Mat Classic XXXVII: Tahoma three-peats 4A title, crowns three champions
They call Owen Marshall “The Mule.”
The nickname was born when he was just eight years old. When Marshall first proved stubborn, his father coined it. Tahoma head coach Chris Feist kept it going. Teammates now call him “The Mule,” too.
“Stubborn son of a gun,” Feist smiled.
In a good way?
“In a crack-your-neck and cash-a-check way.”
Marshall isn’t the loud, boisterous personality for Tahoma’s dynasty. He’d rather block out the noise than create more, regularly seen in over-ear headphones during warmups. It’s an all-business persona, through and through.
Feist knows that isn’t always the case. He had just seen Marshall’s other side Friday morning, when the Bears waited for offsite weigh-ins near a Tacoma park. Nearly two dozen Bears enjoyed a game of tag. Others found the swing set.
“Watch (Owen) play tag on a playground and go down a slide,” Feist said. “He smiles like a six-year-old boy. You’ve got to catch him in the right arena, in the right area.
“He is very stoic. He’s very serious about this sport that he loves, and he has an uncanny ability to lock in and focus. It’s one of his superpowers.”
The two-time TNT Untouchables selection is now a two-time state champion. Marshall pinned Eisenhower’s Jarek Dobbie in the first period (TF 15-4, 1:50) of Friday’s 4A Boys 132 championship at Mat Classic XXXVII, a dominant showing that featured five takedowns in less than two minutes. The state’s top-ranked 132-pounder wanted to pin his way through this week’s bracket at the Tacoma Dome. Technical falls included, he did.
“I think having the confidence, that mindset is a big part that goes into the match,” Marshall said. “I try to stay confident and think that I’m going to get it done, and it translates.”
Marshall was one of Tahoma’s five individual finalists, a school record. They won their third 4A team title in a row and set a new 4A meet record with 283.5 points.
Feist grabbed his cell phone and proudly displayed a picture of finalist badges dangling from his arms.
“You need two hands to hold ‘em,” he told reporters. “I’m just saying.”
Tahoma captured three individual titles to pair with its three-peat: Bears sophomore Brycen Dawley’s last-minute takedown delivered his first title from the 4A 126 bracket, a 7-5 comeback win over Gonzaga Prep’s Ryder Owen. Tahoma’s Isac Deonigi was the school’s third champion with a thrilling, 8-7 decision over Battle Ground’s Andrew Gray from the 4A 157.
SUMNER’S McCLEERY, BONNEY LAKE’S WEST UNDEFEATED
Saige McCleery wasn’t sweating Friday’s 4A Girls 140 championship even if a perfect season could’ve slipped away. Hours before her title match, the Sumner junior insisted losing isn’t the end of the world.
“It builds character,” McCleery told The News Tribune, moments after handling Mariner’s Jannethzy Cortes-Hernandez (TF 18-0, 4:55) in the semifinals. “I’ve only lost four matches my freshman year, one last year, and it just made me a better person. I learned from my mistakes.”
She doesn’t have to worry about that possibility, now with the gold medal around her neck.
McCleery (40-0) defeated Kentwood’s Yula Vi via 3-1 decision for Friday’s 4A 140 title, cementing perfection. She’s the first two-time Mat Classic girls champion in Spartans history.
Bonney Lake sophomore Winter West (49-0) cruised to perfection from the 4A Girls 120 bracket, defeating Union’s Kiana Kitaura via 8-0 major decision for her second state title. West did not surrender a takedown this season and improved her career record to 92-1.
“It’s just my dream to be a state champ,” West said before realizing that dream for a second time. “Last year, I did one (move) on top. Arm bars were really it. This year, I’ve really tried to expand (that).”
TEAM CHAMPIONS
4A BOYS — Tahoma (283.5)
4A GIRLS — Lake Stevens (166)
3A BOYS — Hermiston (280.5)
3A GIRLS — Kelso (266.5)
ORTING PRIMED FOR 2A FIVE-PEAT
A quick glance around the South Sound’s preps landscape suggests few things are as inevitable as Orting’s wrestling dynasty. The four-time defending Mat Classic champions sent a staggering 14 wrestlers through to Saturday’s quarterfinals, well on their way to a fifth straight 2A team title at the Tacoma Dome.
“They’re focused on No. 7 right now,” head coach Jody Coleman said.
What? Seven straight 2A titles?
“They know they’ve got to get through five to get to six. That’s kind of the younger kids’ goal. They just chatter about it.”
It’s a telling account of Orting’s confidence, and for good reason, considering the Cardinals have dominated Mat Classic longer than its roster has been alive. They’ve notched top-three finishes at each state tournament since 2005, supported by a sea of red in the Tacoma Dome’s bleachers on Championship Saturday. Expect a similar crowd this weekend.
“I think they just expect (to win),” Coleman said. “It’s what they do.”
Orting holds a commanding team lead (125.5) over second-place Toppenish (69.5) and third-place Othello (63.5) entering Saturday, where 14 Cardinals are three wins away from individual state titles. They are:
106 — Declan Rickel
113 — Nery Rivas
120 — Arcadius Cruz
126 — Trevor Anderson, Kaden Harding
132 — Charles Fritz
138 — Dominic Thomas
144 — Ty Satiacum Jr.
150 — Dakota Anderson, Laithan Lawson
165 — Jordon Larson, Michael Fritz
175 — Amos Voss
215 — Jaxon Satiacum
This story was originally published February 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
