Middle school grapplers test mettle at summer camps

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Faster. Stronger.

Wresters from the East Jefferson Rivals teams and Blue Heron Middle got back to the mat recently for two summer wrestling camps over the offseason with two major goals in mind.

To start off, 13 grapplers and three coaches with the Rivals made their way out to the Bread and Butter Camp in Cusick (north of Spokane) from June 29 to July 3. The Rivals wrestlers tested their tenacity with a pool of more than 400 athletes from around the state, and each EJ grappler competed in at least 10 matches throughout the event.

Standout second-year wrestler and rising Port Townsend High junior Mi Amada Lanphear Ramirez won the girls’ takedown tournament at the Bread and Butter Camp on the final day of wrestling.

“Overall our wrestlers got as much experience in this competition camp as many wrestlers earn in a season,” said Coach Ryan White of Blue Heron Middle School.

The grappling continued weeks later as 10 Rivals wrestlers traveled to Sequim to take part in the Gene Mills Wrestling Camp from July 11 to July 14.

Mills, who the camp was named after, was a two-time NCAA collegiate champion with four All-American honors in the late 1970s and ‘80s who put on wrestling clinics throughout the country.

“We had a total of 16 youth wrestlers participate in summer camps this offseason,” EJ Head Coach Steve Grimm said. “Our coaches are thrilled to see all of our athletes working hard and putting in the effort to improve this summer. Our high school season starts mid-November.”

“This is going to be a fun team to be a part of,” Grimm added.