Liberty’s Conner Small wins state title; two Hazen wrestlers medal
March 5, 2015
Conner Small didn’t achieve the dream of a lifetime on his own. The Liberty High School senior wrestler spent countless hours working toward a state championship with his father Bill.
By Greg Farrar
Conner Small, Liberty High School senior, exults to his supporters in triumph as he wins the 170-lb. state 2A wrestling championship with a 7-3 win over Sedro Woolley senior Jacob Farrell Feb. 21 during Mat Classic XXVII at the Tacoma Dome.
The process was a long and sometimes painful one — Small finished fifth as a sophomore and third as a junior — but it was ultimately rewarding as he captured the Class 2A state crown at 170 pounds to close the Mat Classic XXVII, Feb. 20-21 at the Tacoma Dome. Read more
Cancer taps out
February 6, 2015
Liberty bests Hazen on night dedicated to more than wrestling
Derek Nichols, Hazen High School senior (top), wrestles Beamer High School’s Malik Ford.
Malik Haythorne shines for Hazen at Mat Classic XXVI
March 5, 2014
Malik Haythorne’s senior season of wrestling was emblematic of his entire Hazen High School team — growth was evident.
A year after failing to win a match at the state championships, Haythorne nearly wound up capturing a Class 3A state title. He settled for second place at 152 pounds as the Mat Classic XXVI wrapped up Feb. 22 at the Tacoma Dome.
By Greg Farrar
Malik Haythorne (left), Hazen High School senior, works to get a takedown against Decatur senior Christian Aragon in his first round 152-pound bout during the 3A state wrestling championships Feb. 21 at the Tacoma Dome.
Haythorne’s tournament run began with a pin against Decatur’s Christian Aragon, progressed with a 7-5 overtime decision against Bainbridge’s Dylan Read, and reached the title bout with a 12-7 victory over North Central’s Cody Kiourkas.
Hazen wrestlers tackle pancreatic cancer
January 2, 2014
Highlanders host annual fundraiser
From the moment wrestlers step onto the mat, a match becomes a one-on-one battle of skill between opponents.
It may seem like the ultimate individual sport as the athlete approaches the mat alone, but that couldn’t be farther from the case — just ask the Hazen High School wrestling team.
By Rob Nichols
Rory Magana (second from left), Hazen High School wrestling coach, stands with his wife Alyssa, mother Susie and brother Kyle at last year’s Taking Down Pancreatic Cancer event.
“We all need each other in this sport, even if it’s an individual sport,” said Hazen senior Jairo Barahona. “In the end, we all depend on each other.”
Liberty hires new wrestling coach
July 5, 2013
Liberty High School has hired Wright Noel as the wrestling coach, according to a release from Athletic Director Stark Porter.
Noel is not new to the Patriot wrestling team, having coached as an assistant for the past seven years.
“Wright is an excellent choice to lead the Liberty wrestling program,” Porter said in the release. “I’ve enjoyed working with Wright and look forward to his continued leadership.”
Noel, who has more than 20 years of coaching experience, replaces longtime coach Manny Brown.
Patriots’ wrestlers leave state battered, but better
February 28, 2013
Hazen sends three grapplers, down from eight last year
By Greg Farrar
Joanna Moreira, Liberty High School sophomore, complete with nosebleed, is declared the 10-5 winner over Centralia’s Jenna Gillaspie in her first-round, 137-pound bout during the state 3A wrestling championships Feb. 15 at the Tacoma Dome.
Her face was caked in sweat, her shoulders had mat burns and her nostrils were leaking red. And yet, Joanna Moreira could not stop smiling.
The Liberty High School wrestler had just defeated Angelica Vaschenko, from Franklin Pierce High School, in the second round of consolation at the state tourney in Tacoma. The win, a 12-8 tussle of wills, assured that the 137-pound Patriot from São Paulo, Brazil, would finish better at state than in 2012.
Hazen wrestlers defeat their rivals from Liberty
January 31, 2013
By Greg Farrar
Abdu Mukhammadjonov (right), Hazen High School sophomore, is about to have his pin awarded in his 113-pound bout against Liberty freshman Kyle Armstrong during their Jan. 15 match.
BAs the nation struggles through a particularly aggressive flu season, many Liberty and Hazen high school wrestlers know only too well the ailments that accompany the illness.
The flu knocked out a good portion of the Liberty wrestlers, and the Highlanders were not exactly healthy themselves, when the two teams squared off Jan. 15.
Hazen High School wrestlers fundraiser takes down cancer
January 31, 2013
Rodney Magana, Hazen High School wrestling coach Rory Magana’s father, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October 2010, and died from the disease just eight months later, in June.
In 2013, an estimated 45,220 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a disease that is expected to claim more than 38,000 lives in the coming year.
By Rob Nichols
Hazen High School wrestlers and coaches gather for a group photo after competing in the Taking Down Pancreatic Cancer event to raise funds and awareness for the disease.
The fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, it has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. About 74 percent of patients will die within the first year of diagnosis and 94 percent will die within five years, according to the American Cancer Society.
Liberty’s first female wrestler defies odds
January 2, 2013
By Laurel Bluhm
Joanna Moreira, Liberty High School sophomore (right), wrestles her opponent at the Auburn Mountainview Girls Tour in December.
Just a day before competing in last year’s Mat Classic, Liberty High School wrestler Joanna Moreira stood high up in the rafters of the Tacoma Dome and stared down at the 12 perfectly placed mats laid across the floor.
“I remember just looking at those 12 mats and saying, ‘I got this far, and tomorrow I’m going to dominate,’” she said.
Hazen takes second in December tournament
January 2, 2013
Following a year when Hazen High School sent a record eight wrestlers to the state tournament, expectations are high for the 2013 team.
In early December, the Highlanders took second place at the Redmond Team Dual Tournament.
Derek Nichols, Hazen High School sophomore, has the top position in a match at the Redmond Team Dual Tournament in early December.
By Rob Nichols
Hazen went 3-1 for the day, defeating Henry Foss, Redmond and Federal Way high schools.
