Lincoln’s Navarre Dixon, following his brother’s footsteps, reaches Mat Classic semifinals

Navarre Dixon watched his older brother reach the top of the podium at the Tacoma Dome twice.

First when J.J. Dixon was a junior at Lincoln High School in 2017, and won his first Class 3A state wrestling title at 182 pounds. Then again in 2018, when J.J. wrapped up an undefeated senior season by topping the state bracket at 195 to become the first Abes wrestler to win back-to-back championships since K.C. Walsh back in 2000 and 2001.

The younger Dixon remembers watching each intense moment of his brother’s title runs unfold.

“It made me a little bit nervous when I was young, but also very inspiring that somebody I’m with every day, all the time can do this,” Navarre said. “It showed me I can do this, for sure.”

Now, it’s his turn.

Navarre, now a sophomore in Lincoln’s program, is in position to chase his own championship this weekend at Mat Classic XXXIII.

“I love it,” he said of the atmosphere during Friday’s opening rounds. “It’s fun. The culture. Everybody. The lights. Everything. I love it. I’ve been waiting. … I’ve been working in the lab. Double time. Overtime.”

Navarre wrestled for Lincoln last spring as a freshman, but there was no state event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The wait, though, is now over, and the relentless work he put in with the Abes these past two seasons to reach the Tacoma Dome have him through to Saturday’s semifinals in the 3A 182-pound bracket.

“He started out great, and his expectations are just climbing,” Lincoln coach Willie Ross said. “Every practice he’s getting better. Every moment he’s on the mat he’s working to get better.”

Navarre entered the week as the top-ranked wrestler at the weight by Washington Wrestling Report after compiling a 28-1 record this season.

As a top seed, he earned a first-round bye Friday morning, and went on to pin both of his opponents in the afternoon to remain in position to contend for a title.

In his first match, he pinned University’s Nicholas Alexander in the first period at the 1:08 mark.

“First match I came in, heavy hands, just focused on dominating, scoring the most points,” he said. “That’s it. Scoring, scoring, scoring. Working my positions. Just coming out here and trying to have fun with it at this point.”

Later in the afternoon, Navarre built a commanding lead against Cheney’s Ezra Anderson in the quarterfinals before eventually pinning him in the second period at 3:13.

“I just told myself, I’m going to come out here, I’m going to wrestle hard, I’m going to wrestle from where I need to be, and I’ll win, I’ll get the results I want,” he said.

The results have certainly been impressive thus far, and Navarre has had a former Lincoln state champion cheering him on along the way in his older brother.

“I love my big brother,” he said. “He’s my best friend, my No. 1 role model for sure. It’s great. I love it. I’m so glad he could make it.”

J.J., who now wrestles at Oregon State, has been at the corner of the mat during Navarre’s matches this weekend, helping coach his younger brother on in a familiar setting.

“Constant hours of work and work and work is finally paying off,” J.J. said. “I’ve got to pay tribute to his coaches. His coaches are doing everything right. I feel very blessed that everything is coming into fruition.”

J.J. said he gets “more excited about his matches than mine” watching Navarre continue the Lincoln wrestling tradition at the Tacoma Dome.

“It means everything to me,” J.J. said. “I genuinely want him to be way better than I am. So, to see him going out there and dominating as a sophomore — because I won as a junior and a senior — it’s big for me. That’s huge. It puts a smile on my face.”

Navarre meets Hermiston’s Jaxson Gribskov in the semifinals Saturday. Following a first-round bye, Gribskov won his first two matches Friday by decision.

ON TO THE SEMIS

Wrestlers representing 29 schools from the South Sound have advanced to Saturday’s semifinals.

4A — Joe Sullivan, Tahoma, soph. (106); Elias McDonald, Sumner, soph. (106); Nathaniel Cortez, Graham-Kapowsin, sr. (120); Stone Hartford, South Kitsap, soph. (120); Mitchell Neiner, South Kitsap, jr. (126); Kai Calhoun, Graham-Kapowsin, jr. (132); Collin Jack, Decatur, sr. (138); Cody Miller, Sumner, soph. (152); Devan Carter, Bethel, soph. (152); Mathias Collins, Kennedy Catholic, jr. (152); Mateo De La Pena, Kennedy Catholic, sr. (160); Christopher Neal, Tahoma, jr. (170); Terry Smith, Curtis, sr. (170); Phillip Chobot, South Kitsap, jr. (182); Michael Ager, Rogers, sr. (182); Jose Flores, Kennedy Catholic, sr. (195); Johnathan Gressett, Curtis, jr. (220); Zhumali Chakhalov, Kentwood, sr. (285); Hunter Hill, Graham-Kapowsin, sr. (285).

3A — Alexander Richardson, Lincoln, fr. (106); Kadyn Hagerty, Capital, fr. (106); Samuel Aiken, Silas, soph. (113); Jeffery Myers, Yelm, sr. (120); Elijah Cater, Silas, jr. (120); Emanuel Cater, Silas, fr. (126); Cole Cross, Auburn Riverside, sr. (138); Julian Clemans, Todd Beamer, sr. (160); Ezekiel McEwen, Capital, soph. (170); Navarre Dixon, Lincoln, soph. (182); Logan Platt, Yelm, sr. (195); Marcellus Belton, North Thurston, jr. (220); Brayden Platt, Yelm, soph. (285); Burak Bowers, Bonney Lake, soph. (285); Nathan Pritchard, Auburn Riverside, jr. (285).

2A — Alan Salguero Jr., Orting, fr. (106); Quentin Harding, Orting, fr. (113); Mikey Johnston, Black Hills, sr. (113); Apollo Cruz, Orting, soph. (120); Bryan Dickerson, Orting, soph. (126); Cade Carter, Enumclaw, sr. (132); Owen Cline, Orting, sr. (138); Destin Haroldson, Fife, sr. (138); Caleb Dale, White River, fr. (145); Westin Triplett, Enumclaw, jr. (160); Vincent Parry, Steilacoom, sr. (160); Ryan Mackiewicz, Shelton, sr. (170); Dalton Reed, Orting, jr. (182); Elliot Carlsson, Steilacoom, sr. (195); Logan Lisherness, White River, jr. (285).

1A — Kasey Whitney, Eatonville, soph. (113); Austin Frink, Eatonville, sr. (120); Colin McIntyre, Vashon Island, soph. (132); Ty Whitney, Eatonville, sr. (132); Kaden Olsen, Eatonville, sr. (160); Hunter Sonnenberg, Eatonville, jr. (182).

Girls — Zeta Lee, Mount Tahoma, soph. (110); Brooklyn Jones, Orting, soph. (115); Madisyn Erickson, Yelm, soph. (115); Sierra Wangen, Curtis, soph. (120); Anna Dicugno, White River, jr. (120); Shelby Moore, White River, jr. (130); Nicole Poussier, White River, jr. (135); Eleana Ganitano, Bethel, jr. (140); Monica Kaiser, South Kitsap, jr. (140); Clarissa Wangen, Curtis, soph. (145); Kylynn Wright, Steilacoom, sr. (145); Camryn Erickson, Yelm, jr. (155); Jalia Williams, White River, sr. (170); Shaolynn Tali, Washington, sr. (235).

This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 9:07 PM.