Rogers, Baublits win league titles as Eatonville qualifies 11 for Mat Classic

The Eatonville Cruisers boys and girls wrestling programs closed out the postseason qualifying phase in emphatic fashion Saturday, Feb. 7, at the 2A SPSL District 3 Championships, sending a combined 11 wrestlers to the WIAA Mat Classic state tournament while also securing three additional state alternates. The boys competed at Orting High School, while the girls tournament took place at Clover Park High School, giving Eatonville athletes two venues to showcase their depth and resilience across the league.

Eatonville High School's state qualifying wrestlers posed for photos following their league championship tournament. From left to right. Girls: Autumn Cole, Khloee Young, Makenzie Ball, Nala Baublits, Abigail Lay, and Olivia Cole. Boys: Teagan Croppi, Jarrin Ragazzo, Ethan Rogers, and Aiden Hughey Not pictured: Stephen Patton. Photo: Mel Baublits/Melissa Rogers.

By the end of the day, Eatonville had qualified five boys and six girls for state, a reflection of a program that has continued to build momentum throughout the season. The Cruisers were led by league champions Ethan Rogers and Najalia “Nala” Baublits, both of whom captured league titles with composed and physical performances in their respective brackets.

Rogers delivered one of the standout performances of the tournament at Orting High School, claiming the 215-pound league championship. After receiving a first-round bye, Rogers wasted little time in the quarterfinals, pinning teammate Mason Kinley in 1:03. He followed with another dominant showing in the semifinals, earning a fall over Michael Lefeau of Washington in 2:12.

In the championship match, Rogers faced Jaxon Satiacum of Orting. Rogers scored early and maintained his pace throughout, earning a 7-2 decision to secure the league title. The victory capped a near-flawless tournament run and reinforced Rogers’ position as one of the top contenders in the 2A classification heading into state.

Eatonville also celebrated a third-place finish from Jarin Ragazzo, who navigated a demanding bracket with consistency and toughness. Ragazzo opened his tournament with a bye before edging Wyatt Rodarte of Orting by decision in the quarterfinals. After a semifinal loss, Ragazzo regrouped in the consolation rounds, pinning Zion Jackson of Foss in 2:09. He closed his tournament with another fall over Rodarte in the third-place match, earning a spot on the podium and a return trip to the state tournament.

Three Eatonville wrestlers placed fourth and qualified for state after grinding through the consolation rounds. Teagan Croppi put together a strong tournament at 120 pounds, highlighted by a sudden victory win over Brendon Frazier of Fife in the quarterfinals. After a semifinal loss, Croppi bounced back with a pin over Max Hughes of Steilacoom before finishing fourth.

Stephen Patton also placed fourth after recording two pins during the tournament. Patton opened with a fall over Patrick Goltry of Steilacoom, then responded to a semifinal loss with a pin over Jason Gomez of Steilacoom in the consolation semifinals. Aiden Hughey added another fourth-place finish for the Cruisers, opening his tournament with back-to-back pins before fighting through the consolation bracket to secure his state berth.

Eatonville will also send three boys to state as alternates following fifth-place finishes. Cjay Russell placed fifth at 106 pounds after closing his tournament with two straight wins, including a 12-6 decision in the fifth-place match. Guilherme Vilaverde Araujo earned a fifth-place finish at 157, recovering from an early loss to win two consolation matches. Haven Rovang rounded out the alternates at 165, collecting four falls over the course of the tournament and finishing with a pin in the fifth-place match.

At Clover Park High School, the Eatonville girls matched the boys with six state qualifiers and multiple podium finishes, led by Baublits’ championship run at 100 pounds. After receiving a bye into the semifinals, Baublits pinned Kaede Kuklok of Steilacoom in 5:17 to advance to the title bout. In the championship match, Baublits closed out her tournament by pinning Shan-Lee Salazar of Orting in 1:47, capturing the league title and punching her ticket to the Mat Classic.

Khloee Young delivered another highlight performance for Eatonville, placing second at 110 pounds. Young needed just seconds to win her quarterfinal match by fall before pinning Harlow Russell of Orting in the semifinals. She finished as the runner-up after falling in the championship match, securing her place at state.

Makenzie Ball added another second-place finish at 170 pounds. After a semifinal pin over Hayden Carrell of Orting, Ball advanced to the championship match, where she finished runner-up to earn her state berth.

Abigail Lay earned a third-place finish at 115 pounds after responding to a semifinal loss with two straight wins by fall. Lay pinned Meadow Peebles of Clover Park in the consolation semifinals and followed with another fall in the third-place match to claim her spot on the podium.

Olivia Cole and Autumn Cole each placed fourth in their respective brackets at 100 and 110 pounds. Both wrestlers battled through the consolation rounds, picking up key pins to secure their state qualifications and round out Eatonville’s six-girl contingent heading to Tacoma.

The WIAA’s culminating wrestling event, the Mat Classic XXXVII, will be held Feb. 20 through Feb. 21 at the Tacoma Dome. Tickets will be available digitally through GoFan, the WIAA’s ticketing partner. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance, though digital tickets may also be purchased onsite using mobile devices.