Winter West Takes Fourth at Fargo Nationals, Adds to Her Wrestling Legacy

Bonney Lake’s own Winter West, a sophomore at Bonney Lake High School and last year’s state champion as a freshman, made her mark on the national stage last week at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. Held every July, the tournament draws the best high school wrestlers from across the country, and this year West battled her way to an impressive fourth-place finish in the 16U Girls Freestyle 110-pound division.

The Bonney Lake High School sophomore, who won a state championship as a freshman last season, made her mark on the national stage last week, earning fourth place in the 16U Girls Freestyle 110-pound division at the prestigious Fargo Nationals.

West opened the tournament with a strong showing, advancing through the early rounds and dominating her quarterfinal match against Addison Hunt of Texas. That win set up a semifinal showdown with California’s Aubree Gutierrez. In a hard-fought bout, West came up short, moving her into the consolation bracket where she ultimately placed fourth in a field loaded with some of the nation’s top talent.

Fargo, often called the “Super Bowl of youth wrestling”, attracts the best wrestlers from across the country in freestyle, Greco-Roman, and folkstyle. For West, already a Triple Crown winner with titles in all three disciplines, it was an opportunity to test herself against the best and prove she belongs on the national radar.

In a bracket stacked with the nation’s best, West’s fourth-place finish only strengthened what Washington wrestling fans already know, she’s one of the brightest young stars in the sport. Her combination of technical skill, grit, and composure under pressure has quickly made her a force in any style she enters.

As the high school season approaches, West will return to Bonney Lake with more experience, more motivation, and the same goal that’s driven her from the start: to keep winning and keep climbing. And if Fargo was any indication, the wrestling world will be seeing her name for years to come.