Eatonville Wrestlers Shine at District 3 Tournament, Qualify 10 for State
The Eatonville High School boys and girls wrestling teams put on a strong showing at the District 3 tournament this past Saturday at Foss High School, with 10 wrestlers punching their tickets to the Mat Classic XXXVI state championships at the Tacoma Dome on February 21-22.
“The team wrestled awesome, and all the girls wrestled fantastic! Lowest place was 4th for the young but talented women! I am so proud of everyone and the fan support was amazing!” said head coach Mario Ragazzo, praising his athletes for their hard work and determination.
The boys team finished third overall, with seven wrestlers qualifying for state and another still in contention. Jameson Beckord (215 lbs.) led the way, capturing a district title. Beckord’s journey to the top was anything but easy, battling through a season-long shoulder injury that forced him to medically forfeit multiple tournaments and miss valuable practice time.
“While battling a shoulder injury all year I was unable to compete as I had hoped most of the year. I had to medical forfeit a few tournaments due to my injury,” Beckord shared. “With many doctors’ visits for PT, massage, and hyperbaric sessions, I missed many practices. When I found out I was the #5 seed going into leagues, I knew I had to go prove them wrong! I went out and wrestled like I know I can and put the injury in the rearview mirror.”
After a second-place finish at sub-regionals last season as a freshman, Beckord was determined to make it to the Tacoma Dome this year. Despite not wrestling in any league duals, he put in the extra effort by studying film and watching his weight-class opponents compete to develop a strategy.
“This year I wanted it more than ever. Not wrestling ANY league duals to get the feel for my opponents, I spent numerous hours studying film of their matches and staying late at the duals to watch my weight class opponents wrestle, so that when I came back I knew the approach I needed to take to be on top,” he explained.
His dedication paid off in a big way, as he secured the district title. “My grit, grind, and perseverance prevailed on the mat at Districts,” Beckord said.
Trey StaRosa (157 lbs.) earned a runner-up finish, while other state qualifiers include Bryan Boers (120 lbs., 4th), Mark Devera (132 lbs., 4th), Jarin Ragazzo (165 lbs., 4th), Ethan Rogers (190 lbs., 3rd), and Aaron Tozier (285 lbs., 3rd). Teagan Croppi (113 lbs.) finished fifth and will compete in a wrestle-off this week for a chance at state.
The girls team placed sixth overall, with three of its four competitors securing state berths. Makenzie Ball (170 lbs.) led the way with a second-place finish, while Khloee Young (100 lbs.) and Nala Baublits (105 lbs.) each took third to advance. Olivia Cole (105 lbs.) finished fourth and will serve as an alternate for the state tournament.
With a strong contingent heading to the Tacoma Dome, Eatonville will look to make its mark on the biggest stage in Washington high school wrestling.
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