At the beginning of the wrestling season, Mount Baker girls' wrestler Lacy Cannon knew the Mountaineers weren't a team loaded with experience, but with the performance the Baker girls turned in Saturday - the final day of the girls' sub regional tournament - Cannon could tell how much the team has grown over a period of two months.

"I know a lot of our girls are inexperienced, but we all have been working really hard, and it's showing," said Cannon, who beat Nooksack Valley's Chloe Gardner with a 12-5 decision in the 137 pound final. "It's nice to see all of our hard work pay off."

Cannon was one of many Mount Baker wrestlers who enjoyed success Saturday, as the Mountaineers ran away with the sub regional tournament title, scoring 297 points. Burlington-Edison finished in second place with 153 points. The next NWC team with the highest finish was Lynden, which ended up in a tie for fourth with 108 points. Nooksack Valley had a strong tournament, finishing seventh with 63 points, Bellingham took eighth with 61 points, Squalicum came in ninth with 51 points, Sehome took 13th place with 20 points and Blaine finished 14th with 19 points.

While the Mountaineers enjoyed tremendous success Saturday, Mount Baker may have lost last year's lone Whatcom County state wrestling champion.

Raney Lepper sustained an injury during her 145 pound final match against Oak Harbor's Jennifer Fremd, but Mount Baker girls' coach Clyde Blockley was optimistic that Lepper would be ready for regionals.

Other area school champions were Mount Baker's Laura Torrero (100), Squalicum's Kara Ebergson (130), Mount Baker's Rachel Hollinsworth (155) and Bellingham's Susie Molioo (265).