Bruntil's dominant run ends with state championship

Emma Bruntil left little doubt who the best 130-pound girls’ wrestler in the state is.

The Pioneers sophomore physically dominated her state championship match from start to finish, as she earned a 12-2 decision against Thomas Jefferson’s Jasmine Pleasants during Mat Classic XXVIII on Saturday, Feb. 20, in the Tacoma Dome.

“She’s been dialed in, she’s been focused,” Nooksack Valley coach Chad Parson said. “She’s been focused all year. ... She’s all in. That’s really what I got to say. This is her thing, and it shows.”

That much was evident all day Friday and Saturday.

After earning a sixth-place medal last year as a freshman, Bruntil pinned both her opponents on Mat Classic’s day one and earned an 8-2 decision in the semifinals before dismantling Pleasants.

“It’s so crazy,” Bruntil said. “You work for this for years, and you don’t get a lot of credit for what you do, and you kind of go unnoticed, and it’s kind of crazy everything you’ve been dreaming about finally happened. It just feels so surreal.”

Two years ago Bruntil hadn’t wrestled a match in her life. Now she’s the best in the state, and it’s all been credit to her intense commitment to become the best.

“This year I really worked on my technique and just put in so many hours,” Bruntil said. “Three workouts a day, six days a week. I’ve just wanted this more than anything in my life.”

And even before the satisfaction of winning one state title fully set in, Parson was looking forward to what Bruntil can accomplish the next two seasons.

This story was originally published February 20, 2016 at 10:06 PM with the headline "Bruntil's dominant run ends with state championship."