Blast Zone Media: Winter Sports

Winter Sports Roundup: Roe wins first State title for Rainier wrestling

Blast Zone Media — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 23:29:50 GMT

Rainier’s Kiya Roe became the first State champion on the mats in school history at the OSAA Championship Wrestling Tournament, Saturday, Feb. 28, at Memorial Coliseum in Portland. / Photo courtesy of Rainier Wrestling

Matt Baide for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

High School Wrestling

Rainier’s Kiya Roe is the first female state champion in school history after winning the state championship in the 4A/3A/2A/1A girls 105-pound bracket at the Oregon wrestling tournament on Feb. 27 and 28 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

It was Roes fourth time to the finals, but her first time wearing green after transferring from Knappa to Rainier in the offseason.

Roe won by pin in the first two matches against Mazama’s Abigail Irish in the first round and Echo/Stanfield’s Braelyn Perry in the quarterfinals. And she won by pin against Sutherlin’s Annalee Candelaria in the semifinals and won in a 17-1 technical fall against Harrisburg’s Gracie Williams in the State championship match.

“(She) only surrendered a single point the entire tournament,” Rainier head coach Matt Hendricks said.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Thank you for helping sustain Blast Zone Media. We depend on your support in order to continue reporting on local athletics. Consider showing your support today. —

Winter Sports Roundup: Isenhart grabs bronze for Mark Morris at State

Blast Zone Media — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:55:22 GMT

The Mark Morris and R.A. Long boys swimmers were in action at the 2A State Championships last week at the King County Aquatic Center. / Photo by Serena Repice Lentini on Unsplash

By Matt Baide for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

High School Winter Sports / Roundup

Prep Boys Swimming

Monarchs place 11th as a team at State Championships

Mark Morris finished 11th and R.A. Long placed 29th at the 2A boys state swim and dive championships on Feb. 20 and 21 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

High School Wrestling: Kelso, R.A. Long girls make history at Mat Classic XXXVII

Blast Zone Media — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 02:53:53 GMT

By Matt Baide for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Wrestling / State Report

TACOMA — The Mat Classic is a one of a kind event for state tournaments. If you’re able to find parking, you’ll see a little bit of everything inside the Tacoma Dome for three days, including history being made.

Teams from Southwest Washington, particularly in the greater Blast Zone area, had solid representation at this year’s Mat Classic. The team bringing home the most hardware is the Kelso girls, who won their second straight team championship last Friday at the Tacoma Dome

“It feels great. I’m really happy for these girls and my coaching staff,” Kelso coach Bob Freund said. “These girls have produced all year. They won the duals state championship. I think to come in here and win this, it just capped off a phenomenal year. It’s just a really good group of girls.”

— VIDEO: The Parade of Champions at Mat Classic XXXVII, Friday, Feb. 20, at the Tacoma Dome. Subscribe and keep scrolling to view the rest of the BZM videos from the state wrestling championships. / Videos by Matt Baide for Blast Zone Media —

High School Wrestling: R.A. Long, Castle Rock, Kalama girls fall in Mat Classic finals

Blast Zone Media — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 22:44:13 GMT

R.A. Long’s Josephine Sully, 135 pounds, pins Clarkston’s Harmony Hyde in a semifinal match on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Mat Classic XXXVII at the Tacoma Dome. / Photo by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

Matt Baide for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Girls Wrestling / Report and Photo Gallery

TACOMA DOME — A grand total of four Blast Zone area wrestlers advanced to the final found of their brackets. at Mat Classic XXXVII on Saturday.

Castle Rock sent a pair of grapplers to the championship match, while Kalama and R.A. Long each saw one of their own compete for a State title.

Castle Rock’s Taylor Kirby, 120 pounds, competes against Granger’s Gabrielle Berger in a championship match on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Mat Classic XXXVII at the Tacoma Dome. / Photo by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

High School Wrestling: Castle Rock boys lead the way on final day at The Dome

Blast Zone Media — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 22:07:25 GMT

Castle Rock’s Cooper Williams, 138 pounds, walks off the mat with a finger in the air after winning his third state title on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Mat Classic XXXVII at the Tacoma Dome. / Photo by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

By Matt Baide for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

High School Boys Wrestling / Report & Photo Gallery

TACOMA — The Castle Rock Rockets were the leaders of the pack for our local contingent of small school at the Tacoma Dome this winter, which is not much of a shock.

As per usual, there were multiple Rockets to watch in the finals, with one recognizable champion in the mix. The Rock placed fifth as a team at Mat Classic XXXVII.

Castle Rock coach Kyle Godinho grimaces as he takes a moment of reflection after his finalists won just one of five opportunities on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Mat Classic XXXVII at the Tacoma Dome. / Photo by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

Kalama, Toledo and Woodland were also represented in the medal rounds, and there were even more schools from the headwaters to the coast still hanging around The Dome when the doors opened for the final day of the season. However, precious few were still around when it was time to turn out the lights

PHOTO GALLERY: Getting a leg up on the competition at Mat Classic XXXVII

Blast Zone Media — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 16:43:56 GMT

Wahkiakum’s Andrew Ogle, 144 pounds, takes down Reardan’s Parker Gralapp in a consolation match on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Mat Classic XXXVII at the Tacoma Dome. / Photo by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Wrestling / Photo Galleries

The final day of the high school wrestling season has come and gone and Blast Zone area athletes were busy beneath the concrete confines of the Tacoma Dome for the Mat Classic XXXVII state wrestling championships.

One local team placed in the Top-5 with one wrestler all the way on top o the podium. One school saw one of their female athletes reach the title match for the first time ever, and win or lose — many tears were shed.

Blast Zone Media was live on the scene at The Dome for the medal rounds so be sure to check back soon for full coverage from Mat Classic including mat-side reports, quotes from coaches and athletes, and additional galleries full of action photos.

High School Wrestling: Kelso girls repeat as team champs at Mat Classic XXXVII

Blast Zone Media — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 20:09:17 GMT

Kelso’s Ava Risner, 145 pounds, celebrates another team title with the squad on Friday, Feb. 20, at Mat Classic XXXVII at the Tacoma Dome. / Photo by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

By Matt Baide for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

*Photos by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

3A Prep Wrestling / Photo Galleries & Reports

Kelso girls repeat as State champions

The Kelso girls wrestling team won its second straight state championship at the Mat Classic on Feb. 19 and 20 at the Tacoma Dome.

The Hilanders had 266.5 team points, more than 50 points ahead of second place Hermiston.

Kelso freshman Johanna Gregg was the lone individual state champion at 105 pounds, defeating Sedro-Wooley’s Isabelle Goedl 16-2 in the championship match.

High School Boys Wrestling: Small schools get out of the shadows at The Dome

Blast Zone Media — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 06:42:13 GMT

Shadows and wrestlers grapple for the upper hand during Mat Classic XXXVII, Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Tacoma Dome. / Photo by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

*Photos by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

Prep Boys Wrestling / Photo Galleries

TACOMA DOME — The opening rounds of the 2A, 1A, and 2B/1B boys brackets at the Mat Classic XXXVII state wrestling championships got underway on Friday at the Tacoma Dome and local teams were represented on nearly every corner of the quilted mats

While the 3A and 4A tournaments opened up on Thursday and handed out medals on Friday, the smaller schools had to wait their turn to hit the ground grappling.

State title contenders can be found in orange and black for Kalama, and white and red for Castle Rock, and the Rockets should be able to land high in the standings for total team points.

Be sure to check back soon at BlastZoneMedia.com for mat-side reports and additional photos from the opening day of the 2A, 1A and 2B/1B boys state wrestling championships.

High School Girls Wrestling: Kelso sends quartet to championship round at Mat Classic XXXVII

Blast Zone Media — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 05:50:35 GMT

Kelso’s Johanna Gregg, 105 pounds, takes down Lakes’ Aleksia Ramirez on her way to victory in a 3A semifinal match on Friday, Feb. 20, at Mat Classic XXXVII at the Tacoma Dome. / Photo by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

*Photos by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

Prep Girls Wrestling / Photo Galleries

TACOMA DOME — The Kelso girls were able to get four wrestlers through the semifinals on Friday and into the championship round of the 3A brackets as the Lassies chase individual and team glory at the Tacoma Dome in Mat Classic XXXIV.

And while the 4A and 3A grappling action was wrapping up, the 2A/1A/1B/2B girls bracket was just getting into gear. The small schools, including local squads from burgs like Castle Rock, Kalama, Winlock, along with R.A. Long and Mark Morris from Longview, are set to conclude their medal rounds late on Saturday.

Be sure to check back to BlastZoneMedia.com soon for mat-side updates from Friday night’s championship bouts, along with a full roundup of the day’s action and additional photo galleries

High School Wrestling: Kelso grapplers shooting their shot at The Dome

Blast Zone Media — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 15:43:26 GMT

Kelso’s Dale Pippin, 113 pounds, competes against Kennewick’s Andrew Vogtman in a 3A third-round match on Thursday, Feb. 19, at Mat Classic XXXVI at the Tacoma Dome. / Joshua Hart/For Blast Zone Media

BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

*Images by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

3A Prep Wrestling / Photo Gallery

The only thing more difficult than making it to the Tacoma Dome as a competitor for the Mat Classic is staying in contention once you get there.

That reality began to set in for high school grapplers at the WIAA state wrestling championships yesterday as tough competition took its toll on the hearts, minds, hopes and dreams of high school wrestlers. The only thing harder than the Mat Classic brackets is the concrete floor hidden beneath the many-colored patchwork of mats.

While the crop of Kelso Hilanders still in the hunt for the podium suffered early attrition, the Kelso Lassies are still in prime position to repeat as team champions in the 3A girls tournament. The Kelso girls hold a 41.5 lead for first place over Hermiston in the team points race entering Day 2 of Mat Classic.

One surprise standout for Kelso in Tacoma has been Kamiah Gaerlan. Last year Gaerlan finished second in the 115-pound bracket at State, but she tore her ACL in June and was supposed to miss the entire year. Against doctor's orders she returned to action in January in order to make another run at a State title while sporting a brace on her knee and gutting out the pain.

Kelso will send seven girls to the State semifinals today, including Gaerlan, and has several other athletes still in the mix in the consolation rounds.

Be sure to check back to BlastZoneMedia.com for additional photos and full coverage of the action at Mat Classic XXXIV.

High School Wrestling: Kelso busy in opening rounds of Mat Classic XXXVII

Blast Zone Media — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:54:15 GMT

The mats await competitors before the beginning of Mat Classic XXXVI on Thursday, Feb. 19, at the Tacoma Dome. (Joshua Hart/For Blast Zone Media)

BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

*Images by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

3A Prep Wrestling / Photo Gallery

TACOMA DOME — The WIAA state wrestling championships got underway on Thursday with the 3A and 4A classifications taking over the confines of the Tacoma Dome for Mat Classic XXXVI.

Both the Kelso boys and girls teams were in action on Day 1 at The Dome, with several big surprises in the mix.

Kelso’s Kamiah Gaerlan, 115 pounds, competes against Kentlake’s Kasandra Sanchez-Altamirano in a 3A first-round match on Thursday, Feb. 19, at Mat Classic XXXVI at the Tacoma Dome. / Joshua Hart/For Blast Zone Media

Be sure to check back at BlastZoneMedia.com for additional coverage from the Tacoma Dome as the action expands to include the 2A, 1A, 2B and 1B ranks on Friday and Saturday. The 3A and 4A classifications will wrap up their brackets on Friday.

Subscribe to Blast Zone Media and keep scrolling beyond the paywall to view the boys and girls photo galleries from the Thursday’s early action at Mat Classic XXXVI.

Winter Sports Roundup: R.A. Long bowling racks up another State championship

Blast Zone Media — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:40:37 GMT

R.A. Long bowlers put their medals to the test after winning the 1A/2A State Bowling team championship, Tuesday, Feb. 10, at Bowlero in Tukwilla. / Photo courtesy of R.A. Long Bowling

Matt Baide for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Winter Sports / Roundup

High School Bowling

Jills win team title; Jason jots 2nd place finish

The R.A. Long girls won the team championship at the 1A/2A State bowling tournament on Feb. 9 and 10 at Bowlero South Seattle. The Lumberjills had three individuals in the Top-6 bowlers.

Leading the way for the Jills was freshman Zoey Jason, taking second place overall with games of 173, 190, 212, 200, 161 and 164 for a 1,100 series last Monday.

Winter Sports Roundup: Kelso bowling grabs second place trophy at State

Blast Zone Media — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:28:26 GMT

Athletes from the Kelso bowling team pose for a photo after placing second at the 3A State Tournament at Bowlero in Tukwilla.

Matt Baide for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Winter Sports / Roundup

High School Girls Bowling

Kelso made the most of its first appearance at the state tournament in nearly a decade by finishing second as a team last Weekend at Bowlero in Tukwilla. The Lassies also saw Arianna Long finish fourth individually at the 3A State girls bowling tournament.

The runner-up finish is tied the program’s highest placement at State.

“(The girls) delivered a standout performance,” Kelso head coach Justin Fugleberg said. “Our lane conditions were challenging, but once again this team showed its ability to adjust, stay composed, and remain in contention from start to finish.”

Winter Sports Roundup: R.A. Long wrestling takes the crown at Lumberjack and Jill Classic

Blast Zone Media — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:26:32 GMT

Fans watch the Lumberjack and Lumberjill Classic from the upper deck of The Lumberdome on Jan. 31 at R.A. Long High School. / Photo courtesy of R.A. Long Wrestling

Matt Baide for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Winter Sports / Roundup

Prep Boys Wrestling

Members of the R.A. Long wrestling team pose with their medals and teammates following the Lumberjack and Jill Classic last Saturday at The Lumberdome. / Photo courtesy of R.A. Long Wrestling

R.A. Long hosted, and won, the Lumberjack Classic wrestling tournament last Saturday at The Lumberdome, with a pair of individual champions in the mix.

Richard Ramirez at 144 pounds and Sixto Soto at 165 pounds each won their respective brackets for the Jacks.

Ashton Cordero at 113 pounds and Angel Gallardo at 285 pounds each finished in second place for R.A. Long, while Tyler Silvia at 150 pounds, Tyrese Mehrer at 157 pounds and Jaxson Rivenes at 215 pounds placed third. Presley Havens at 120 pounds, Kyler Settlemire and Noah Emter at 190 pounds finished fourth for the Jacks.

Earlier in the week, R.A. Long lost to Hockinson 54-27 in a Greater St. Helens League dual match in Longview on Jan. 28.

Richard Ramirez at 144 pounds, Tyler Silvia at 150 pounds, Sixto Soto at 165 pounds and Angel Gallardo at 285 pounds each had wins by fall. Tyrese Mehrer won his match 6-5.

Winter Sports Roundup: Quartet of Castle Rock wrestlers top Rubber Chicken podium

Blast Zone Media — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:55:01 GMT

Castle Rock’s Kacen Hamilton, Nolen Nelson and Mason Darvell pose for a photo after capturing individual championships at Kalama’s Rubber Chicken Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 24. / Photo courtesy of Castle Rock Wrestling

Matt Baide for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Winter Sports / Roundup

Boys Wrestling

The Rock shines at Rubber Chicken

Kalama hosted the Rubber Chicken tournament and won on Jan. 25 at Virgil Simmons Gymnasium, but it was Castle Rock who had the most success up on the hill.

The Rock finished third at the Rubber Chicken tournament, with three individual champions in the mix.

Winter Sports Roundup: Hilander freshman Jenkins 'swimmer'-up at Kelso Invite

Blast Zone Media — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:28:09 GMT

The Hilanders represtented themselves well at Gaither Pool last week when they finished fourth as a team at their own Kelso Invite. / Photo by chrissie kremer on Unsplash

Prep Winter Sports/ Roundup

Boys Swimming

Making Wake: Local pools heating up for home stretch

Kelso finished fourth as a team at the Kelso Invite last Saturday at Gaither Pool.

Kelso freshman Jonah Jenkins finished second in the 500-yard freestyle race in 5:24.52. Junior Spencer Brown placed eighth in the 500-yard freestyle race in 6:16.69.

The 200-yard medley relay team of junior Spencer Brown, freshman Jonah Jenkins, junior Riley Milligan and senior Wyatt Straw placed seventh in 2:03.46.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team of senior Dawson Johnson, senior Wyatt Straw, junior Riley Milligan and junior Justin Tran finished fifth in 1:44.78.

Kelso’s 400-yard freestyle relay team of junior Justin Tran, junior Spencer Brown, senior Dawson Johnson and freshman Jonah Jenkins took eighth place in 4:02.24.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Thank you for helping sustain Blast Zone Media. We depend on your support in order to continue reporting on local athletics. Consider showing your support today. —

Winter Sports Roundup: Kelso girls wrestling red-hot and ready to host first-ever State dual championships

Blast Zone Media — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 18:33:38 GMT

Kelso's Alexa Ortiz-Marquez (125) holds the upper hand on her foe while helping the Lassies claim first place at their home Braided 64 Tournament, Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10, at Kelso High School. / Photos by Benjamin Hendrickson for Blast Zone Media

Matt Baide and Jordan Nailon for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Winter Sports / Roundup

High School Girls wrestling

The Kelso girls wrestling team represented well at its own tournament last weekend, winning The Braided 64 team championship title without putting any individual grappler at the top of the podium.

The Lassies won the team championship with 206.5 points. Cleveland, New Mexico finished second with 185.5 points, while Hermiston (Ore.) placed third with 170.5 points.

“We had four placers, which is crazy,” Kelso head coach Bobby Freund said. “Our girls, they just keep grinding out wins and they’ve been able to keep us out there in the lead.”

And what’s the secret to the Lassies’ success on the mats?

“Just our depth,” Freund said. "Our girls who didn’t place are winning a lot of matches. And thats’ what it’s going to take to go win a State title again.”

— Kelso’s Keisha Hayes earns a win during a 170-pound match at The Braided 64 last weekend at Kelso High School. The Lassies were able to claim a team title with four individual placers on the podium. / Video by Ben Hendrickson for Blast Zone Media —

And Kelso has dominated the team scores this season without the help of last year’s State runner-up, Kamiah Gaerlan. She’s currently working in the background in an effort to make a return before the postseason.

The Braided 64 is the largest girls-only tournament on the west coast with 108 teams and over 1,100 athletes represented this year. The Kelso boys wrestling team helps to host the event, and the annual operation continues to impress locals and outsiders alike.

“We had a lot of good help and support and we’ve been doing it so long that each year it just gets polished out a little bit more,” Freund noted.

High School Wrestling: Kelso girls host, win Braided 64 Tournament (UPDATED)

Blast Zone Media — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 20:50:32 GMT

Kelso’s Olivia Engel wrestlers in the championship match of The Braided 64 Tournament, Saturday, Jan. 10, at Kelso High School. The Lassies took the team title at their own event. / Photo by Benjamin Hendrickson for Blast Zone Media

Prep Girls Wrestling / Photo Gallery

Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

The Kelso wrestling team hosted The Braided 64 last weekend and came out on top of the team standings in what has become one of the largest girls-only events in the nation, if not the world.

A total of 108 teams descended upon Kelso High School on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10, with mats and grapplers taking up nearly every square inch of available real estate on campus. The Kelso boys wrestling team was on hand to help keep things running smoothly, while athletes from all over the region battled it out on the mats.

— Kelso’s Keisha Hayes earns a win during a 170-pound match at The Braided 64 last weekend at Kelso High School. The Lassies were able to claim a team title with four individual placers on the podium. / Video by Ben Hendrickson for Blast Zone Media —

The Rainier Columbians were among the schools in attendance and even managed to put one of their own on top of the podium.

Other local schools in the mix included R.A. Long, Mark Morris, Woodland, Castle Rock, Kalama, Toutle Lake, and Ilwaco.

Castle Rock’s Taylor Kirby (bottom) does her best to flip Genevieve Daly of Mark Morris in a 120-pound match at The Braided 64 last weekend. Kirby went on to win the match by a score of 15-6. / Photo by Benjamin Hendrickson for Blast Zone Media —

Winter Sports Roundup: Kelso girls grapplers come out on top at Sierra Nevada Classic

Blast Zone Media — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:36:02 GMT

The Kelso girls wrestling team poses for a photo after capturing the team championship at the Sierra Nevada Classic in Reno over winter break. Kelso will host The Braided 64 this week starting Friday. / Photo courtesy of Kelso Girls Wrestling

Matt Baide for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Wrestling / Roundup

Girls Wrestling

Lassies bring hardware home; get ready for The Braided 64

The Kelso girls wrestling team traveled to Reno, Nevada on Dec. 29 and 30, earning a team championship out of 86 teams at the Sierra Nevada Classic.

“After finishing third last year, the girls were motivated and determined, and it showed throughout the tournament,” Kelso coach Bobby Freund said. “They competed with confidence, toughness, and great team chemistry from start to finish.”

High School Wrestling Roundup: Kelso girls grab Northern Colorado Christmas title

Blast Zone Media — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 19:28:23 GMT

Wrestlers strap on their identifying markers prior to a match . Grappling action is on a brief pause for the holidays but will resume early next week. / Photo by Joshua Hart for Blast Zone Media

Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Wrestling / Roundup

High School Girls Wrestling

Lassies take team title in mountain country

The Kelso girls wrestling team brought home a team championship from the Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament over the weekend, besting 54 other teams along the way.

“Our girls had an outstanding weekend at the Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament,” Kelso head coach Bobby Freud said.

That competition included schools from Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Among the mix were Pueblo Central, the defending State champions from Colorado, and Cleveland, the defending State champs from New Mexico.

Kelso won the team title with 211 points. Next in line were Thornton, CO (181.5), Chatfield, CO (175.5), Pueblo (166.5), and Cleveland (163.5).

Cleveland will take part in The Braided 64 in Kelso later this season.

Kelso managed to win the Golden Christmas Wreath without an individual champion.

“Great job to all 15 girls who competed for two straight days,” Freund said. “Several athletes were one match away from placing, battling hard in the blood round.”