The Tahoma boys wrestling program’s tradition of winning was on display Saturday at the Tacoma Dome during the 4A Mat Classic state wrestling tournament.

The Bears captured the state title as a team scoring 158 points, 13 points ahead of second-place Curtis.

Along with the team trophy, Tahoma had two state champions and seven wrestlers who placed in the top eight.

Coach Chris Feist’s voice was hoarse and nearly gone by Saturday night after two days of wrestling matches culminating with the finals.

He talked about his team and winning the state championship after taking the district, league and regional titles.

“We had to come together more than as a team, but as a family to get it done,” Feist said. “That was one of our main rallying cries… family first, and we have a big family. Not just our wrestlers, but our parents, our loved ones, our alumni, our teachers, our friends. We talked about winning this title for the family. Really that meant our community. There was no one person that was going to do it alone. We had to score a lot of points as a family. We had the opportunity for it to happen tonight.”

Feist know a few things about winning team titles. This is the second wrestling championship he has led the Bears to in the past five years. In 2012 the team set the state record placing 10 wrestlers at the Mat Classic.

“It was a full effort by everyone here,” Feist said. “From Cameron Hanson who pinned a kid for seventh place all the way to the finals match, Kione Gill, who pinned his kid. We had multiple state finalists and champions. We had Nick Whitehead and Justin Sipila as four-time state placers. There are only three kids in Tahoma state history to have ever done that and now they are two of them. Ryden Fu took fourth for us, Joe Novak with a big win, 1-0, to take fifth. It was a phenomenal team effort. From finalist Austin Michalski at 113 to Dagen Kramer, top to bottom our kids wrestled their heart out. It was a joy..”

The Bears the road to the top step went beyond the mats and training rooms.

“It’s not about the wrestling,” Feist said. “It’s about the relationship with these boys and their families. It is about the love and the trust we have for each other. You can’t ask a group of kids to put themselves through the wringer like we do — making weight, the training, the injuries. You can’t ask them to do that on a consistent basis unless we love them, and we do and they love us back. We have really high demands on these kids…. We are going to give them as much they give us. And that is what they give, their whole hearts. You don’t get to coach with us or be part of our staff or family unless you commit to giving that much back to them.”

The first championships of the day for Tahoma was senior Jordan Martinez at 126 pounds.

He opened the tournament with a 12-5 victory over Noah Talavera. Martinez beat Patrick Wheeler 13-2 in the second round and Nathan Bengen 14-9 in the semifinals.

In the final match for the title Martinez beat C.J. Richmond from Sumner 7-2.

“I was never worried,” Martinez said. “I knew I had better conditioning and I would come out in the end. I worked hard for it. Everyone wants to win in a finals match. This time I just fought a little harder than the other guy.”

Kione Gill was the second Tahoma wrestler to receive a championship medal.

At 195 pounds, Gill dominated the weight class from the opening bell.

In the first round he pinned Kordell Fields in 1 minute. In the second round he dropped Liam Rowan in 1:26. Caleb Thomas was his next victory in 1:15.

The title match was no different – blink and you may miss it. Gill took out Bowen McConville in 1:37.

After winning the championship he ran to up the Dome stairs into the spectators to hug family and friends.”

“I’ve just been waiting for this moment since I was little,” Gill said. “It’s a good feeling.”

At the 113-pound class sophomore Austin Michalski brought home the silver medal for the Bears.

Senior Dagen Kramer took the silver at 220. Senior Nick Whitehead took third at 132 and Ryden Fu fourth at 145.

Joe Novak, a senior, took fifth at 120, junior Cameron Hanson came home with a seventh at 126 and at 152 junior Justin Sipila was eighth.

Junior Reid Carlton qualified for the Mat Classic by taking third in the 138-weight class at the regional tournament. He also took third at the subregional tournament.

Payton Masterson qualified for the state tournament at 132, Gunner Starren qualified at 145, Ethan Vaughn qualified at 152, Jake Bir at 160,

Gage Dress at 182 and Nic Carbone at 285.

Feist was named the 4A region two coach of the year following the regional tournament.

KENTWOOD

The Conquerors took 24th as a team scoring 21 points.

Blake Capperauld finished fourth at the 170-pound weight.

Jabril Muhammad at 106 took eighth.

Qualifying for state for the Conks were Layton Smail, 120, Zack Allen, 152, Stephen Watson and Jalen Ureta, both at 160, Jasmeet Khera, 170, Leo Tizoc at 182 and Yonas Meshesha at 285.

KENTLAKE

The Falcons took 43 at the Mat Classic scoring four points.

Sophomore Alex Lopez finished eighth at 138 pounds.

Also qualifying for state from Kentlake were Roberto Alvarez, 106, Robert Ashabraner, 113 and Brandon Kelley at 285.

GIRLS WRESTLING

Kentwood freshman Ivy Kraght qualified for the state wrestling Mat Classic at 130 pounds. She lost her opening match to Erin Redford from White River. Redford went on the win the title.

GYMNASTICS

KENTLAKE

The Falcons gymnastic team took sixth at the 4A state meet Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.

As a team the girls scored 167.4.

Cassie Padilla tied for 16th all around with a score of 34.95. She competed Saturday in the individual finals taking 15th on the vault with score of 9.1. During the qualifying rounds Friday she scored 7.6 on the bars, 8.55 on beam and 9.15 on the floor.

Cecelia Loudermilk took 21st all around scoring 34.425. She competed on the bars Saturday scoring 9.15 for fifth place. Friday she scored 8.525 on the vault, 8.6 on the beam and 8.825 on the floor.

Autumn Bell was 33rd all around scoring 7.675 on the bars, 8.275 on the beam, 8.55 on the floor and 8.85 on the vault.

Haley Pond scored 32.375 all around for 37th. She scored 8.5 on the vault, 7.55 on the bars, 8.325 on the beam and 8.0 on the floor.

Katie Beliveau was 38th all around with a scored of 32.225. On the vault she scored 8.225, bars 7.525, on the beam 8.575 and on the floor 7.9.

Alohi Holmbeck-Barboza scored 5.45 on the bars, 7.35 on the floor and 8.3 on the vault.

Brittany Royall scored 6.1 on the beam.

TAHOMA

Tenley Mjelde took 23rd all around scoring 34.3 for Tahoma High School at the 4A state gymnastics meet.

On the bars during Friday’s qualifying rounds she scored 7.7, on the beam 8.3. She scored 9.1 on the floor and 9.2 on the vault.

Emma Rochleau scored 6.825 on the bars, on the floor 8.55 and 8.4 on the vault.

BOYS SWIM AND DIVE

The state 4A swim and Dive championship was Friday and Saturday at the King County Aquatics Center.

As a team Tahoma finished 19th with 37 points.

Jared Wold, Jan Grobbelaar, Ethan Spencer and Nathan Ainsworth took 14th in the 200 medley relay on 1 minute, 45 seconds.

Parker Wichelmann finished 17th in 1:50.34 in the 200 free and 16th in the 500 5:05.26.

Nicolas Ainsworth swam sixth in the 50 free in 21.74 and was 21st in the 100 free 50.59.

Zack Klobutcher took 14th for the Bears in the dive event.

In the 400 free relay Wold, Wichelmann, David Brannon and Nicolas Ainsworth swam 16th in 3:23.21.