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.

“Surreal” was the first word out of Small’s mouth after he defeated Sedro Woolley’s Jacob Farrell, 7-3, in the championship bout. He then spoke about the help he received from his dad.

“I can’t even explain what me and him have gone through,” Small said. “I owe everything to him. He’s been there since day one. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive father in my life.”

Small, who will compete at Arizona State University next year, rolled through his final Mat Classic with convincing decisions in his first three matches. It got tougher against Farrell, however, as Small held a tenuous 4-2 lead with two minutes left.

“We’ve been worried about this guy for a while,” Small said. “We’ve known he’s been my target all year, and he proved it out on the mat. He’s a great competitor. I was just there tonight. My head was in it, I knew what I wanted to do and I executed.”

Romney Noel was close — oh, so very close.

The Liberty senior needed points late in his 182-pound semifinal match against Sedro-Woolley’s Quinten Dickman-Roppel. He was able to escape with 35 seconds left, and had his opponent on the verge of a takedown that would’ve tied the score.

But Dickman-Roppel didn’t go down easily, and stayed on his feet long enough that Noel couldn’t complete the move inbounds. The Sedro-Woolley senior then got his own takedown and advanced to the final with a 7-3 victory.

Mental toughness allowed Noel to recover quickly, as he won his next two matches and finished third in the state.

“It’s hard to battle back after a loss, and I’m proud of myself for doing that,” Noel said.

Noel held off Quincy’s Cade Wallace, 5-3, and then took some tough shots from Washington’s Jacob Nelson in his placing match. Nelson was trailing in the third, and he slammed Noel out of bounds in an effort to get points. The move wasn’t dirty, but Noel had to fight through pain the rest of the way before getting a pin with 16 seconds left.

“Wrestling is the toughest thing I’ve ever done,” Noel said. “It’s taught me how to work, how to fight back after getting popped in the face. Wrestling teaches you how to be a warrior. You’re all alone out there, so it’s a good life lesson.”

Liberty senior Joanna Moreira capped her career with a fifth-place finish at 135 pounds in the girls’ division.

Hazen wrestlers win two medals

By Greg Farrar
Raven Svenson (left), Hazen High School sophomore, wrestles Charliann McCall of Centralia at 155 pounds, eventually winning by pin at 2:31 in her first match at the Mat Classic XXVII state 3A championship tournament Feb. 20 at the Tacoma Dome. Svenson went on to win fifth at state.

Hazen High School qualified five wrestlers for the Mat Classic, and two finished the weekend as medalists.

The Highlanders’ highest finisher was sophomore Raven Svenson, who finished fifth in the girls’ 155-pound division. Svenson improved upon her 2014 performance, when she placed seventh at state.

“She sealed the deal with a strong performance in her medal match finishing the match with a textbook throw to a fall,” Hazen coach Rory Magana wrote in an email.

Hazen junior Nik Vargas was the other medalist, placing eighth in the boys’ 3A 132-pound division. Vargas dropped his opening-round match, but fought back through the lower bracket to secure a spot on the podium.

Magana praised Vargas’ performance, saying the junior wrestled with “fundamentally-sound technique.” Both Vargas and Svenson are expected to return next year.

Senior Anthony Scott (106), sophomore Tyson Mowrey (113) and senior Derek Nichols (138) didn’t place, but all three “fought hard and wrestled tough,” Magana said.

Scott made the state meet in what was his first year as a wrestler, Mowrey lost to his division’s third-place finisher, while Nichols got caught in one of the most competitive brackets in the 3A tournament, Magana said.

Derek Nichols, Hazen High School senior (top), wrestles Beamer High School’s Malik Ford.

When the Liberty and Hazen wrestling teams hit the mats Jan. 16, they were tackling more than their opponents.

They, along with Oak Harbor and Highline high school wrestling teams, did all that they could to tackle pancreatic cancer at the dual meet and fundraiser.

Hazen coach Rory Magana’s father Rodney, who died just eight months after he was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer in 2011, inspired the fundraiser now in its fifth year.

“The diagnosis is a tough one,” Magana said. “The two-year survival rates are very low, and the five-year survival rates are even lower. Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal cancer diagnosis that there is, but not a lot of people have heard about it.”

This year, the Liberty gymnasium played host to the annual meet/fundraiser. In addition to T-shirt sales, pancreatic cancer education and a silent auction, fans were treated to a night of competitive wrestling.

Liberty went 1-1 on the night, defeating Hazen in a close one, while losing to Highline. The Highlanders dropped both of their matches, falling to Oak Harbor after losing to the Patriots.

“The Hazen match was a barnburner,” Liberty coach Wright Noel said. “Liberty won even though we gave up 12 points in forfeits.”

Sean Surowiec, at 126 pounds, Juan Flores (152) and Conner Small (170) each had crucial pins for Liberty, leading the Patriots to the victory.

In the other matches, the Highlanders’ Nik Vargas won by technical fall over Patriot Cooper Murch (132); Hazen’s Derek Nichols won by decision over Liberty’s Ethan Le (138), 7-0; and Leo Palaganas, of Hazen, won by decision over the Patriots’ Alec Bluhm (145), 11-4.

“We won on the strength of our wrestlers refusing to get pinned or give up major points, and the wrestlers we counted on winning were able to pin,” Noel said. “It was a great team win.”

Against Highline, Liberty got pins from Jarmon Joseph (126), Romney Noel (182), Murch and Small.

Magana said that while the Highlanders “wrestled tough,” they struggled to cope with several holes in their lineup due to illness and injury.

Of all the Highlanders’ wrestlers, Magana said he was most impressed with Nichols, who went 2-0 on the night and avenged a previous loss to No. 1-ranked wrestler Jeremy Vester (138).

“After falling behind early in the match, Nichols battled back with a dramatic throw late in the third period,” Magana said. “Nichols would earn the fall over Vester in one of the biggest upsets of the season.”

Admission to the meet was free, though donations, all of which went to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, were accepted at the door. The teams and their fans raised $1,000.

“Over the last few years, our wrestlers have been very excited to compete for such a worthy cause,” Magana said. “They love stepping up to raise awareness for such a good cause.”

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.

In the championship match, Hudson’s Bay senior Gunnar Metzger pinned Haythorne in 2 minutes, 37 seconds.

Haythorne, however, was basking in a winning glow for most of the tournament. He wore a big grin after defeating Read in the quarterfinals, a match in which Haythorne trailed 5-1 after two periods before he scored the final six points.

He didn’t let failure dominate his thoughts.

“Honestly, there’s always a little doubt, but then when you reassess the situation and stick to your fundamentals, you realize what you’re best at,” Haythorne said. “It all just comes down to who wanted it more, and I think that was me at the end of the day.”

Haythorne beat Read by two points at a tournament in December, so the pair were familiar with each other. At the start of the third period, a technical violation gave Haythorne a point, and he quickly escaped to get within 5-3.

With 30 seconds left in regulation, Haythorne took down Read for the tying points, then repeated the feat early in overtime.

Haythorne’s runner-up finish topped the Highlanders’ six-athlete contingent at the Mat Classic. Raven Svenson, a freshman who took seventh in the 155-pound girls division, was Hazen’s only other medalist.

Svenson dropped an 11-9 decision to Lincoln’s D.J. White in the first round, but quickly battled back in the consolation bracket.

She pinned Connell’s Caily Mendez in 2:15, and earned an 11-8 win over Mount Baker’s Aniecea Camacho to advance to the medal round.

At 106, freshman Tyson Mowrey got a tough draw and lost his opener to North Central’s Clai Quintanilla by pin in 1:22.

Quintanilla went on to win the state title, and although Mowrey pinned Franklin’s Lam Tran in 39 seconds, he didn’t reach the medal round as Peninsula’s Michael Campigotto pinned him in 5:38.

Junior Derek Nichols (126) suffered a similar fate. He drew Shorewood senior Matthew Floresca to start the tourney, and Floresca won by pin in 2:40 en route to the state title. Ferndale’s Adaeus Wilson-Premo pinned Nichols in a loser-out match.

Zach Moore, a junior, finished 1-2 at 138 pounds. He lost 10-8 to Bainbridge’s Jack Miller on a last-second takedown, beat Enumclaw’s Ben Cross 10-1, and lost 6-3 to Shadle Park’s Connor Kerr.

Senior Jairo Barahona (182) lost twice — 11-5 to Peninsula’s Luke Holsinger, and 6-3 to North Central’s Junior Villaro.

Hazen’s season was largely successful, Haythorne noted, as the squad finished second at sub-regional competition and seventh at the Region 3 meet. The Highlanders scored 25 points to finish 30th overall at state.

“Our program is actually growing,” Haythorne said. “It’s starting to look a lot tougher. We’ve been right up there with tough teams. We saw Oak Harbor in a dual meet, and even though they beat us, it was really close. It just shows the program is starting to come together after five years.”

Three Liberty athletes medal

The Liberty High School wrestling team had three athletes reach the medal podium.

Joanna Moreira, a junior, was among the top-ranked 137-pound girls all season, but had to settle for sixth place after three straight losses to end the season.

Moreira reached the semifinals with a bruising 7-4 victory over Othello’s Phelicia Perez, the type of match that symbolized her season.

“Usually, I go three rounds,” she said. “I rarely pin, and even though that’s kind of iffy, it’s kind of helped me because of my conditioning. I can go three rounds. If I’m tied in the second round, I know I can beat this girl by fitness. I’m conditioned way better.”

Liberty juniors Conner Small and Romney Noel also earned medals. Small took third at 160 pounds, and Noel was sixth at 170.

Kyle Armstrong (120) and Quinn Magendanz (182) also reached state for the Patriots, but neither advanced to the medal round.

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.”

That sentiment rings even truer when one of their own suffers a loss away from the gym, as head coach Rory Magana did when his father died of pancreatic cancer in 2011.

Since, the team has rallied to host its annual Taking Down Pancreatic Cancer dual meet benefiting the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

“He’s our coach, he’s like our father, so we all feel like we’re family,” Barahona said. “We all fight through to be able to get money so that those who are suffering don’t have to go through what people like Rory went through.”

The team will host its fourth event at Hazen High School Jan. 17, featuring the wrestling squads from Hazen, Highline and Oak Harbor, Magana’s alma mater. The Highlanders are also looking to add one more team.

Last year’s event at Highline High School included a bake sale, raffles and the sale of T-shirts to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research. This year, attendees should expect more of the same, Magana said, along with an evening of top-flight wrestling competition.

“It’s awesome. I love the fact that we’re doing something good for the community. It’s nice to do something good for people other than ourselves, rather than just focusing on wrestling and athletics,” Magana said.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. It’s one of the few cancers for which survival rates have not dramatically improved through the years, largely because detection tools to diagnose the disease in its infancy do not yet exist.

Magana’s father Rodney died just eight months after he was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.

The Magana family has worked tirelessly since to educate others about the disease, culminating with the annual tournament.

“We’re carrying our favorite sport over to a cause that’s greater than ourselves,” Magana said, “and that’s the most important thing.”

Highlanders show well at Hammerhead Invitational

The Hazen wrestling team traveled to the Kitsap Peninsula Dec. 20-21 to compete in the Hammerhead Invitational, where it had its best performance ever at the 40-team tournament.

Malik Haythorne was the Highlanders’ top finisher, placing second in the 152-pound division. Haythorne upset the state’s fourth-ranked wrestler to make it to the finals.

Hazen’s Zach Moore (138) and Barahona (182) each placed fifth in the tournament that featured teams from Washington and Oregon.

“Overall, the team performed well and beat out a few tough programs in the team standings,” Magana wrote in an email. “Our team has started to become a strong tournament team, which is something new to us.”

Things are indeed looking up for Hazen, which wasn’t the case at the beginning of the year when they found out they lost some key returning players to injuries and academic issues, Magana said.

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.

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.

“This is a big accomplishment,” she said. “I wanted to be better than I was last year.”

In 2012, Moreira, a freshman, had lost in the second round of consolation. This year, she finished eighth. A week earlier, she had finished third at regionals in Sedro-Woolley, improving her 2012 performance by one spot.

“I would love to come off every match and say I did my best,” she said after regionals. “I would love to place at state this year.”

No wonder she was smiling under the bright lights of the Tacoma Dome, then.

As her nose would attest, the road to the podium in Tacoma was not without its bumps. Moreira started the tourney by beating Centralia’s Jenna Gillaspie, 10-5. She then lost to eventual fourth-place finisher Juliana Trujillo, of Lakeside, by pin in the first.

After Moreira defeated Vaschenko, she lost to eventual fifth-place finisher Jamilah Ahmath, of Rochester, in the third round of consolation, 4-2, and lost to Warden’s Alexys Jolley by pin in the third, during the match for seventh place.

Moreira was not the only Patriot feeling rather satisfied with her, or his, performance at state. Conner Small, wrestling at 152 pounds, finished fifth.

“I think I went out there with more aggression,” Small said after his defeat of Jacob Elledge, of Glacier Peak, hours after a painful 5-1 loss to Stanwood’s Zach Schut had sent Small to the consolation bracket.

“I was intimidated by him,” Small said of Schut. “I knew he was big. He was a senior and all that stuff. I went out there with intimidation, which I probably should not have.”

The intimidation factor was gone, Small said, when he met Schut again, in the fifth-place match. Small said his coaches and his dad helped him stay focused when facing Schut again.

“I wrestled my hardest and got the outcome that I worked all year for, and I owe a huge thank-you to my coaches, friends and family,” he wrote in an email Feb. 17.

Small won, 6-3. His win closed the book on a tough but promising campaign for Liberty wrestling.

Hazen sends three to state

After an inconsistent season, the Hazen High School wrestling team sent three athletes to compete in the state tournament at the Tacoma Dome.

It was a far cry from the record eight wrestlers the Highlanders sent last year, but minor restructuring in the postseason pairings this season made the path toward the Tacoma Dome a little more treacherous.

Still, Zach Moore, Malik Haythorne and first-year wrestler Jairo Barahona represented Hazen well, going up against the top competitors in the state.

Moore, wrestling at 120 pounds, dropped his first match of the day to Eastside Catholic’s Matt Iwicki, who was eventually crowned the 120-pound champion. Moore would go on to defeat his next opponent in the consolation bracket, before losing to Mercer Island’s Luke Wilson, ending his run in the double-elimination tournament.

Haythorne, wrestling at 145 pounds, and Barahona, wrestling at 182 pounds, each dropped their first two matches.

Reporter Christina Corrales-Toy contributed to this story.

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.

“It was tough, but the guys that did go out on the mat worked hard and we had a few wins, but we didn’t quite come out on top like we would have liked to,” Liberty coach Manny Brown said.

Hazen emerged as the victor, winning, 46-27, against Liberty, its Renton rival.

“We didn’t have our full lineup against Liberty, but we were able to get some good matches for our kids,” Hazen coach Rory Magana said. “Overall we wrestled better than we have been.”

Abdu Mukhammadjonov, Peter Scheau and a recovering Zach Moore all had pins for Hazen, while Derek Nichols won his match by decision.

“Zach Moore at 120 put in a real good performance,” Magana said. “He’s been pretty sick and that was his first match back, and he looked pretty crisp.”

The wins were particularly sweet for Mukhammadjonov, who notched his first varsity win, and Scheau, who has seen time on both varsity and junior varsity squads this season, Magana said.

“Scheau’s been wrestling pretty tough, even though he’s not always a varsity guy, he’s getting the job done,” Magana said.

Hazen sophomore Nichols defeated his Liberty opponent, 9-5.

“Derek is only a sophomore, but he ended up getting the victory against a senior, so it was a tough win,” Magana said.

Both Alejandro Tachiyama and Zach Toombs had pins for the Patriots, while Conner Small, Alec Bluhm and Zach Arthur won by decision.

“Zach Toombs came through for us,” Brown said. “He hasn’t been as healthy as we’d like to see him, but he bit the bullet and came through for us in that match.”

Tachiyama is a first-year wrestler and 285-pounder who stepped up in a big way for the Patriots, Brown said.

“He came through as a heavyweight,” Brown said. “Fortunately, we have two heavyweights this year. One of them was ill, so Alejandro pinned for 285.”

The 152-pound Small defeated his Hazen counterpart, 8-1. The Highlanders actually brought their 145-pounder up to wrestle Small, to give both wrestlers a different challenge, Brown said.

“I commend them for that. They didn’t have to do that,” he said. “But, when you get to a point where it’s getting toward tournament time, you want to try and get those good matches in so that you push wrestlers a little bit more.”

The rivalry between the two Renton schools is more of a friendly one, Brown said.

“We are kind of working on that rivalry and getting more involved,” he said. “We are neighbors, so there is a little bit of a pride thing going.”

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.

The survival rate is so low for the disease because a mechanism for early detection of the cancer is not yet available. That’s where research and funding are critical, something that the Magana family knows all too well.

So, for the third year, the Hazen coach organized Taking Down Pancreatic Cancer, a special opportunity to raise funds and increase awareness of the disease at a Jan. 11 Hazen wrestling match. Rory’s alma mater, Oak Harbor High School, as well as Lynwood and Highline high schools participated in the match.

This year’s event netted about $1,500 for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network through the sale of T-shirts, raffles and a bake sale.

Taking Down Pancreatic Cancer has become a family affair for the Maganas, with Rory’s mother, brother and wife all on hand to honor Rodney’s memory.

“We are very proud of this event,” Rory’s mother, Susie Magana said. “Rodney would be so proud. I’m sure he looks down on us every time we do this.”

While Rory’s father never wrestled in high school, he was always a fan of the sport, especially when his sons began competing. When Rodney was diagnosed in 2010, Rory nearly gave up coaching to go home and help out, but his father wouldn’t have it, and encouraged his son to continue coaching the sport he loved.

“The first year we had the event was the year that my dad was sick, so he sat on the sideline with us and he got to sit in the good seats with us, so you know, it’s kind of a memorial to my dad and kind of a way to honor him,” Rory said.

The event also offered the Hazen wrestlers another opportunity to compete, and even though the results were not what they hoped, dropping matches to Oak Harbor and Lynwood. However, the chance to contribute to such a worthy cause and support their coach was important to the team, Rory said.

“They’re always pretty excited to wrestle for a good cause and this year was no different,” Rory said. “I think a lot of them feel honored to participate in such a cool event.”

The Magana family hopes to expand the event in the coming years, but as it stands now, Susie Magana said she is proud of the initiative that her son has taken to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer.

“This is Rory’s way of making it better for what we went through, and hoping that somebody else has a better chance than we had,” she said.

On the web

Learn more about pancreatic cancer at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s website, www.pancan.org.

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.

Liberty High School’s first female wrestler did not place at last year’s state competition, but as she begins her sophomore campaign, it’s clear that the determined teen expects to be back in the Tacoma Dome at the end of the season.

“They say that getting to the Tacoma Dome changes your wrestling career, and they are right,” Moreira said after a long, grueling practice at Maywood Middle School.

‘One of the guys’

It’s not easy to immediately spot Moreira at a Liberty wrestling practice. She is, after all, just another one of the guys, Liberty coach Manny Brown said.

“She’s one of the guys, in fact we don’t say ‘guys and girls’ — she’s just a wrestler and the guys accept her as a wrestler,” he said.

As the only girl on the team, Moreira must go up against guys the entire practice, which is tough on her physically, she said, but it makes her a better wrestler.

“These guys beat on me every day,” she said with a smile as she pointed toward her teammates. “They don’t hold back, and it just makes you tougher.”

The experience she gets competing against male opponents will help her when she gets the opportunity to face other females, Brown said.

“She works awfully well with the guys, and my philosophy for her is that if you can wrestle a 135-pound guy and do well, then you will do well with a 135-pound girl,” he said.

Moreira, who also plays football, said her teammates are very supportive of her, but just a few years ago, she didn’t have the confidence to try out for the team.

An encouraging brother

As a sixth-grader at Maywood, Moreira turned out for the wrestling team, but for seventh and eighth grade she decided against it.

“In seventh and eighth grade, I was kind of ashamed of it because a lot of girls didn’t do it, and so I just started doing basketball because that was the right way of doing it,” she said.

As a kid, people would tease her about her passion for seemingly male-dominated sports, forcing Moreira to shy away from the things she loved to do.

“People would call me Jomanna, just to tease me about it, but now it’s just a joke to me, and people will joke about it, but they know that I’m good at what I do,” she said. “At the time, though, it kind of affected me. I didn’t like being called that and that’s why I quit for a while, because I was ashamed of it.”

When she entered high school, her older brother Tulio encouraged her to try out for the wrestling team, and disregard what others thought about it.

“My brother kind of changed my thought about it and said, ‘Who cares what people think? By the end of high school, you are not going to see these people,’ so I turned out,” she said.

‘Place myself on a banner’

Now that Moreira has made history as the school’s first female wrestler, she wants to do it again by becoming the school’s first female wrestler to win state.

“My goal is, by the end of my four seasons, I want to place in state,” she said. “There are not too many state banners, so I kind of want to place myself on a banner.”

Moreira will tell anyone that wrestling is by no means easy — just take a look at the bruises and pains she accumulates throughout the season.

“The first week of practice it’s all about aches,” she said. “Walking up stairs is the worst, and a lot of bruises.”

Yet, she continues to eagerly compete in the sport that she loves.

There are a lot of things that people can learn from Moreira’s drive and perseverance, Brown said.

“If you set your mind to something, don’t let anybody get in your way,” he said. “You know she could’ve just as easily said, ‘I’m not going to do this because I’m the only girl.’ But, you know, she brings a little extra to our team and that is really helpful.”

Both Moreira and her coach have high expectations for her performance this year. The goal is to have Moreira place in the state competition this year, not just qualify. Brown said he believes she can do it.

“She’s proven herself and she went to state last year,” Brown said. “She’s just a natural athlete and she’s pretty good.”

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.

Hazen’s only loss came to Kentlake in the first round of the tournament. At the end of the match, Kentlake and Hazen were tied, 39-39, but the Falcons were awarded one team point after successfully meeting the eighth tiebreaker criteria. The Falcons won the match because they had scored first in more matches than Hazen.

While it was a heart-breaking defeat, the Highlanders went on to finish the day without another loss.

Derek Nichols and Zach Moore went 4-0, posting outstanding performances for the Highlanders.

In addition, Hazen wrestlers Jimmy Huyhn, Cole Thatcher and Erik Johannessen each earned their first varsity wins, while transfer Malik Haythorne had a huge comeback victory in overtime to seal the team win against Redmond.