Almira/Coulee-Hartline brother and sister duo Karis Butler, Noah Butler win state titles | Mat Classic 37

TACOMA – One year ago, Karis Butler got a rare sneak peak into what it takes to be a Mat Classic champion.

As an eighth grader at Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Butler finished third in the 1A/2B/1B girls tournament at 140 pounds. Then from the stands that same night, she watched her older brother Noah Butler claim his first state title in the 2B/1B boys ranks.

On Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome, the Butlers finished golden together.

Karis was dominant in her run to the 140-pound 1A/2B/1B girls title at Mat Classic 37, amassing a win via technical fall in her opener before getting three straight pins – including a second-period fall against La Center’s Hannah Becker in the championship bout.

“The extra time I have put in and the work I have put in really showed this weekend,” Karis said. “I know everyone puts in work at this level, but it’s the time in the offseason that really counts.”

The Almira/Coulee-Hartline freshman now finds herself in the unique position of being alive to win four state titles, while having the possibility of earning five medals.

And although she credits her work on the mat as the reason for her success, she also looks to her older brother as a source of knowledge and inspiration.

“Watching him just shows me that we can do anything,” Karis said. “We haven’t always wrestled as a family, so getting to see him have so much success has really pushed me.

“I knew I wanted to be standing next to my brother with those gold medals and now we can do that.”

But before the Butler family could celebrate too much, Noah had to hold up his end of the bargain. And it was far from easy.

In a rematch of the District 6 title match last week, Noah topped Newport’s Ares Swain in a 16-11 decision to claim the 2B/1B boys title at 215 pounds.

After a low-scoring first two periods, Swain gained the upper hand with a third-period takedown to go ahead late in the third. But not to be denied, Butler earned a key reversal followed by a four-point nearfall in the final 15 seconds to claim the title.

“It’s really difficult to beat a guy you know so well, because we know the moves and we know the tactics,” Noah said. “I’m just glad I was able to pull it off because he’s tough.”

Noah also became ACH’s first two-time champion with the victory, but he said it wouldn’t have been possible without Karis setting the tone earlier in the evening.

“To have my sister win her title first, it probably is the reason I ended up winning mine,” Noah said. “It was so much motivation and I’m so proud of her.”

Also in the 2B/1B boys ranks, Selkirk had a pair of champions in Jaxson Chantry (150 pounds) and Jameson Davis (165), while Chewelah’s Dakota Katzer claimed the 157-pound title.

Both Davis and Katzer topped District 6 foes to win their titles, and it was the first title for each of the three.

“We’ve had a history of champions the past few years in our wrestling room, so I took that upon myself this season to continue that trend and set an example for the next group,” Katzer said.

Chantry on the other hand came into Mat Classic 37 with revenge on his mind. The junior took second place one year ago, while also adding second-place finishes at Freeman and Gut Check this season.

“I had a much better mindset this year and coming into this tournament and I really just stuck to that,” Chantry said. “I faced a lot of adversity in those second-place finishes and if you want to fight for a championship you just have to learn from those experiences.”

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Freeman and Northwest Christian tied for sixth place in the 2B/1B team standings.

On the 1A boys mats, Riverside’s Bodey Schweiger won his second title in a row, this time at 113 pounds with a hard-fought 9-7 decision over Zillah’s Leonel Lustre. Lakeside’s Ben Orth then made it a second title for Northeast A League wrestlers with a victory at 190 pounds to win his first Mat Classic title.

Schweiger, who is only a junior, will now have the opportunity to go for a third Mat Classic win next year. He said he felt a target in his back this weekend, and expects it to get bigger next season. But he‘d rather be the one being chased than having to chase someone else.

”I want to be the one they are looking at. I enjoy being the top seed and the favorite because I expect a lot out of myself,” Schweiger said. “And I want to keep setting a good example for Riverside of what can come with hard work.

in the 2A ranks, Deer Park’s Hailee Orgill took second at 155-pounds in the girls tournament, while Emmitt Priddy was second at 165 in the boys.