The Chelan Goats put together an impressive performance at the District 5 Wrestling Tournament, finishing 5th as a team while battling some of the toughest competition in the entire state. With Wapato and Zillah currently ranked #1 and #2 in Washington, Cashmere sitting at #4, and Royal at #7, the District 5 tournament once again proved to be one of the most competitive brackets anywhere. Chelan stood strong right behind these powerhouse programs and showed they belong in the conversation.

The Goats are sending 9 state qualifiers to the WIAA State Tournament, with 2 additional alternates, highlighting the depth, resilience, and growth of this year’s squad.

Individual Results

• FR 113 – Aj Siemers
  Picked up two hard-fought wins on the day. Aj came up just short in the 7th-place match but earned a valuable District alternate position.
• JR 120 – Colton Bowthorpe
  Battled through the bracket with two wins. Like Siemers, Bowthorpe narrowly missed a podium finish but secured an alternate spot.
• SO 120 – Gavin Tjeersdma
  Dominated his path to the podium with three pins and a strong 6–1 decision, claiming 5th place in convincing fashion.
• FR 126 – Eddie Garton
  Won two matches to punch his ticket to state, finishing 7th and becoming Chelan’s lone freshman state qualifier — a tremendous accomplishment.
• SR 138 – Sebastian Cisneros
  Delivered a statement performance. Cisneros rolled through the bracket with two tech falls and a pin in the finals to capture his second District Championship. He now heads to state as a four-time state qualifier and this year’s CTL Wrestler of the Year, fully focused on a state title run.
• SR 150 – Yandel Mata
  Survived the tournament’s largest bracket, securing four wins to finish 6th and earn a well-deserved trip to state.
• SO 157 – Gage Pucket
  Showed extraordinary toughness. After three wins, Pucket’s state-qualifying match stretched into three overtime rounds. He dug deep, overcame exhaustion, and sealed his 6th-place finish in one of the most grueling matches of the tournament.
• SO 157 – Andrew Alcala
  Put together an outstanding tournament with three wins, finishing 4th place and firmly establishing himself as a state contender.
• SR 165 – Zimri Kelling
  Wrestled with poise and determination, earning three wins and a 6th-place finish to advance to state.
• JR 175 – Maddoc Finch
  Put together a strong showing with a tech fall, pin, and decision, securing 5th place.
• SO 190 – Nick Bahena
  Demonstrated resilience after a tough middle round. Bahena rebounded in dominant fashion, finishing his tournament with authority by securing a fall to claim 7th place and a state berth.

Chelan’s District performance was defined by grit, composure, and relentless effort. Competing in one of the state’s most demanding tournaments, the Goats proved their growth and are now ready for the next challenge.

Next Stop: WIAA State Tournament.

From Coach Linton:

I’m proud of this team. Not just the state qualifiers — every single guy in that room.

I’m always talking about not worrying about wins and losses, but focusing on effort and wrestling the right way. Every Chelan wrestler who stepped on the mat gave 100% every second. That’s what truly matters — getting the very best out of yourself.

I believe wrestling builds the best kind of people: hard workers, committed, loyal, honest, with a high level of integrity. No matter the outcome, I’m proud of every Chelan Goat who made it through this season — because they’re walking away better men than when they started.

I talk a lot about goal setting. When you’re in high school, goals can feel big and flashy — playing in the NFL, wrestling in the Olympics, competing in the NCAA. And those are great dreams.

But my whole-hearted goal is different.

My goal is to build good men.

Men who get up every time they get knocked down.

Men who are tough, but also compassionate.

Men who lead when it’s hard.

Men whose aspirations are bigger than they can even imagine right now.

If that’s what we’re building — then this season has already been a success.

Now we head to state carrying the standard of this program with us.

We don’t promise wins.

We don’t promise medals.

But we promise effort.

We promise toughness.

We promise heart.

And when we step off that mat, we’ll know we gave everything we had. 

That’s the Chelan standard.

I’m grateful to stand alongside Assistant Coach Erick Garcia, who believes in the same vision and holds our athletes to that same standard every single day.

– Coach Linton