Third-place finishes boost Hornets run into state tourney

Jenny Paterson, Chantelle Bailey, Rose Johnson and Breanna Flaquinti are already making history as part of the first girls wrestling team to represent Enumclaw High at Mat Classic, the state wrestling tournament Friday and Saturday, but they’re not finished yet. The quartet hope to bring home some hardware for the trophy case as well.

Jenny Paterson, Chantelle Bailey, Rose Johnson and Breanna Flaquinti are already making history as part of the first girls wrestling team to represent Enumclaw High at Mat Classic, the state wrestling tournament Friday and Saturday, but they’re not finished yet. The quartet hope to bring home some hardware for the trophy case as well.

“Anything can happen next week,” coach Jerry Scheidt said. “Hopefully our dreams will come true.”

The Hornets rallied from an 11th-place deficit at Saturday’s regional tournament in Puyallup to finish third with 61 points, one point ahead of White River. Rogers and Emerald Ridge tied for first place.

Scheidt said it was the third-place finishes of Paterson, Bailey and Johnson that pushed them as a team into third. The top six finishers earned a spot at state.

All three earned their third-place finishes by fall.

At 160 pounds, Paterson pinned Emily Bond of Emerald Ridge in 1 minute, 40 seconds. At 171 pounds, Bailey took Faith Wasmund of Fife to the mat in 2:27 and Johnson nailed down her third-place finish in 3:57 over Chelsea Macri of Fife.

Flaquinti finished sixth, earning the Hornets’ final spot.

Kasandra Renfro also wrestled, finishing eighth.

Paterson will kick off the Lady Hornets’ state tournament against Teisha McCarthy of Washougal at 12:08 p.m. Friday. Bailey and Flaquinti will follow at 12:24 p.m. Bailey will face Blair Brown of Elma, while Flaquinti meets Burlington-Edison’s Tiffany Tackett. Johnson closes out the opening round at 285 pounds with Marissa Barragan of Connell at 12:40 p.m.

Wrestling fans can follow the action on the Web at www.wiaa.com. Pull down the athletics bracket, then go to wrestling and follow the brackets.

Reach Brenda Sexton at bsexton@courierherald.com or 360-802-8206.