Peninsula Girls Wrestling Takes Second at State; Sonnen and Parker Repeat as Champs

Mira Sonnen is the school’s first-ever individual state champion in girls wrestling.”

The Peninsula High School girls wrestling team came up just short in its bid for a repeat state championship at the 2025 Mat Classic, finishing second in the 3A team standings behind Kelso. The Seahawks scored 210 points, a massive improvement from their 2024 championship-winning total of 122, but Kelso’s depth helped seal their win.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association tournament was held Feb. 20-22 at the Tacoma Dome.

Despite falling short of back-to-back titles, Peninsula had plenty to celebrate, including three individual state champions: Senior Mira Sonnen (145 lbs.), junior Bailey Parker (155 lbs.), and junior Lindsey Shipp (170 lbs.). Sonnen and Parker each successfully defended their state crowns, while Shipp captured her first title. Adding to the excitement, the three champions secured their victories in consecutive matches, creating an unforgettable moment for their teammates and coaches.

Sonnen and Parker: Repeat Champions

Sonnen, who won her first title in the 140 lbs. class last year, dominated her way to a second straight state championship, capping off a 34-2 season with a 7-0 decision over Bellevue’s Josephine Ives in the finals. Both wrestlers were scoreless after the first period before Sonnen slowly took control and limited Ives from getting in much offense. With two individual state titles to her name, along with being part of the 2024 state wrestling championship team and the 2023 softball state championship team, Sonnen has cemented her legacy as a four-time state champion for the Seahawks.

Parker, who won the 145 lbs. title last year and missed half of this season with an elbow injury, was equally impressive at 155 pounds. She pinned all five of her opponents, culminating in a championship match victory over Snohomish’s Jillian Hradec with 15 seconds left in the final round. Leading up to the final, Parker made quick work of her opponents, pinning each of the four in under 70 seconds. She finished the year with a 22-2 record.

Shipp Joins the Champions Club

Shipp (42-9 record) made everyone sweat. She was down 9-8 with 10 seconds left in the final period before pinning Kennewick’s Jaylee Lopez with just 2 seconds to go. Making it an even more impressive win for Shipp, Lopez had been last year’s state runner-up. Shipp’s journey to gold included a dominant major decision in the semifinals and three other pins along the way.

Contributions Across the Board

While the three state champions led the charge, Peninsula’s other qualifiers played a crucial role in their high team score. Georgina Johnson (100 lbs.) reached the finals and finished as the state runner-up. Ava Miranda (135 lbs.) placed fourth, while Justus Johnson (120 lbs.) and Mya Robles (100 lbs.) all placed within the top eight, and Olivia Griffin, Brianna Sanderson, and Paige Powers added valuable points to Peninsula’s total. Freshman Lily Robles (115 lbs.) exceeded expectations, battling from the No. 19 seed through the consolation bracket to secure an eighth-place finish.

Every Point Matters

Interestingly, Kelso won the team title without a single individual champion, proving that depth can be just as crucial as first-place finishes. While two Kelso wrestlers finished as runners-up, the team’s real strength came from its depth — 16 of its 17 state qualifiers contributed points. Only seven placed in the top eight, but the other nine still combined for 63.5 of Kelso’s 217.5 points. That consistency gave the Hilanders the edge over Peninsula, which finished 37.5 points ahead of the third-place Hermiston High School Bulldogs from Oregon.

Grandorff Leads Boys Team

On the boys’ side, Peninsula junior Nehemiah Grandorff had a strong showing, placing sixth at 144 pounds. Grandorff, who finished seventh in the 150-pound class last year, improved his standing despite facing a tough bracket. He made it to the quarterfinals in the championship bracket on Thursday before getting pinned by Mercer Island’s Gordon Gibson in 42 seconds. He won his next two matches in the consolation bracket by decision. In the match for third place, Grandorff lost a tough 13-7 decision against Anthony Zanders from Decatur.

The Peninsula boys team finished 45th overall. Gig Harbor finished 47th. White River won the 3A boys state championship.

Looking Ahead

The Peninsula girls lose four key contributors to graduation: Sonnen, Sanderson, Miranda and Griffin. Sonnen is the school’s first-ever individual state champion in girls wrestling. Parker and Shipp have another year left to defend their championships. The Seahawks have three freshmen, four sophomores, and four juniors who competed at this year’s Mat Classic, potentially returning next season.