernik, Ryder Bumgarner and Mason Ferguson have graduated, so Stanwood returns three of its eight state placers from last year: sophomore Soren Andersen and juniors Aven Andersen and Elijah Fleck. Former head coach Ray Mather, who led the program for many years, stepped down recently and is replaced by Kyle Morgan this season.
3A BOYS WRESTLERS TO WATCH
Tre Haines, soph., Arlington
WWR ranking: No. 2 at 150 pounds
Haines won Reno Worlds in 2021 at 105 pounds wrestling for his club team, Ascend Wrestling Academy, a year prior to Arlington. He’s won state, regional and league titles as a freshman at 138 pounds and plans to return the favor this season. Haines recently won tournament titles at the Edmonds Invite and A-Town Throwdown.
Arlington’s Tre Haines (bottom) wrestles Mount Spokane’s Hudson Buth during the 3A boys 138-pound championship match during Mat Classic XXXIV at the Tacoma Dome on Feb. 18, 2023, in Tacoma. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Dustin Baxter, sr., Arlington
WWR ranking: No. 1 at 165 pounds
Baxter returns his senior season with sights set on being a state champion. He’s placed in the top-three at state and collected first-place medals at both leagues and regionals the past two years. Baxter recently placed second at the Edmonds Invite and Tri-State and first at the A-Town Throwdown and Battle for the Belts.
Joseph Davis, jr., Marysville Pilchuck
WWR ranking: No. 5 at 165 pounds
Davis has represented the Tomahawks well the past couple years, claiming a fifth-place finish at state last season and top-three finishes at regionals and leagues in back-to-back campaigns. He recently won a tournament title at the Graham Morin Memorial.
Elijah Fleck, jr., Stanwood
WWR ranking: No. 1 at 190 pounds
Fleck seeks a return trip to the Tacoma Dome this season to add to his shelf of hardware. He placed third at state as a sophomore and owns a pair of first-place league medals to supplement his first-place and fourth-place regional finishes. Fleck recently won at the Edmonds Invite and Graham Morin Memorial and placed fifth at Pac Coast.
Stanwood’s Elijah Fleck lifts the Battle of the Bull trophy in celebration of beating Arlington on Jan. 24, 2023 in Arlington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
2A BOYS TEAMS TO WATCH
Lakewood
WWR ranking: Not ranked in 2A
The Cougars return all but two of their three state placers from last season, including seniors Taylor Brock and Connor Schueller. Brock is No. 10 at 144 pounds and placed eighth at the Mat Classic and was in the top four at regionals the past two years. Schueller is No. 7 at 157 pounds and earned eighth at state and won a regional title last season. Kenny Conklin is ranked No. 9 at 190 pounds and owns two top-four medals at regionals. Jimmy Conklin, ranked No. 12 at 215 pounds, was runner-up at regionals last season. And Bohdy Stokes is a returning senior who placed fifth at regionals back-to-back years. Lakewood has placed fourth out of 16 schools at regionals the past two seasons.
1B/2B BOYS TEAM TO WATCH
Darrington
WWR ranking: No. 6 in 1B/2B
Darrington recently graduated Aksel Espeland, who hauled in two top-three state and two first-place regional finishes the past two years. The Loggers now look to their other postseason placers, including freshman Creed Wright and sophomores Aiden Cumming, Kade West and Bryer Wesson, all who are in WWR’s top five for their respective weight classes. Wright and West placed fourth and Cumming sixth at last year’s Mat Classic, and Wright and West were runner-ups at regionals with Cumming and Wesson earning fourth. Darrington has finished third at regionals the past two seasons.
4A/3A GIRLS TEAMS TO WATCH
Snohomish
WWR ranking: No. 5 in 4A/3A
The Panthers finished in the top 40 at state and top eight of regionals last season. They return Jillian Hradec and Elyssa Cotton, who both placed sixth at the Mat Classic, as well as state qualifier Chloe Cahan. Freshman Malia Ottow, who WWR ranks No. 2 at 115 pounds, also joins the program this season and recently claimed the title at the Santa Slam and second at Gut Check.
Snohomish’s Jillian Hradec tries to keep down Bellingham’s Frances Porteous during the the regional tournament on Feb. 11, 2023, at Snohomish High School in Snohomish. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Shorewood
WWR ranking: Not ranked
The Stormrays won regionals last season before representing Wesco well at state and finishing in the top 20. Sophomores Finley Houck and Abbi Chishungu look for a return trip to the Tacoma Dome after placing fifth and seventh, respectively. And junior Libby Norton, ranked No. 7 at 110 pounds, looks for her first state medal after qualifying for Mat Classic the past two seasons. Norton owns fifth- and first-place regional medals. And Houck, ranked No. 7 at 115 pounds, has a championship medal from last season’s regionals as well.
Shorewood’s Finley Houck celebrates a first-place finish in the 105-pound weight class during the regional tourament on Feb. 11, 2023, at Snohomish High School in Snohomish. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
4A/3A/2A GIRLS WRESTLERS TO WATCH
Araxi Crew, soph., Arlington
WWR large-school ranking: No. 4 at 105 pounds
Crew earned seventh at state and second at regionals last season. She recently placed third at the Santa Slam and first at the Lake Stevens Valkyrie Invite.
Arlington’s Araxi Crew wrestles during a wrestling scramble at Everett High School on Dec. 13, 2023 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Kamryn Mason, soph., Lake Stevens
WWR large-school ranking: No. 3 at 110 pounds
Mason placed in the top four at state and regionals last season as a freshman. The Vikings finished seventh at the Mat Classic and were in the top five two consecutive years at regionals. Mason recently placed third at the Lake Stevens Valkyrie Invite and second at the Sedro-Woolley Girls Tournament.
Kira Songer, jr., Marysville Getchell
WWR large-school ranking: No. 3 at 115 pounds
Songer won a regional championship last season after taking third as a freshman. She returns after making a run to the 115-pound state final and placing second.
Marysville Getchell’s Kira Songer works for a pin during a regional tournament championship match on Feb. 11, 2023, at Snohomish High School in Snohomish. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Danielle Crew, jr., Arlington
WWR large-school ranking: No. 5 at 130 pounds
Joining her younger sister at Arlington, Crew placed fourth last year at state and owns sixth- and second-place medals from regionals. She recently took third at the Lake Stevens Valkyrie Invite and second at the Santa Slam.
Felicity Wright, sr., Lakewood
WWR small-school ranking: No. 8 at 130 pounds
Wright qualified for state and placed third at regionals last season. She recently won a tournament titles at the Sedro-Woolley Tournament and Lynnwood Classic.
Karianne Baldwin, sr., Glacier Peak
WWR large-school ranking: No. 1 at 125 pounds
Baldwin has represented the Grizzlies well the past two years, winning state and regional titles in each season. She’s the clear favorite to do it all over again this season and can tie the Snohomish County girls record with a third state championship this winter. Baldwin finished the 2021-22 season with a 31-1 record and improved that mark to 50-0 last season.
Chloe Cahan, sr., Snohomish
WWR large-school ranking: No. 4 at 140 pounds
Cahan qualified for state and placed third at regionals as a junior. She recently won the title at the Santa Slam and placed second at Gut Check.
Jillian Hradec, soph., Snohomish
WWR large-school ranking: No. 3 at 170 pounds
Hradec earned sixth at state and was runner-up at regionals last season as a freshman. She’s placed in the top five in four tournaments since December, claiming the title at Return of the Seahawk and the Santa Slam.
Abbi Chishungu, soph., Shorewood
WWR large-school ranking: No. 3 at 190 pounds
Chishungu was runner-up at regionals last season as a freshman and placed seventh at state.
Mia Cienega, soph., Everett
WWR large-school ranking: No. 2 at 235 pounds
Cienega represented the Seagulls well last season as a freshman with a regional championship and a runner-up finish at state. She claimed first at three tournaments in December, pinning all her opponents en route to wins at the Yelm Jump on In, Santa Slam and Pac Coast. Cienega also recently took first at a national event, winning the 9th-12th Girls 235-pound division title at the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals in October.
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