Siblings, a seasoned state competitor, a returner and two newcomers round out Sequim’s squad for the State Mat Classic tournament in the Tacoma Dome.

After strong regional performances on Feb. 11, four boys and two girls plus one alternate, qualified, some in convincing fashion, for the annual event slated for Feb. 17-18.

Sequim’s Adrian Klarich took the top seed in the 182-pound bracket at the bpys’ regional tournament in Blaine, while teammates Grant Pierson, 160 pounds, and Austin Budd, 170, took second place and Dylan Perreira took fourth at 195 pounds. Mason Larsen, at 285 pounds, is Sequim’s lone alternate after a fifth-place finish. This is Klarich’s second time at state after going 0-2 in 2016 and the other boys’ first trip.

For the girls, both Kiara Pierson, 120 pounds, and Alma Mendoza, 155, return to state placing second and fifth respectively at the girls’ regional tournament in Federal Way.

Four boys state-bound

As a team, the boys finished fifth in Blaine with 87.5 points while Port Angeles took fourth with 111 points.

Sequim coach Bill Schroepfer said everything Klarich did for first place was perfect especially in his finals match.

“He wanted first,” Schroepfer said. “When you get to the finals match you expect those two-, three-point matches but he teched the kid. He’s not a nobody either.”

Klarich opened the tournament with a pin followed by a 6-0 win and ended it with a 20-4 tech fall over Riley Swartz of Sedro-Woolley in the championship.

For Grant Pierson, he saw a rematch with Olympic’s Logan Madison in the championships after an 8-1 loss to him in sub-regionals.

Schroepfer said Pierson got a takedown in the third period to force overtime but Madison got a takedown for the win.

“I think we can beat him and we’re going to prove it this weekend,” Schroepfer said.

Pierson won his first two matches 11-1 and 8-2 at regionals.

Budd took second after winning his first two matches 11-8 and 7-4 and losing in the finals 9-0 to Riley Fritsch of Blaine.

“(Budd) is taking people by surprise,” Schroepfer said. “I think he (and the other wrestlers) have a good chance to wrestle on Saturday and place.”

Sequim’s Perreira, who wrestled up a weight class all season, opened regionals with a 2-0 win at 195 pounds before losing by pin to eventual champion Brody Weinheimer of Lynden. In the consolation, Perreira won a match 10-4 but lost by pin to Brendan Nguyen of liberty for third place.

Larsen, a first-year high school wrestler, started late in the season, Schroepfer said, and has a strong work ethic. He opened with a loss by pin to second-place finisher Sven Lukner of Sedro-Woolley but in the consolation he opened with a pin, lost his next match and won fifth place by injury default.

Sequim’s Ben Newell, 132 pounds, and McKenzie Stockdale, 220, both finished sixth with Stockdale winning his first match by pin but he was injured and couldn’t continue. Newell won one match 5-4 but lost the fifth/sixth place matchup 8-1 to Josh Bayne of Kingston.

At 138 pounds, Chris Puksta went 0-2 for the Wolves.

Two girls return to Mat Classic

In Federal Way, the Lady Wolves’ four wrestlers scored 40 points to tie North Kitsap for 16th place.

Kiara Pierson came up the tough side of the 120-pound bracket, Schroepfer said, and faced a few ranked opponents. She opened with a pin in 3:34 followed by a 9-0 win and a 3-2 overtime win over Payton Stroud of White River who is ranked fourth in state at 120 pounds by Washington Wrestling Report. In the championships, she lost 1-0 to second-ranked Brooklyn Bartelson of Puyallup.

Schroepfer said Bartelson got an escape for the match’s lone point but Pierson can claim she’s the only person Bartleson hasn’t pinned in the postseason so far.

Mendoza, 155 pounds, opened with a 1:13 pin but lost to second-place finisher Giulliana Pepe of Mount Rainier to move to the consolation bracket. There she won with pins in 51 seconds and 1:31 before losing 5-2 to fourth-ranked wrestler Raven Svenson of Hazen. For the final spot to state, Mendoza pinned Taylor Adriance of Rogers in 2:22.

Other Sequim wrestlers Aylee Bennett went 1-2 with a 7-6 win over Alexandria Sanford of Kentwood in the 140-pound bracket and Madison Uranga went 0-2 at 190 pounds.

New goals

Leading up to the state tournament, Schroepfer said the wrestlers will need to mentally prepare and not overlook any matches.

“At this point, it’s all about mindset,” he said. “How are you going to go into emotionally? They’re all great wrestlers (at state). Anything can happen.”

For first-timers like Perreira, he said, they set their biggest goal early on to make the tournament and now Perreira and others need to set more.

Last year, Kiara Pierson placed fourth at state in the 110-pound bracket and eighth the year before while Mendoza took seventh in back-to-back seasons.

Pierson opens the tournament Friday against Alexis Mendoza of Warden and Sequim’s Alma Mendoza opens against Natalie Hall of Pasco, ranked third in state.

Klarich, ranked seventh in state, opens against Darius Gilcrist of Orting, ranked eighth, while Grant Pierson opens against EJ Matagi of W.F. West in Chehalis, Budd opens against Tobias Brown of Steilacoom and Perreira opens against Reyne Mack of Mountlake Terrace.

Sequim’s Adrian Klarich pins his Port Angeles opponent at the Battle for the Axe in January and took first place at 182 pounds at the regional tournament to earn a top seed for the Mat Classic state tournament on Feb. 17-18. Sequim Gazette file photo by Matthew Nash

Austin Budd takes down a North Mason wrestler in January and this weekend he competes for the first time at the 2A state tournament after taking second place at 170 pounds at the regional tournament. Sequim Gazette file photo by Matthew Nash