Quartet of grapplers advance to the Mat Classic

Interlake's Beau Wiebe and Bellevue's Zach England earn seventh place in their respective weight classes at the Mat Classic

By Shaun Scott • February 25, 2016 3:31 pm
Interlake Saints sophomore Beau Wiebe looks at the clock during his first match of the Mat Classic against Shorewood’s Rhaye Samson in the 106-pound weight class.
Interlake Saints sophomore Beau Wiebe looks at the clock during his first match of the Mat Classic against Shorewood’s Rhaye Samson in the 106-pound weight class.

A quartet of Bellevue area grapplers competed at the Mat Classic wrestling state tournament on Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.

Bellevue Wolverines 195-pounder Zach England and Interlake 106-pounder Beau Wiebe captured seventh place in their respective weight classes in the Class 3A tournament. England defeated Rogers (Spokane) wrestler Reed Johnson 9-2 in the seventh place/eighth place match and Wiebe conquered Auburn Riverside’s Yusef Nelson 7-4 in the seventh place/eighth place match. Wiebe, who was eliminated from regionals last season, was thrilled to make it to the Mat Classic.

“I’m really happy to be here. Last year I didn’t even come close to getting here. I didn’t even make it to the second day of regionals,” Wiebe said.

Interlake head coach Dave Unwin said Wiebe added 12 pounds of muscle to his frame from his freshman to sophomore season. The added weight made all the difference.

“He is just a leader in the practice room. He works super hard and practices and runs on the weekends,” Unwin said of Wiebe. “Beau does everything you’re supposed to do and pushes the guys in the mat room. He has got everything he has deserved by his hard work and effort.”

England, who was one of just four wrestlers who turned out for the Bellevue wrestling team during the 2015-16 season, was proud to reach the pinnacle of high school wrestling as a junior.

“I was an alternate last year but this year I made it. I was pumped,” England said. “When I was warming up (before his first match) I was just ready to go. It is pretty cool that we only have four kids on our team and two of them made it to state. Having a 50 percent success rate of going to state is great. It felt good to represent our school.”

Bellevue 152-pounder Nathan Smith went 1-2 in the Class 3A tournament. Smith defeated Chief Sealth’s Hameed Maktoof 6-3 in his opening match of the tourney. Bellevue Christian 195-pound junior Christian Miller went 1-2 in the Class 1A tournament. Miller pinned Zillah’s Brendan Rubalcaba in the second round of his first match.