Winter West: The Bonney Lake Insider’s Athlete of the Month for January

There are athletes who make a splash in their freshman year, and then there’s Winter West—who’s rewriting the script entirely. The Bonney Lake freshman wrestler has taken the sport by storm, dominating the 110-pound division with the composure and skill of a seasoned champion. With a staggering 13-1 record in January and a trophy case already overflowing with titles, it’s no surprise that Winter has been named The Bonney Lake Insider’s Athlete of the Month.

This honor comes as no surprise to those following West’s meteoric rise. Before ever stepping onto a high school mat, she had already built an impressive résumé: a two-time 14U freestyle state champion, a 14U folkstyle state champion, a 14U Greco-Roman state champion, and an eighth-place finisher at Women’s Nationals in the 15U division. Now, she’s bringing that championship pedigree to Bonney Lake and proving that age is just a number when it comes to dominance.

A January to Remember

Winter went 13-1 in the 110-pound division, racking up dominant wins in major tournaments. At the prestigious Gut Check tournament on January 4, she fought through the bracket to take third place, winning four matches by major decision or technical fall before falling in the semifinals. She rebounded with a commanding 8-0 win over Richland’s S. Dufault to secure third place.

Three weeks later, at Athena’s Pageant, Winter was flawless. She stormed through the tournament, winning all four of her matches by fall—three of them in under 70 seconds. In the placement rounds, she pinned E. Nimrick of Gig Harbor in just 1:10 to take home the title.

Her dominance wasn’t limited to tournaments. In dual meets, she pinned Graham-Kapowsin’s I. Fistonich in just 10 seconds and Curtis’s C. Sigman in 16. Quick victories became routine—six of her wins in January came in under a minute.

A Season for the Record Books

Photo Credit: @tholmephotography

Winter’s January performance propelled her to a staggering 33-1 overall record. And she’s showing no signs of slowing down. On February 1, she added yet another first-place finish to her collection, winning the Vikings Invitational. If there was any doubt before, Winter has made it clear: she’s a force to be reckoned with.

The Bonney Lake Insider Athlete of the Month award, sponsored by Applebee’s of Bonney Lake, comes with a $25 gift certificate. It’s a well-earned honor for a wrestler who’s not just winning matches—she’s setting a new standard for dominance in high school girls’ wrestling.

As Bonney Lake’s season continues, West is poised to make a deep postseason run. If January was any indication, the rest of the state should take notice—Winter is here, and she’s just getting started.