The Cashmere Bulldogs boys wrestling delivered an outstanding performance at Mat Classic XXXVII this weekend at the Tacoma Dome, finishing third in the state after a remarkable two-day showing.

It was a memorable weekend for the Bulldogs, who crowned two individual state champions, sent four wrestlers to the championship finals, and placed eight athletes on the podium.

Novak repeats as champion

Junior Jance Novak captured his second consecutive state title at 165 pounds, dominating the bracket from start to finish. Novak recorded first-round pins in his opening two matches, then overwhelmed his final two opponents with technical falls — including an impressive 20–2 victory in the championship match to seal his repeat title.

Mack Pell claims title

Junior Mack Pell (126 lbs.) completed his championship quest after finishing as a runner-up last season. Pell powered through his first two matches with technical falls to reach the semifinals, where he faced Trevor Richardson of Life Christian Academy, who entered with a 38–4 record.

Pell staged one of the tournament’s most memorable comebacks, rallying from a 11–1 first-period deficit to earn a 20–12 victory and punch his ticket to the finals. In the championship match, Pell defeated Michael Bustos of Wapato High School by a 6–1 decision to secure the state title.

Two more finalists

Junior Marshall Pell finished as runner-up at 132 pounds. He reached the finals with a 15–10 semifinal victory before facing Xavier Espinoza of Elma High School. In a dramatic finish, Pell appeared to score a match-winning reversal in the final seconds, but the points were not awarded, and he fell by a single point in a heartbreaking final.

Junior Ulysses Betancourt also reached the championship match at 285 pounds, where he battled Jake Turner of Zillah High School. In a tightly contested match, Turner pulled ahead in the final minute for a 7–3 decision.

Podium finishes add to team total

At 190 pounds, teammates Grey Jacobson and Jacoby Tait both reached the semifinals before meeting for the second straight weekend.  This time they wrestled for 3rd and 4th place in the state tournament.  Jacobson secured third with a second-round pin, while Tait finished fourth.

Freshman Kolton Weeks capped an impressive debut season by placing sixth at 144 pounds after winning four matches in the tournament.

Junior Zennon Cortes also placed sixth at 175 pounds, showing grit with narrow victories of 6–5 and 4–2 on Saturday to earn his podium finish.

Strong efforts across the lineup

Tony Rodriguez (106) and Logan Lindsay (144) each recorded two wins during the tournament.
Competing in their first Mat Classic appearances were Zavien Eaves (126), Kaiden Huber (138), and Andrew Ratliff (157).

Team race

Wapato captured the state team championship for the second straight year with 263.5 points, placing 10 wrestlers despite not crowning an individual champion. Zillah finished second with 205 points, while Cashmere claimed third with 196. Notably, all three top teams represent the South Central Athletic Conference.

The Bulldogs closed the season with one of the most successful state tournament performances in decades for the program — highlighted by champions, finalists, and a deep lineup of placers.

Congratulations to the Cashmere boys wrestling team on an outstanding season.