The News Tribune’s 2025 Untouchables — the state’s most unbeatable high school wrestlers
Some wrestlers are good, others are great. Then there are the “Untouchables.”
They are the most unbeatable high school wrestlers from around the state, which The News Tribune has published annually before the state wrestling championships for more than 30 years running.
This year’s class includes 12 wrestlers. Four representatives can win a fourth individual state title at Mat Classic XXXVI this weekend, and four more are chasing a third championship at the Tacoma Dome.
TREVOR ANDERSON (120)
Orting (2A), sophomore, 31-0
Orting’s wrestling pipeline has produced another star: Trevor “TJ” Anderson’s strength and selectivity propelled the sophomore standout to a 31-0 record in 2024-25 with first-place finishes at the Tri-State Meet (Idaho) and Flowing Wells Invitational (Arizona). Anderson hasn’t lost since last year’s Mat Classic XXXV semifinals and can claim his first state title (2A 120) this weekend. “TJ’s just always pushing forward, and he’s always got a good hand position,” Orting head coach Jody Coleman said. “He’s putting himself in places where he’s in a good position and his opponents are in a bad position, and they’re always trying to react (to) his pressure.” 2A SPSL Wrestler of the Year cruised through the 2A District 3 bracket via falls. “He’s just so strong,” Coleman said. “But on his feet, he’s being real selective.” Anderson defeated seven state champions throughout the untouchable 2024-25 run. “Even in Arizona, over in Idaho,” Coleman said. “Whoever we could put in front of him, he’s beaten.”
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BRYCEN DAWLEY (113)
Tahoma (4A), freshman, 27-0
Dawley might be a freshman, but he’s logged thousands of hours on the mats over the course of his childhood, traveling around the country competing in youth wrestling tournaments. And that mat time has paid dividends. “He’s very comfortable, very relaxed on the mat,” said Tahoma assistant Boomer Burnham. “He just keeps wrestling until he wins.” Dawley’s mission is to get his opponents to the mat as quickly as possible. His style is a little funky, too. “He’s happy to take things to awkward places,” Burnham said. “Once he gets (to the mat), he just out-wrestles everyone. He’s good on his feet, but he’s really good on the mat. He likes dragging people into deep water and seeing what he gets. They don’t want to be there very long.” Tri-State champion, Edmonds Invite champion, The Clash (Minnesota) XXII champion.
TRE HAINES (157)
Arlington (4A), junior, 45-0
The Eagles are sending a school-record 14 wrestlers to Mat Classic XXXVI this weekend, but none are as feared as junior Tre Haines, who could exit the Tacoma Dome on Friday night with his third state title in as many years. Always multiple moves ahead of opponents, the 157-pounder remains undefeated (45-0) in 2024-25 with victories at the HammerHead Invitational, Gut Check and 4A District 1 Championships earlier this month. “His wrestling IQ… you can just see it,” Eagles coach Jonny Gilbertson told The News Tribune. “His mind’s turning as he’s looking for takedown opportunities. Really light and fast on his feet, very quick and has really good mat awareness.” Haines’ two state titles are already a school record, now 133-10 in three seasons with the Eagles. An illustrious career at Arlington began when a freshman Haines knocked off 2023 TNT Untouchables pick Ethan Freund (Kelso) in the 4A 138 semifinals at Mat Classic XXXIV — now he’s on the list, too. “He inspires (teammates) with the way that he competes, the way that he carries himself,” Gilbertson said. “He’s fun to hang around, joke around with… and when the team needs a tone setter, he sets a tone.”
QUENTIN HARDING (157)
Orting (2A), senior, 20-0
The compound fractures of his right middle and ring fingers on Dec. 18 threatened Harding’s chance for a remarkable fourth state title at Mat Classic XXXVI this weekend — or so we thought. Orting’s leader returned in 34 days and rolled to victories at the Jaguar Invitational and 2A District 3 Championships earlier this month, still undefeated despite the setback. Still untouchable. “I think he was going to push through it, even if it would’ve been a broken arm,” Cardinals head coach Jody Coleman said. Harding dominated December’s Tri-State Meet in Idaho with a mixture of falls and technical falls and has the chance to etch his name into record books with four Mat Classic titles on Saturday night, something only 22 total wrestlers in the state’s history have completed; so can teammate Alan Salguero Jr. “(Quentin’s) got this really diverse skill set in wrestling,” Coleman said. “He’s good in all positions. I couldn’t categorize his style, because depending on the type of kid he’s wrestling, like their body type or whatever (it is)... he can change his style and still be dominant.”
OWEN MARSHALL (126)
Tahoma (4A), sophomore, 32-2
While teammate Brycen Dawley is eager to take opponents to the mat, Marshall is content being patient and methodical, biding his time and waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce. Once he does, it’s usually too late. “He’s deceivingly strong,” Tahoma assistant Boomer Burnham said. “The moment he grabs onto you, you’re in trouble. … He will just stay in really good position until he takes you down. He’s never in trouble. He’s just patient, never takes big chances, he’ll just stay in good position until something emerges that he wants or needs.” Tri-State champion also won a preseason national USA wrestling tournament in Iowa.
LAZARUS MCEWEN (106)
Capital (3A), freshman, 40-1
Opponents try to keep McEwen at arm’s length, but this talented freshman is a force of nature. So inevitable is a McEwen win, in fact, that he’s earned a nickname from coaches in the Capital wrestling room. “We call him ‘The Cloud.’ He overwhelms and slowly moves in and just handles business,” said Capital wrestling coach Jimmy Belleville. “His persistence to just keep going, he applies the pressure. … He sinks down on you. There’s nothing you can do.” Belleville was a four-time WIAA Mat Classic state champion from 2006 to 2009 at Black Hills. Barring something unforeseen this weekend, McEwen is projected to win his first as a freshman and could be on his way to joining his coach down the line. Of his 41 matches this fall, only six haven’t ended in a pin or tech fall, and of those, only two were against wrestlers in Washington. “He’s very good at technique,” Belleville said. “He can hold every position, translate it to the next move when he wants to. … He’s gonna do what Laz does. He does the same thing and you can’t stop it.” His lone loss this season came in triple overtime to the current 17U world champion from California. Rockwell Rumble (Utah), Tri-State, Gut Check, Pac Coast, Edmonds Invite champion.
ANTHONY NAVA (285)
Toppenish (2A), senior, 33-3
Toppenish head coach Pepe Segovia tells Anthony Nava with confidence: The two-time Mat Classic champion can be considered one of the top heavyweights to ever come through Toppenish. “And in Washington State,” Segovia adds. “He’s agile, quick on his feet. He can shoot. Once he gets the offense going, he’s a solid kid.” The Providence signee finished fourth at the prestigious Doc Buchanan Invitational (CA) last month and added wins at the Bob Mars Invite and Rumble in the Valley, now searching for a state-title three-peat. “He’s just hard to beat, all around,” Segovia said. “On his feet, on top. When he’s down... he’s quick to get off the whistle and get up and hit his escape and then counter again.”
CZAR QUINTANILLA (126)
University (3A), junior, 36-7
Quintanilla, the youngest of four brothers, comes from one of Spokane’s most storied wrestling families. That has meant plenty of mat time and experience. “The amount of time he puts into the sport is significant,” said University coach Ryan Montang. “He’s not afraid to find some of the best competition in the country.” A master of chain wrestling, Quintanilla is usually one, two or three steps ahead of his opponents. “His offense is next level,” Montang said. “It’s pretty amazing. He’s super fast. He’s gotten stronger, too. … He will put multiple things together and keep coming at you. When he does that, he’s dangerous.” Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic winner won the Spokane Open, took third at Tri-State and second at the Sierra Nevada Classic. Two-time Mat Classic champion.
LIBBY ROBERTS (110)
University (3A), senior, 23-1
When it’s all said and done, Roberts should be considered one of the best girls wrestlers to ever compete in the Evergreen State. “If not the best, if you stack everything up,” said University coach Ryan Montang. “She’s in the conversation. I don’t know how many match points she’s given up against girls in Washington, but I might be able to count it on one hand.” Roberts has dominated girls and has beat plenty of boys over her storied career, possessing a nastiness that has made her a household name in the girls wrestling world. “Every wrestler wants to have courage, to be mentally tough,” Montang said. “It almost comes naturally to her. She’s one hell of a competitor.” Her lone loss this season came in Reno, which she was winning soundly 30 seconds into the match before being disqualified for an illegal slam. Ironman champion and Braided 64 champion is a three-time Mat Classic state champion and will be going for a perfect career sweep this weekend in Tacoma. “I expect to see some dominance, like we usually see,” Montang said. “She’s excited to compete. She’s gonna let it fly.”
ALAN SALGUERO JR. (138)
Orting (2A), senior, 37-5
Only 18 wrestlers in state history have captured four individual boys titles at the WIAA’s Mat Classic, but Orting’s Alan “AJ” Salguero Jr. can join that coveted group with another championship this weekend at the Tacoma Dome. The three-time state champion’s style meshes with a judo background, a recipe for exciting throws if Salguero Jr. catches an opponent off-guard. “He’s really fun to watch,” Orting coach Jody Coleman said. “AJ anticipates really well. I always say it’s like a dance, and he’s making his opponent step where he wants, and then shooting at the same time. He (wrestles) faster than he really is.” Senior won the Tri-State Meet (ID), 2024 Edmonds Invite, and 2025 Jaguar Invitational at Emerald Ridge High School before claiming the district title on Feb. 8.
FAITH TARRANT (235)
Prairie (3A), senior, 27-0
How dominant has Tarrant been over the course of her high school career? Consider that she passed the 100-pin mark this winter. With a 109-3 career record, we’ll do the math for you: that’s a pin in nearly every single match Tarrant has wrestled in. “She’s just determined,” Prairie coach Rob Smith said. “She wants to pin everybody. She works her technique to make sure she’s skilled at different areas of wrestling.” A patient, intentional wrestler, Tarrant rarely finds herself in an unfavorable position. “She doesn’t get in a hurry,” Montang said. “She looks for opportunities, takes advantage of opponents’ mistakes. She wants to get them in positions they don’t want to be in.” All 27 of her wins this season have come by pin. Also the school’s ASB president. Gut Check, Pac Coast champion and three-time Mat Classic state champion.
JUSTYCE ZUNIGA (138)
Toppenish (2A), junior, 37-4
Zuniga’s “all gas, no brakes” wrestling philosophy inspired by Toppenish grad and three-time Mat Classic champion Marcos Torrez sets the pace before a quick takedown most opponents don’t see coming. “The next thing you know, he’s in on this shot, and the kids are on their stomach getting taken down by Justyce wondering what the heck just happened,” Toppenish head coach Pepe Segovia told The News Tribune. “Their face says it all.” Twenty-six of Zuniga’s 37 wins this year were awarded via fall, technical fall, or forfeit with speed and agility most wrestlers can’t match. The 2A District 5 champion stacked wins at the Bob Mars Invite and Rumble in the Valley, and has the chance to capture a third state title at Mat Classic XXXVI inside the Tacoma Dome this weekend. “(He) attacks, attacks, attacks,” Segovia said. “Justyce is just on another level right now.”
This story was originally published February 20, 2025 at 5:15 AM with the headline "The News Tribune’s 2025 Untouchables — the state’s most unbeatable high school wrestlers."
