Girl wrestlers compete at Lake Stevens

Lacking a post-season and competing in a shortened season, girls high school wrestling teams are still battling on the mat.

Girls wrestling teams from seven Wesco high schools descended upon Lake Stevens High School May 17 to compete in a wrestling scramble.

“I thought my girls did really well,” said Jim Smoots, head coach of the girls wrestling team at Arlington High School. No team scores were taken during the matches. Numbers of wrestlers at schools are down this year and teams wanted to avoid forfeits.

“The purpose is to get the kids matches,” Smoots said. The wrestling scramble saw 42 matches take place on two mats between Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Arlington, Everett, Stanwood, Marysville-Pilchuck and Marysville Getchell.

Smoots said the Eagles had five wrestlers win both of their matches and six others win one and lose one.

He highlighted the efforts of Kaitlyn Swanson (105 pounds), Hailey Latta (135 pounds, Jaiden Cochran (135 pounds), Raina Allen (145 pounds) and Brianna William-Bales (235 pounds).

Smoots also mentioned senior Zoe Pittson. “She’s showing really good leadership on the team.”

Lakewood brought three wrestlers to the meet at Lake Stevens. “Overall, I’d said it went really well,” Lakewood wrestling coach Nic Caldwell said.

Torrie Blackwood (130 pounds) won both of her matches. Caldwell noted that Blackwood had experience in past years at state tournaments. Elizabeth Aleo (235 pounds) won one match and lost one match. Lakewood in previous years normally has six wrestlers on the girls team, Caldwell said.

Both Marysville schools combined to form a single team and seven wrestlers competed at Lake Stevens and four of them got pins during their matches.

Emily Heck went one and one for the evening. “She came out really strong and got a pin and that was really exciting,” Marysville girls wrestling coach Andie White said.

She added that Chelsey Goeden went up a weight class to 155 pounds and went one and one for the evening. Grace Obermeyer, who wrestles for Marysville Getchell, scored a pin.

During their May 19 match at Snohomish, the Marysville schools fielded nine wrestlers. Last year, the team had 20 wrestlers between the two schools, White said.

Smoots said the Arlington girls wrestling team has about 16 wrestlers, which is half the number from last year.

“It’s a season of experience and improvement,” Smoots said. “The team is really supporting itself.”

Twelve teams in the Wesco Conference head to Marysville-Pilchuck on May 27. White said she hopes either of the matches hosted by Marysville May 27 or June 8 will take place outside.