This year’s wrestling team took fourth place in the 4A, with a total of 121.5 points. Looking into state, coach Burnham states “knowing it’s the last time some of the seniors will wrestle for Tahoma was something that moved me.” 

Speaking of the seniors, a moving moment for Burnham was with Cyrus Comia. “Watching Cyrus come back and pin a state champion and take third place.” State did not come easily for our bears, they worked hard and persevered through everything. On the wrestling website it states, “We choose the Tahoma way as a lifestyle not because it is easy but because it is difficult.” keep working 

The Tahoma wrestling coaches were thrilled to see this hard work pay off while viewing there athletes compete at state. “I enjoyed watching the hard work pay off.” states Burnham. 

The seniors who went to state were Nathan Curry (2nd place), Cooper Lambro (State participant), Baylor Black (8th place), Wyatt Laukala (State alternate), Tommy Nunez (State participant), Chris Neal (2nd place). Something that was interesting to see this season was to see how many wrestlers qualified for state. 

“More than half the team qualified for state and doubled state placer this year.” states Burnham. This was an excitement not only for the wrestlers for the coaches as well. “Pride, how exciting it was to see the improvement of our athletes from day one to state , feeling prideful.” Coach Gage Dress states. 

One of the biggest awards they took home was not only placing on the podium but their improved abilities not only as a wrestler but as a person. Something that makes makes our coaches feel proud of was, “Watching our athletes win and lose with class.” Dress explains. The wrestlers are not just taught how to wrestle but are also taught many important ethics in their life. 

This team has core values and believes that hard work is a necessity to achieve where they are placed. “I believed that we finished the season where we deserved to finish on the podium.” says Dress. The Tahoma Wrestling team worked hard for their place on the podium and came back home feeling, “Content”. Looking at the Tahoma wrestling website they state “Achieve growth through commitment to individual and team excellence. Much like life beyond athletic competition.”

This presents that Our wrestling program does not only teach Bears how to wrestle but also presents the importance of developing lessons and skills for life. It teaches them how to overcome life’s obstacles. “Winning matches is not the primary goal of this program.”  states the Tahoma wrestling website.

This is a unique thing for a sports team to state but shows how a sport is what brings them together. It’s key ideas that these teenagers are taught and then bring into their own lives. Tahoma’s schools wrestling team is filled with hard working and dedicated athletes who have core values. This team does not only consider themselves friends but family as well, keeping a close bond is important to them as well as hard work.