Lake Washington’s Giffard, Castro fall short of placing matches at Mat Classic

Lake Washington High junior Hunter Giffard made it through the first round of consolation before bowing out of the Class 3A 132-pound bracket at the Mat Classic on Feb. 17 at the Tacoma Dome.

Giffard lost to top-seeded Carsten Wheeler, of Central Kitsap, in the opening match, but beat Ferndale’s Ryan Slaughter by 9-2 decision in the first match of consolation.

Ferndale’s Eli Croy dealt Giffard a 12-3 loss, ending the Kang junior’s run at the state tournament.

Croy finished third in the bracket, and Wheeler finished eighth.

Juanita’s John Nascimento finished fifth in the Class 3A 285-pound bracket.

Bonney Lake scored 137 team points to win the Class 3A boys’ team title over Kelso, which scored 134. Redmond had the best finish among Class 3A KingCo teams, placing 19th with 31 points. Juanita tied for 31st with 12 points, and Lake Washington tied for 45th with one point.

Lake Washington senior Jackie Castro picked up the first Mat Classic win of her career, but failed to place in the girls’ 190-pound bracket. Castro pinned Raymond’s Johanna Crow late in the second period of the opening match before losing to Bonney Lake’s Dreakeanna Adair in the quarterfinals.

Castro lost to White River senior Jacey Lindner in the second round of consolation, 6-1, in the final high school match of her four-year career.

Yelm scored 97 points to win the girls’ team title over Federal Way, which scored 91 points. Castro earned four team points, and Lake Washington finished 73rd in the girls’ team standings.