Hazen’s Vina Nguyen wins second straight title
Published 3:15 pm Tuesday, February 24, 2026
The Hazen High School girls wrestling team is starting to have a crowded trophy cabinet as both Vina Nguyen and Ari Jacobson took home state titles at Mat Classic XXXVII on Feb. 20 inside the Tacoma Dome.
Nguyen etched her own name into the history books as the first Hazen High School girl wrestler to win back-to-back state championships. In her two championship winning seasons, Nguyen has a record of 92-3, according to FloWrestling and Trackwrestling.
“I’m so proud. How about that? I started wrestling my freshman year. To become a two time state champ and place third my sophomore year, there is not much more I could have asked of myself. I put in so much work and gave all I had. I am pretty proud of myself,” Nguyen said.
Starting as a freshman, Nguyen had never wrestled before, and someone who started to wrestle because of a cousin as a freshman is now a two time state champion.
“I wanted to do it because she was like an older sister to me. She ended up quitting, but I stayed. I skipped a bunch of practices, but I got back on the mat and started whooping butt,” Nguyen said.
In terms of pressure, Nguyen did not feel any. The stage was never too big for the Hazen 105 pounder.
“I had no pressure. I was stressing a little with my semi’s because these girls are a little bigger. I bumped up a weight class. I trusted my work, I trusted my skill and all the work I put in during the offseason. In my mind, nobody is working as hard as me in the practice room,” Nguyen said.
The final whistle sounded at the end of the third round and Nguyen was crowned a two-time state champion.
“You lose your mind, I don’t know how to describe it. It’s euphoric. I had a little deja vu because it happened last year. The only thing that went through my mind is what am I doing with my hands. Do I point ones or twos,” Nguyen said
She won the 100 pound crown during Mat Classic XXXVI and bumped up to 105 for her senior season. Nguyen won her title in the second round of the championship matches, meaning she was able to watch her teammate Ari try to win her first title.
Jacobson competed at 170 pounds at 4A and took on the third seed from Spanaway Lake, Karlee Brummett. Despite having more that 60 pounds of difference and different styles, Jacobson and Nguyen work together and have developed ways to help each other, which resulted in two titles.
“We shared everything. She placed her sophomore year like me. She’s a state champ her junior year and a state champ next year. My whole path is her path. That is something I find really cool and really exciting. I am looking forward to what she is going to do in the future,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen has set the standard at Hazen and now the torch is passed to Jacobson, who won her first title by a score of 10-2, and will be entering her senior year.
