The Vashon High School wrestling team has kept plenty busy since winter break.
After four duals and three separate tournaments, the grapplers are stacking matches and gaining valuable experiences while turning their sights to the postseason.
At the Jan. 15 Klahowya dual meet, sophomore Jacob Lawrence defeated the same opponent he’d lost to only days prior at a tournament at Rainier High School. Junior Lena Puz won the River Ridge Rumble at Timberline High School that same week in Lacey.
The following weekend, at the Jaguar Invite in Puyallup, several of Vashon’s wrestlers took the podium in their divisions. Freshman Johnny Joyce took third at 144 pounds, with a tight 14-10 win in consolation finals. Sophomore Jacob Henley battled hard and earned fourth at 165 pounds. Junior Oliver Pickney placed third at 190 pounds. Sophomore Rafael Escovedo placed second at 190 pounds.
A highlight of the fierce competition came on Jan. 28, when the Vashon wrestlers won at the first annual Girls – All-Star Dual, joining some of the best girl athletes from East Jefferson, Life Christian, and Cascade Christian.
The entire Vashon wrestling community then travelled to Cascade Christian for a dual meet. The Vashon Youth Rockbusters — a program for ages four through 12 — joined in the competition, setting the stage with dozens of head-to-head matchups. In the varsity competition, juniors Teavan Gilbert & Hazel Neilson, along with senior Eban Tracey, came away with decisive wins.
To round out the week, the girl wrestlers travelled to Curtis for The Berserker, a 16-team tournament. The girls wrestled tenaciously and represented the island well: Seniors Kyla Scheff and Sydney Shannon finished third, while juniors Hazel Neilson and Lena Puz both took first place, winning their respective brackets and pinning their opponents in the finals match, leading the team to an overall fourth place finish.
This week the team is focused on the postseason — practicing hard, staying focused, and getting ready.
On Saturday, Feb. 8, Vashon will travel to Life Christian for the Nisqually League Wrestling Tournament, where all of the high school wrestlers will have an opportunity to compete for a chance to participate in the state’s premiere high school wrestling competition: The Washington State XXXVI Mat Classic, held at the Tacoma Dome on Feb. 21 and 22.
Stephen Murphy is an assistant wrestling coach at VHS. Anders Blomgren is a head wrestling coach at VHS.
