Baumann rises to the occasion at Mat Classic

By Shaun Scott • February 18, 2018 7:01 pm
Photo courtesy of Don Borin/Stop Action Photography Newport 285-pound senior Charlie Baumann pins Emerald Ridge sophomore Jonah Mains in the first round of the Mat Classic Class 4A 285-pound tournament on Feb. 16. Baumann caught Mains in one of his favorite moves, the head and arm.
Photo courtesy of Don Borin/Stop Action Photography Newport 285-pound senior Charlie Baumann pins Emerald Ridge sophomore Jonah Mains in the first round of the Mat Classic Class 4A 285-pound tournament on Feb. 16. Baumann caught Mains in one of his favorite moves, the head and arm.

Newport Knights senior 285-pound wrestler Charlie Baumann has a motor that never stops in all facets of his athletic life.

Baumann, who will play football at Eastern Washington University this fall, unveiled a memorable performance at the Mat Classic Class 4A state wrestling tournament on Feb 16-17 at the Tacoma Dome. Baumann went 4-1 in the Class 4A 285-pound tournament en route to a third-place finish. Baumann pinned Chiawana’s Josh Alvarez in the third/fourth place match. Baumann won his three final matches on the second day of the tournament after losing to Decatur’s Quinzy Salu in the quarterfinals on the first day of the tourney.

“I know every 285 (pound wrestler) here is a phenomenal athlete but you can’t think about the other guys you are wrestling. You got to think about yourself and your game plan. I definitely don’t think about the other guy because that can get into your head and you can choke or freeze up,” Baumann explained of his mindset. “I just try to go into matches calm, collected and try to execute.”

Baumann didn’t let the loss in the quarterfinals have an adverse effect on his approach for the remainder of the tournament.

“My overall goal is to show what I got and to go 100 percent in every match,” he said. “If I win, I win. If I lose, I lose. It is all about giving 100 percent until that very last second. This tournament is a phenomenal competition and experience. I like it.”

While Baumann enjoys the thrill of competing in the trenches on the football, wrestling is a sport he relishes as well.

“I love wrestling,” Baumann said. “The difference is in football you have 10 others guys around you to help. Wrestling is more one-on-one and see who can best who. I just love that competition. There is nobody else out there. That gets me going.”