Rainier High School wrestlers continued their winning ways this past weekend as Keira Anderson, Ryleigh Cruse and Zander Peck placed first in their respective tournaments last weekend.
The girls competed in the eighth annual Grizzly Stocking Stuffer in Hoquiam Saturday, Dec. 28, and placed seventh as a team with only six wrestlers, with Anderson, 170 pounds, and Cruse, 235, leading the way in their respective weight divisions. Cruse defeated teammate Chloe Willis to capture the title.
“Just like last year, these two seem to always compete against each other in tournaments. The difference this year is Chloe is planning to drop to 190, and she is so close, which will really strengthen the team,” Rainier head coach Chris Holterman said.
Annabelle Whiteman lost to the eventual champion in the second round before rattling off four straight wins to capture third at 140. Dakota Gardner, 110 pounds, and Layla Hill, 125, were each one win away from a medal.
The boys placed 14th out of 25 schools at the two-day King of the Castle tournament at Stadium High School in Tacoma from Dec. 27 through Dec. 28. Peck narrowly beat River Ridge’s Xariel Soto 12-5 in the title match. Jayden Alegarbes, 132 pounds, placed fourth despite a nagging injury.
“It wasn’t the opponent. It was the pain that defeated him. His mental toughness has greatly improved,” Holterman said of Alegarbes. “The Jayden of the past would have used that injury as a way to escape competing further. The Jayden this year used it as fuel to motivate him to push through and to battle, and that is exactly what he did.”
Blake Roberts rounded out the placers for the boys with a seventh-place finish at 215 pounds.