Multiple Rivals athletes earned podium spots with one grappler winning gold after the East Jefferson Rivals boys and girls wrestling teams visited Lakewood for separate tournaments Jan. 22.

The EJ girls team competed in the Lady Lipstick Tournament while the boys took part in the End of Days Tournament at Lakes High School.

“We saw some tough competition and wrestled hard. It was a solid tournament with mostly 3A and 4A schools to prep us for [the] postseason,” said Rival Coach Steve Grimm.

Junior Devon Bennett-Anderson (195-pound weight class) placed first overall for his division in the boys tourney.

Seniors Gage Barry (182 weight class) and Logan Massie (170 weight class) both notched second-place finishes, with Massie losing in the finals match to 4A No. 4-ranked Terry Smith of Curtis High School.

Sophomore Mi Amada Lanphear Ramirez (115 weight class) earned bronze, losing to No. 2-ranked Maddie Erickson of Yelm High School who snapped Lanphear Ramirez’s month-plus streak without a loss.

Junior Lars Wakefield (285 weight class) placed third in his division for East Jefferson, and senior Savanna Hoffmann (125 weight class) and junior Melody Douglass (135 weight class) each finished in fifth place for their divisions.

“To prepare us for the postseason, it was a great for us to match up against some of the best in the state. Iron sharpens iron,” Grimm said.

“We had to see the best to figure out where our strengths and weaknesses are at,” he added.