On Feb. 21 the annual “Mat Classic” three-day state-wide high school wrestling tournament took place underneath the lights of the Tacoma Dome.

A whopping 467 schools and roughly 4,400 wrestlers attended the event that weekend. There are 138 different weight divisions for boys/girls, each with the potential of 32 competitors. With a seating capacity of over 20,000, the dome was a perfect place to have multiple mats out on the floor for wrestling, making it possible for many matches to be played simultaneously.

Wrestlers from all over the state qualify for the Mat Classic by advancing in district and regional tournaments, which by no means is easy. The skill, athleticism, talent, mental toughness, and determination required to advance to the state championship is what makes qualifying challenging. On average, 10 or more athletes from a 3A and 4A high school (900-1300+ students), make it to the state each year.

Meanwhile, the smaller schools: 1A, 2A, and 1B/2B (104-800+ students) have much fewer wrestlers who qualify, these smaller schools typically send 2 to 5 athletes. The Rivals are classified as a 1A school, with Port Townsend High School’s approximately 370 students and Chimacum High School’s 250 students.

This year, the Rivals had 10 athletes wrestling at state, and three of those athletes placed: Gracee Liske, 2nd place in the 125-pound weight class, Mason Iverson, 4th place in the 195-pound weight class, and Grady White, 6th place in the 155-pound weight class.

I’d driven past the Tacoma Dome countless times at sporting events. I’d always wondered what it would be like to compete under those lights. I’m not a wrestler nor did I compete. However, my friend Benjamin Greene and I had the opportunity to secure a media pass through the WIAA to film a part of our documentary at the Mat Classic, and we got a pretty good idea what it’s like. 

Senior at Port Townsend High School are required to complete a “Senior Project” and with film/media being our bread and butter, we had to do it. Why a documentary on wrestling? That will be answered in the documentary.

Naturally, we joined the wrestling team at the Mat Classic to capture the action. Upon arriving at 8 a.m., the first thing that greeted us was the long line of eager fans stretching around a quarter of the dome, all waiting to get inside. With our media passes in hand, we skipped that line.

Once inside, we checked in and were given green WIAA vests, which granted us access to nearly any area in the dome. The outside of the Tacoma Dome is quite impressive but it didn’t hit us until we were inside. Standing underneath the dome’s arches that stretch across forever, you’re able to get a true sense of its immense size. The mats, the crowd, and the bleachers, all felt minuscule compared to the sheer size of the dome. You’re enclosed in the world of wrestling.

When we got inside fans were already filling seats row by row. Parents, students, and wrestling fans from all over Washington sent echoes off the towering ceiling. An abundance of wrestlers gathered on the mats to conduct their warm-up, all eagerly waiting for their matches.

Being around the athletes and coaches on the floor, the energy had flipped like a switch. Each wrestler moved with a purpose, whether bouncing nervously in place or pacing back and forth. Every athlete came here for one reason: to win. Eventually, matches began, and there were losers and winners. If you missed the results of a match, you didn’t need a scoreboard to catch up, you could tell by the tears streaking down their cheeks or the bright smile that they shared with their coach.

There was an overwhelming amount of emotion on the floor that I was not prepared for. Athletes collapsed in coaches’ arms, some with relief, others with devastation. In the brief seconds before a match begins, you can see the pure intensity, hunger, or fear, in the eyes of a wrestler. I feel honored to have shared these moments with The Rivals. I’ve witnessed their journeys to state and what they’ve had to sacrifice to get a match underneath the Tacoma Dome. That, I will truly never forget. From grueling training sessions in the weight room to the frigid beaches along the Puget Sound, these wrestlers have extraordinary commitment to their offseason training. They spent countless hours training to be the best. There is not a more deserving team.

The wrestling season has ended for now. But please come support our Rivals next season in November at Port Townsend High School. You’ll be glad you did. 

Bryce Harbin is a senior at Port Townsend High School.