Last Saturday, Decatur High School hosted the first Gator Invite since 2019. The wrestling tournament hosted girls a day prior followed by the boys tournament after on Dec. 10.

A total of 13 high schools competed in the tournament, ranging from Lincoln all the way to Shorewood.

“It’s surreal … It’s so awesome having everyone back in here,” said Decatur Head Coach Zac Cardwell.

Of the local teams competing, all but Todd Beamer competed last Saturday. Approximately 300 wrestlers hit the mat, according to Cardwell. The competition began at 9 a.m. and wasn’t able to fully finish due to time constraints around 7 p.m.

Rodgers High School ended up winning the entire competition off of points, and also had the most first place finishes with four, followed by Shorewood with three wrestlers winning their weight classes.

The best finisher of the Federal Way district was Thomas Jefferson senior Kayle Bearson winning the 138-pound crown. Bearson is rebounding from a broken ankle, which he injured last year and cut his season short.

He said his love for the sport is stronger than ever. “I dump everything I can into this sport, every second that I have. It’s the best feeling. I love this sport, it’s my life,” Bearson said.

His plan is to wrestle and possibly walk-on for football wherever he decides to continue his education after graduation, but there is one thing he needs first: “I want my state title before I get there.”

To win the 138-pound division, Bearson wrestled four matches at the Gator Invite. For the senior, it’s all about his conditioning. “I condition every single morning. I run three miles and have two practices a day.”

Bearson wasn’t the only winner, his Thomas Jefferson teammate Joaquin Saucedo-Marcial tied for third place due to time restraints at 182-pounds. Decatur had a total of six wrestlers finish inside the top three of their respective weight divisions. None of those six are seniors, which is something Cardwell is looking forward to in the future.

“We are a really young team, we have two seniors, which gives us a really solid foundation,” he said. “Maybe not this year, but many of these guys have a shot at making the state tournament in the next couple of years.”