In the Rogers Holiday Tournament made up of 17 schools, 13 of which at the 4A or 3A level, the Rainier High School girls wrestling team held its own despite being just one of two 2B programs participating Saturday, Jan. 4.
The Mountaineers finished ninth with 69.5 points and landed three top-three medalists, including senior Keira Anderson with a first-place medal in the 170-pound division and sophomores Chloe Willis, second, and Ryleigh Cruse, third, at 235. Anderson earned four wins, three by fall and one by tech fall, and capped off her run with a victory over Spanaway Lake’s Raven Kaleopa-Grey in the finals.
Anderson was caught off guard early by Kaleopa-Grey’s takedown in the finals, but she kept her composure and finished the job by fall in 3 minutes and 17 seconds.
“I knew there was gonna be some better competition. I was confident in my abilities because I’ve definitely improved,” Anderson said. “I just stayed headstrong. I didn’t give up, even though she got the first takedown."
Willis (235) topped teammate Cruse in the semifinals en route to a second-place finish, falling to Raymond-South Bend’s Nina Siribun in the finals. Cruse placed just behind her teammate in third, bouncing back from her loss to Willis with a 23-second fall over Timberline’s Janiah Harrington and another fall win in the finals against Spanaway Lake’s Hannah Lei.
Rainier girls coach Kelli Garner was impressed with Willis’ performance, especially against her teammate Cruse. The two sophomores often cross paths in their division, and Willis got revenge from their championship match at the Grizzly Stocking Stuffer tournament in Hoquiam Dec. 30.
“They’ve made each other better just because they get to know each other’s moves so much now that it really encourages them to try something new and learn a new skill,” Garner said. “We’re excited because Chloe will hopefully be dropping down a weight class so we don’t have that whole rivalry a whole lot longer. It is tough on them, and they handle it remarkably well and with a lot of grace. Half the time when I go into that, it’s a coin toss and I just sit back and let them run their match.”
Layla Hill (125) also placed sixth for Rainier, advancing to the semifinals via a major decision and a fall in her first two matches before losing three straight. Dakota Gardner (110) and Annabelle Whiteman (140) each picked up a win in their respective brackets, as Gardner was defeated in the third round of the consolation bracket and Whiteman fell short in the consolation semis.
Garner said the Mountaineers have continued to improve throughout the season and that they’re on the right track with the postseason looming.
“All of the girls have absolutely improved 100%. It was great to see them put their best effort forward. We’ve got some things that we can definitely work on in the next month,” she said.
One of the athletes who continues to rapidly improve is Anderson, who has set a goal to be a top-three finisher at state this year after taking sixth as a junior. She has focused on having confidence in herself in every match, especially in the Rogers tournament against girls from much bigger schools.
“I’ve taken it upon myself. I have to work harder in practice. I’ve gotten better with my confidence and not getting intimidated by my opponents,” Anderson said.
Garner lauded Anderson’s ability to make adjustments and listen to coaching throughout a tournament.
“She is continuously getting better. She’s continuously working to push herself, though she’s always seeking out coaches’ help and seeking out different ways that she can approach a move,” Garner said of the senior. “She’s a very methodical wrestler, so watching her and figuring out where her body position is and how she could get that best is always entertaining for me to watch.”
The Mountaineers boys and girls wrestlers will head to Napavine High School for a Central 2B League mixer on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 5:30 p.m.
