The Bears had a hard-fought season and their effort paid off as seven wrestlers qualified for the state championship. Even though Olympia had fewer wrestlers than many other schools, they still placed 36th in the Boys’ 4A division.
The game
Qualifying for the state championship is no easy task, and the Bears had a total of seven athletes make it—three boys and four girls. Among them, three wrestlers made it to the championship rounds: Yestin Ruiz, who finished in 5th place; Michael Cary, who placed 6th; and Alexia Sloboda, who took 7th place.
How the championship works
Reaching the championship rounds is a huge achievement because, on the first day of the tournament, there are 32 wrestlers in each weight class, but by the second day, only the top 8 remain. Assistant coach Ryan Pittman spoke about the emotions that come with competing at such a high level, saying, “You see all the emotion come out from the kids, because, like, holy crap, I’m gonna be placing at state tomorrow.”
The training
After qualifying for state, the wrestlers had two weeks to prepare for the state tournament. During this time, they focused on sharpening their skills, improving their form, and perfecting their technique. Each athlete has their own way of training. Senior Michael Cary, for example, prefers to challenge himself by wrestling against his coach. “I like to practice wrestling my coach because wrestling people at a higher level helps me get better and learn from my mistakes,” he explained.
The Bears put in an incredible amount of hard work throughout the season, and their dedication was evident in their strong performance at the state championship. Their success this year sets a strong foundation for the future of Olympia wrestling. “We bring back four kids total, two girls and two boys that participated this year at state, so I expect good things next year.” Pittman said about the possibility of doing well next year at state.
