Eight Friday Harbor male wrestlers are advancing to the 1A Regional Tournament Feb. 13 at Bellevue Christian.

Friday Harbor’s Kia Johns was one of 76 female wrestlers at the Subregional Tournament at Squalicum High School today vying for a spot at the Girls Region 1 Tournament Feb. 14 at Liberty High School.

All wrestlers have their eye on the big prize: The storied Mat Classic XXII, Feb. 19-20 in the Tacoma Dome.

Today at Turnbull Gym, the Wolverines hosted a four-school wrestling invitational to determine seeding in the Boys 1A Regional Tournament at Bellevue Christian.

Wolverine boys headed to Regional are Tate Brumsickle, 135; Dylan Korth, 140; Michael Davis, 145; Maverick Blake, 152; Justin James, 152; Shawn Cutting, 160; Calen Mehrer, 215; Willie Dunn, 285. As of early afternoon, Cutting, Davis, Dunn, James and Mehrer were No. 1 seeds in their weight divisions.

Cutting won the top seed after a long, scrappy match with Robert Bobo of Nooksack. Bobo fended off being pinned several times, but Cutting was indefatigable and persistent, and prevailed 5-2.

Looking back at the season — all but two meets were off-island — Friday Harbor Coach Neil MacDiarmid had nothing but confidence in his wrestlers going into the regional tournament.

“We are doing well in the weight classes we have filled,” MacDiarmid said. “Tate Brumsickle is a first-year wrestler, and he’s No. 2 seed going into Regional. He won some key matches this year.”

Dylan Korth lost his seeding match by fall today, but it wasn’t an easy win for Bellevue Christian’s Jake Fouquier; Korth had several escapes and reversals. “He’s taller, and when you’re taller you are easier to shoot on,” MacDiarmid said of Korth.

James and Mehrer are good, all-around athletes. And Johns has had a strong first year. “She always has two or three moves going at a time,” MacDiarmid said.