Ball, Baublits take silver to lead Eatonville at Belt Buckle Classic
- Skip Smith
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Eatonville High School girls wrestling team showcased significant improvement on the mats this weekend, securing a sixth-place team finish at the Safeway Belt Buckle Classic held at La Grande Middle School.
Competing against a field of 17 teams, the Cruisers tallied 100.5 points to take sixth overall. The performance marked a substantial jump from the previous year when Eatonville finished 15th out of 20 teams at the same event. Six Eatonville wrestlers earned podium spots by finishing in the top six of their respective weight classes.
Two Cruisers advanced to the championship finals to earn silver medals. At 170 pounds, Makenzie Ball dominated her path to the finals, pinning her first three opponents in the first or second periods. Ball finished the tournament with a 3-1 record, eventually falling to Vale’s Aubrey Maupin in the championship match at the 5:27 mark.
Najalia "Nala" Baublits also claimed a second-place finish in the 105-pound bracket. After receiving byes in the opening rounds, Baublits pinned La Grande’s Elle Edvalson in the semifinals. She lost by fall to Eilie May of La Grande in the final. Baublits’ performance was an improvement over her outing last year when she took fourth place.
In the 110-pound division, Khloee Young battled back to take third place, improving on her fourth-place finish from last season. Young posted a 4-1 record for the tournament, including a technical fall in the opening round and a swift 45-second pin in the quarterfinals. After a semifinal loss, she rebounded to pin Gemma Merrell of Rocky Mountain in the third-place match.
Taylor Neigel added team points with a fourth-place finish in the 135-pound weight class. Neigel advanced to the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Taylor Ward of Barlow.
Rounding out the placers for Eatonville were Olivia Cole and Emory Simpson, who both secured fifth-place finishes. Cole, wrestling at 100 pounds, fought through the consolation bracket after a quarterfinal loss. She secured two wins in the consolation rounds and took fifth place via forfeit.
Simpson, competing at 110 pounds alongside Young, finished her tournament with a victory. After falling in the semifinals, she pinned Madras’ Payton Tackington in 1 minute, 13 seconds to secure fifth place.
Comments