TACOMA – At the end of a long season, wrestlers like making short work of an opponent.
That explains why Skyview’s Jackson McKinney had a wide, slightly bloody smile after a pin 58 seconds into his quarterfinal match Friday at the Mat Classic state championships.
“This is the sprint at the end,” he said. “No reason to start slowing down.”
Whether by quick pins or long close matches, 16 wrestlers from Clark County are relishing a spot in Saturday’s semifinals after winning twice Friday at the Tacoma Dome.
But there’s something extra satisfying about two dominating wins.
Just ask Camas senior Dylan Ingram. The No. 1 seed in the Class 4A 220-pound bracket is in the semifinals after wins of 15-0 and 7-1.
“You get a good win and hopefully it puts a bit of fear in other guys,” he said.
McKinney, the No. 1 seed in the 4A 182-pound bracket, pinned both of his opponents Friday. The junior said it’s important to set a triumphant tone on the tournament’s first day.
“It’s nerve-wracking, but I love the pressure,” he said. “It feels great. You have to love it, or you’ll choke under the pressure.”
Union set a winning tone on Friday, advancing four of its eight wrestlers to the semifinals.
Two Titans will face each other in the 120-pound semifinal when Vitaliy Manolov and Ethan Rotondo clash.
Manolov knows he faces a tough task against Rotondo, the No. 1 seed who won a state title at 106 pounds last year.
“We’re training partners all year long, so I kind of know what to expect,” Manolov said. “He’s a tough opponent. We’ll just see how it goes. I’m going to give it all I’ve got.”
Though his teammate stands in his way of a state title, Manolov said the constant sparring with Rotondo has made him better.
“Having a state champion in the room really helps me out,” he said. “We’re a family. We go out on the mat, wrestle for six minutes and support each other through it.”
For Rotondo, wrestling a talented teammate presents a unique challenge.
“You really don’t want to do it, but you’re glad that they’re succeeding in the tournament and moving on,” he said. “But it’s tough because you wrestle each other every day. You know each other.”
Union’s J.J. Talavera and Tommy Strassenberg are also No. 1 seeds in their brackets. Neither had trouble in their matches Friday.
Talavera won his first-round match at 145 pounds 15-5, then pinned his quarterfinal opponent in 4:46. Strassenberg opened with a 11-3 win at 152 pounds, then pinned his quarterfinal opponent in 1:06.
Battle Ground advanced two wrestlers to the 4A semifinals.
James Rogers, the top seed at 160 pounds, pinned his first opponent in 3:34. The sophomore, who placed second at 145 pounds last year, then won his quarterfinal match 3-0.
Izaiah Duran sweated a little less to reach the 152-pound semifinals. The Battle Ground senior won his first match 17-5, then was awarded his quarterfinal match by injury default.
HUDSON’S BAY
130 – Allison Blaine p. Kayla Hoy (Lincoln) 1:19; def. Akina Yamada (Lakeside-Nine Mile Falls) 15-1.
SKYVIEW
105 – Hikaru Abe p. Kasandra Ozuna (Warden) 1:00; p. Anabella Garcia (Federal Way) 0:22.
170 – Jennesee Sayler lost to Quinn Lacy (Shelton) 17-3; p. Lupe Navarro (Sunnyside) 4:25; def. Allison Harvey (Lewis and Clark) 10-4.
UNION
130 – Annabelle Helm def. Patricia Deleon (Auburn) 3-2; lost to Nikki Velazquez (Othello) 11-1; def. Ivy Kraght (Kentwood) 2-1.
135 – Marissa Montano lost by pin to Asia Borsich (Kamiakin) 1:57; lost by pin to Chelsey Rochester (Yelm) 4:57, eliminated.
140 – Krista Warren p. Estrella Pulgarin (Wapato) 3:42; lost to Jasmine Pleasants (Thomas Jefferson) 3-2; def. Tatiana Molinero (White River) 8-5.
155 – Stephanie Cuevas def. Renay Monahan (East Valley-Spokane) 11-1; lost by pin to Ally De La Cruz (Kamiak) 1:42; p. Marissa De La Rosa (Royal) 0:43.
WASHOUGAL
125 – Jaden Robb lost to Mattea Potter (Granite Falls) 8-3; lost to Galiela Valencia (Graham Kapowsin) 5-3, eliminated.
140 – Mialisa Oster lost to Kaylee Martinez (Othello) 7-1; lost by pin to Anevay Avila (Auburn) 2:26, eliminated.
145 – Morgan Ratcliff p. Cherry Neer (Mercer Island) 3:30; lost by pin to Mariya Gaither (Rogers-Puyallup) 5:15; p. Laurel Zemke (Enumclaw) 0:55.
155 – Brooklyn Wurm-Wurtz p. Lourdes Torres (Sunnyside) 5:01; lost to Kathleen Flanagan (Wilson) 12-3; lost by pin to Natalie Hall (Pasco) 3:38, eliminated.
235 – Abby Lees p. Karely Garcia (Warden) 1:15; p. Kayleen Elika (Fife) 1:55.
WOODLAND
100 – Ashlyn Daugherty p. Kaylyn Barnes (Sedro Woolley) 1:45; lost by pin to Melanie Flores (Moses Lake) 1:32; p. Diana Cantini (Kamiak) 4:24.
