Community Sports

Sports Beat | Local wrestlers among the state’s best

The Peninsula boys wrestling team secured a crucial 47-41 victory at Capital, which was the fifth-ranked Class 3A team in the state, on Jan. 7.

The Gig Harbor boys lost at Mount Tahoma on the same night, 39-35. Both local teams have faced some of the conference’s top teams in early-season matchups. The Puget Sound League includes three teams in the state’s top 10: Capital, Lincoln and Silas.

Ranked wrestlers

Washington Wrestling Network, a website devoted to the sport, ranks several local wrestlers in the top 10 in their weight classes.

One is Peninsula senior Nehemiah Grandorff, ranked fifth in the state at 150 pounds. Grandorff is tough and cerebral on the wrestling mat. He is a counter-puncher of sorts, using his quickness and balance to pounce when an opponent makes even the slightest technical mistake. Once Grandorff gets on top of his opponents, they rarely escape.

Gig Harbor’s Juan Mateo, ranked fifth at 106 pounds, probably matches Grandorff on the toughness scale. Mateo is quiet and controlled until the match starts. Then he explodes with fury.

Blessed with unique strength for his size, Mateo is a whirlwind who tries different moves at a frantic pace until he is on top of an opponent and in control. He benefits from practicing against another talented 106-pounder, Tides sophomore Hayden Fernandez, who is ranked 14th in the state in the weight class.

Peninsula junior Bryce Tillman has been turning heads and earning respect on the mat since his freshman year, when he earned a varsity spot. Tillman is the fifth-ranked 132-pounder wrestler. He combines intelligence, athleticism and raw power. Tillman has longer levers than most in his weight class and uses his length to wrap up opponents and execute intricate moves.

Gig Harbor sophomore Murphy Massey-O’Hanlon is ranked 12th in Class 3A in the same weight class. William Ross of Lincoln is ranked No. 1 at 132 pounds and likely will be waiting for both local competitors at the conference tournament later this season.

Peninsula senior David Howard is ranked 10th at 157 pounds, while Gig Harbor’s Cyrus Maya is 14th at 138 pounds.

Peninsula 285-pounder Yahshua Fonoti didn’t make the Washington Wrestling Network top 10 list, but maybe he should have. He scored a win over the eventual state champion last season.

“Yahshua has the ability to create challenges for kids his size,” Peninsula coach Gary Griffin said.

Peninsula girls are state contenders again

Washington Wrestling Network ranks the Peninsula girls team No. 1 in the state in Class 3A. Few could argue with the ranking after Peninsula won the Class 3A state title in 2024 and finished second in 2025.

Nine Seahawks are ranked in the top 15 in the state in their weight class, led by two-time state champion Bailey Parker, No. 1 at 155 pounds.

Two-time state champion Bailey Parker of Peninsula in action during the 2025 Mat Classic tournament in Tacoma. Photo by Peninsula wrestling

Parker is a Terminator type who is a calm and collected wrecking machine.

Parker benefitted the last few years from practicing against two-time state champion Mira Sonnen, who has since graduated. But another state champion, senior Linsdey Shipp, remains on the Peninsula mat.

Shipp is ranked No. 1 at 170 pounds after winning a state title last year in thrilling fashion.

Shipp trailed with less than 10 seconds to go and was tied up with her opponent. Shipp dropped her head and reached for a knee, then drove her hips to force her opponent to the ground. The Seahawk pinned her opponent with just two seconds to go.

Lindsey Shipp of Peninsula celebrates with her father, Chris Shipp, after winning a 2025 state championship at the Tacoma Dome. Photo by Peninsula wrestling

The Seahawks have not lost a conference dual match in three seasons. They make very few mistakes, are rarely outworked and are hungry to wrestle the Class 3A state title back from Kelso High School.

Two Seahawks are ranked in the top eight in the 105-pound division: senior Georgina Johnson, who finished second at state last year and is ranked No. 5; and junior Maya Robles, ranked eighth.

Georgina Johnson of Peninsula.

One of them may opt to wrestle in the 110-pound division, where they could meet Gig Harbor senior Eleanor Nimrick, ranked No. 2 in the state.

Elleanor Nimrick of Gig Harbor. Photo by Dennis Browne

Nimrick suited up for the Gig Harbor boys team in a meet last year and pinned a Peninsula wrestler in the third period, before jumping up and giving a “yeah, I just did that” look to an appreciative home crowd that were all on their feet.

The Seahawks are also stacked at 125 pounds, with two sophomores among the state’s best: No. 3 Justus Johnson and No. 4 Lily Robles.

Junior Paige Powers is 10th in the 130-pound division. Lila Klingler is 12th in the 135-pound division and Olivia Howell is ninth at 145 pounds. Both are sophomores.

No Seahawks wrestle in the 190- and 235-pound divisions. Kelso, Peninsula’s main competition for a title, features two wrestlers who could close a points gap late at the Class 3A state tournament.

But if the Seahawks accumulate enough early points in lower weight classes it won’t matter. “We’re gonna have to do it the hard way,” Griffin said.

Gig Harbor swimmers look strong

Gig Harbor defeated Peninsula, 116-64, in a boys swimming dual meet last month.

The Tides lead the division at 5-0 and face Silas and Central Kitsap on Jan. 15 in Silverdale.

The Seahawks (3-1) got good performances from Travis Buell, Cullen Stitt and Brandon Plitkins, but it wasn’t enough to challenge the Tides’ overall depth.

The Seahawks also have an exceptional talent on the diving board in senior Zach Ruckle, who is explosive off the board and coordinated in the air. Ruckle is a returning state placer at last years state tournament and could contend for a podium finish again this season.

The versatile Travis Scott, a powerfully built, 6-foot-5 swimmer, leads Gig Harbor. The long-distance freestyle specialist probably has a collegiate future awaiting him.

Against Peninsula, he won the grueling 500 freestyle in 5:01.36. Scott resembles a torpedo in the old Sea Wolf arcade game as he closes in on his opponents with steady, consistent speed. He also won the 200 freestyle race in 148.65 over Buell, who touched in 2:01.69.

“I would not be surprised if Scott was to place in the top eight at the state tournament in his events,” head coach Mike Kelly said. “Travis is a student of the sport and works extremely hard at self-improvement.”

Travis Scott of Gig Harbor won the 500-yard freestyle event against Peninsula. Photo by Mike Kelly

Another returning state swimmer is senior Jace Garre, the Tides’ top butterfly swimmer. He won the 100-yard fly event against Peninsula in 57.22 plus he showed his speed by winning the 50-yard freestyle in 23.50. Garre has also helped the Tides this year in relays.

The top Gig Harbor backstroker is Michael Yevstifieiev, who won the 100 yard event in 1:01.13. Yevstifieiev collected points as a freestyle sprinter, winning the 100-yard event in 52.12.

“He has demonstrated consistent improvement each year in the program and is a returning state swimmer,” Kelly said. “He has also been instrumental in the Tides relay success this season.”

Michael Yevstifieiev of Gig Harbor launches into the water en route to winning the backstroke against Peninsula. Photo by Mike Kelly

Kelly is excited about the potential of Owen Moore, who is in his first year on the team but has impressed his coach.

“He’s very powerful in the water. He prefers the freestyle, but has shown me that he could be successful at all strokes,” Kelly said.

Basketball results

The Gig Harbor girls basketball team (8-3, 6-2 PSL) is tied with Bellarmine for first in the Puget Sound League Narrows Division. The Tides already own a 57-45 victory over the Lions on Dec. 3.

The Tides are coming off a 52-40 victory over Mark Morris of Longview on Jan. 2, a 59-41 victory over Central Kitsap on Jan. 6 and a 56-9 home victory over Mount Tahoma on Jan. 8.

Puget Sound League Narrows Division girls basketball standings as of Jan. 9, 2026.

The Peninsula girls basketball team (5-6, 3-4) lost to Timberline, 47-42, on Jan. 6 and Lakes, 54-45, on Jan. 8. The Seahawks are fourth in the tough Nisqually Division.

Puget Sound League Nisqually Division girls basketball standings as of Jan. 9, 2026.

The Peninsula boys team (4-7, 2-5) lost to Timberline, 68-44, on Jan. 6, but rebounded to defeat Lakes on Jan. 8, 59-56. The Seahawks boys are also fourth in the Nisqually.

Puget Sound League Nisqually Division boys basketball standings as of Jan. 9, 2026.

The Gig Harbor boys basketball team (7-5, 5-3) defeated Central Kitsap, 70-52, on Jan. 6, and Mount Tahoma, 62-57, on Jan. 8. The Tides are third in the Narrows Division.

This week brings the annual Fish Basket games between Gig Harbor and Peninsula. The girls play at Gig Harbor High School at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, while the boys play at Peninsula at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16.

Puget Sound League Narrows Division boys basketball standings as of Jan. 9.