POSTED: Saturday, Feb. 06, 2010

PREP GIRLS' WRESTLING: Mount Baker wins three titles at Sub-Regional

BELLINGHAM - Mount Baker's Shanli Dillard knows it sounds cliché, but she really does prefer to take her wrestling matches one at a time and stay away from thinking about what the future might hold.

Not to look into the crystal ball, but if she keeps wrestling the way she has been lately there might be a top state finish waiting for her at the end of the season.

Dillard picked up a 16-0 technical fall win over Burlington-Edison's Niki Stillwell to take a Sub Regional title at 130 pounds on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the girls' tournament at Squalicum High School.

"I went in thinking what ever happens, happens," Dillard said. "It was good."

Dillard was one of three Mountaineers to take titles at the tournament. She was joined by teammates Katie Weide (152) and Jessica Taranenko (171).

Mount Baker finished third in the team standings with 155.5 points. Sedro-Woolley was first with 309 and Burlington-Edison was second at 264. Lynden was fourth at 58 points.

The top four finishers in each weight class advance to the girls' Region One Tournament at Sedro-Woolley on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Mount Baker sent six girls to the championship round at the Sub-Regional and could get stronger as the postseason goes on.

"I was pleased with how the girls did," Mount Baker coach Ron Lepper said. "We were third by a ways, but we have some quality girls. We had three champions and six in the finals. As the tournaments get bigger our girls will do better."

As it stands the girls' wrestlers from the area did very well on Saturday. Lynden's Elena Gallegos (103) finished second as did Mount Baker's Ella Salkeld (112), Roxanne Rosas (119) and Raney Lepper (140).

"We'll probably take our lumps and we might not score high overall next week, but I think we could do well at state," Lepper said. "If our girls stay healthy, state wise, I think we have a chance to finish in the top 10 and maybe even higher."

Girls' wrestling Sub-Regional Tournament

Feb. 6 at Squalicum High School

Team Results

1. Sedro-Woolley 309; 2. Burlington-Edison 264; 3. Mount Baker 155.5; 4. Lynden 58; 5. Mount Vernon 24; 6. Squalicum 21; 7. Oak Harbor 17.5; 8. Anacortes 16; 9. LaConner 12; 10. Friday Harbor 3.

Championships

103: Taylor Graham (BE) dec. Elena Gallegos (Lyn) 14-11. 112: Andrea Iverson (SW) p. Ella Salkeld (MB). 119: Ricarda Garcia (MV) p. Roxanne Rosas (MB) . 125: Jalysse Garcia (SW) forfeit Jessie Kaech (SW). 130: Shanli Dillard (MB) tech. fall Niki Stillwell (BE) 16-0. 135: Haylee Rabenstein (SW) forfeit Katie Allen (SW). 140: Sarah Moquin (SW) p. Raney Lepper (MB).145: Alysia Pohren (SW) p. Marree Reed (SW) 152: Katie Weide (MB) p. Jennifer Fremd (OH). 160: Jessica O'dell (BE) p. Julia Gonzalez. 171: Jessica Taranenko (MB) p. Alysha Gash (BE). 285: Emily Holboy (BE) p. Makenzi Clark (SW).

Third place

103: Emily Iverson (SW) p. Dani Mata (MB). 112: Justine Allen (SW) dec. Melissa Solano (BE) 11-6. 119: Hailey Parker (SW) p. Maria Hurtado (BE) 125: Jasmin Mendoza (Lyn) dec. Kara Ebergson (SQ) 12-9. 130: Chelsea Seidel (SW) p. Katerina Long (BE). 135: Caroline Crawford (Ana) p. Kristen Annese (BE) . 140: Jamie Randall (SW) p. Catlyn Pell (BE). 145: Marissa Veliz (Lyn) dec. Brooke Cooper (BE) 152: Emma Foss (BE) p. Melissa Starheim (BE). 160: None. 171: Rachel Weide (SW) p. Brianna Ishikawa (BE). 285: Rachel Pederson (BE) inj. default Chloe Grafwallner (MB)