Thurston Coltish at Lady Dragon
Thurston’s girls wrestling had a great week, winning the Lady Dragon Duals and Lady Dragon Invite hosted by Dallas High School.
In Friday’s Duals, Thurston prevailed over the host school, Crook County, Forest Grove and St. Helens, in that order. The Colts edged Dallas, 40-36, in the first-place dual meet. Crook County overcame Forest Grove by 11 points for third.
In Saturday’s Invitational, Thurston won by more than 20 points over second-place Dallas in the 44-team event. McKay was third.
Kristal Zamora (140) and Izabella Castleberry (190) won individual titles for the victorious Colts. Each has lost just once on the year.
“We wrestled as expected and we continue to shine!” exclaimed Thurston coach Mike Simons. “Our Thurston girls are gamers! They show up when it counts!”
The match of the day may have come at 115 pounds, where Corvallis senior Jennifer Russell came from behind to edge senior Polly Oliff of Dallas for the title, 6-3. Oliff, a two-time returning state champion, defeated Russell for the 110-pound 6A/5A state title last year. Oliff came into that match undefeated on the season.
If that wasn’t the headline match on Saturday, it might have been at 110 pounds, where Paisley Conway of Newberg, last year’s 6A/5A runner up at 105, pinned reigning 6A/5A champion Skyler Hall of North Medford in the semifinals before blanking Ah Pymm McDaniel of Dallas (third last year at State at 105) in the championship bout.
Five other returning state champions won brackets on Saturday. Sarahi Chavez of McKay prevailed at 100 pounds. Zoe Brewer of Willamina (34-1) was impressive in claiming the 105-pound classification. Layla Morris of Mountainside continued unbeaten with a second-round pin to take the title at 125. North Medford’s Sadie Hall won easily at 130. Jadyn Pense of St. Helens continued her dominating season with a first-period fall to take the crown at 170.
Other champions included Mia Pedersen of Redmond, a state runner up last February; at 120 pounds, Reina Barnes-Rubio of Redmond at 135, Jenna Rogers of Dallas (19-1) at 145, Emily Fitzgerald of Eagle Point at 155 and Sunset junior Renata Perez at 235.
PIL represents at Braided 64
Across state lines in Southwest Washington, PIL stars Zorina Johnson and Izzy Herring were making their marks at the Braided 64 hosted by Kelso HS. Johnson, the undefeated defending state 6A/5A champion at 125 for Ida B. Wells, recorded five falls and a win by major decision to take the title at 125. Herring of Cleveland, the state champion at 170, finished second to a wrestler from Washington state at 155 pounds.
A total of 103 teams competed. Sprague (18th) and McNary (20th) were the highest finishing Oregon schools. Evelyn Wirfs, who was second at 170; and Chaya Palomo, who placed seventh at 100; shined for the Olympians. McNary saw McKenna Unger take second at 140 and Marlina Martinez finish fifth at 110.
The only other OSAA-affiliated Oregon wrestler to place was Liberty’s Bianca Miranda. She was sixth at 235 pounds.
Rollie Lane makes Oregon look good
The prestigious Rollie Lane Boys Invitational hosted 93 teams in Nampa, Idaho the weekend before last. Oregon had five teams place among the top 25: Burns (9th), Crook County (19th), Redmond (12th), La Pine (16th) and La Grande (24th).
Two OSAA-affiliated Beaver Staters won brackets: Landyn Philpott of La Pine (144) and sophomore Leif Larwin of Bend (165).
Two Burns wrestlers finished second in their classifications, Easton Kemper at 190 and Joe Weil at 215.
Third-place finishers included Tanner Brumble of Crook County (113), Tommy Belding of La Grande (157). Owen Hull of Grants Pass and Jacob Mann of Siuslaw (215).
Madras proves to arid is divine
Madras competed this last weekend at the High Desert Classic at Mazama High School. The team performed really well on Saturday and ended the day as team champions. This is the second tournament win in a row for the White Buffaloes.
Madras worked hard as a team to secure the win. The squad was led by Earl Oliver, who won at 150 pounds and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament after pinning his way through.
Daniel Jackson at 132 pounds was also tournament champion and has picked up some big wins the last couple of weeks over some tough opponents.
Madras finished the tournament with five champions, four second-placers and three that came in third.
“Our young guys really stepped it up and it was great to see them on the podium,” said coach Travis Ralls. “It was a great opportunity to wrestle teams we don't see on a regular basis at the High Desert Classic. I'm proud of the effort these young men have been putting in and it was great to see it pay off for them. We are excited for the next opportunity to compete and are looking forward to the rest of the season.”
News and notes
Oregon high school wrestlers are well represented on the roster at Oregon State. A total of 10 are listed, three from Crescent Valley (Hunter Eveland, DJ Gillett, Gabe Whisenhunt), three from West Linn (Ricky Bell, Sean Harman, Justin Rademacher), two from Redmond (Gage Singleton, Nash Singleton) and one each from Newberg (Ayden Garver) and Thurston (Vaun Halstead).
Eveland, Whisenhunt and Rademacher (redshirting) have not wrestled this year. The other seven have a collective 24-29 record, with Gillett (6-4) and Garver (7-6) faring best to date this season.
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Lincoln has had no boys state champion in more than three decades, but senior Nico Farinola is intent on breaking through this year. Farinola, who finished third in the 6A state meet at 132 pounds last year; is currently 20-1 on the season, with three tournament titles to his credit (132/138). He has 97 careers win to date and should exceed the century mark on the weekend.
The two-time state placer is a scholar with an unweighted GPA above 3.5 and is interested in studying engineering, business/finance, and other STEM and applied mathematics disciplines.
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Scappoose senior Maverick Heimbuck will study engineering and wrestle at Trinity University in Hartford next year. But the 2024 4A 157-pound champion has unfinished business yet this season. Heimbuck currently stands 24-2 on the year wrestling at 165. He has won the Muilenberg, Kelly Bledsoe, Phil White and Mountainside tournaments so far this season.
“Maverick's successes on and off the mat are a direct reflection of his elite work ethic and grit,” said coach Nick Byrd.
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Tillamook junior Addison Josi was undefeated heading into last weekend but lost twice at 170 pounds on Saturday at the Lady Dragon Invitational. Josi, who was fourth in the state at 170 last year (4A/3A/2A/1A), had her unbeaten streak snapped in the semifinals by Tigard senior Natalie Wilhoit, who was second in the 6A/5A state meet last year at 155 pounds.
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Banks attended the 41-team SuperChamps Tournament at Nogales HS in California the weekend before last. The Braves, 32 wrestlers strong, won the team title as the only school outside of California. Philemon Mauck (165) was Banks’ only bracket winner. Benjamin Dinan (138), Owen Turner (144) and Wyatt Jackson (175) each placed second.
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Knappa hosted the 23-team Knappa Winter Bash this weekend and performed well, with three champions among the six girls entered. Kiya Roe (105), Kareena Crawford (110) and Evelyn Wilson (115) all pinned their way through their brackets. Knappa finished third overall. Yamhill-Carlton was the top Oregon finisher in second place.
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Warrenton won the team title at the Winter Bash.
Liberty was second. The Falcons had champions in senior Matt Salzman (132) and junior Dallas Ochoa (144).
Knappa had a champion on the boys’ side, as Donnie Vangundy, out for the first month of the season, came back with a bang and pinned his way through the 113-pound bracket.
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St. Helens junior Greg Hall placed fifth at State last year at 4A-138 pounds. A dynamic, athleticism, entertaining wrestler, Hall is 22-4 on the year with tournament wins at Kelly Bledsoe and Paul Larson.
“He is a team captain and leads by example and he is one of the hardest workers in our wrestling room,” said coach Paul Connelly. “Greg is constantly working and learning new techniques. He does a great job implementing what he learns. He has a great sense of humor and adds character to our team. Greg also excels at academics.”
Hall has been a fixture in the St. Helens wrestling community since he was eight years old. A two-time state placer, the best is yet to come, Connelly said.
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Newport's boys traveled to Sweet Home for League Duals this week.
Giullian Gutierez was a bright spot for the Cubs. He got to wrestle for his first time in nearly a month coming back from injury and went 2-1 for the day, defeating tough wrestlers from North Marion and Junction City. Silas Moss continued to show growth and flashes of exceptional potential.
“If Silas can put the last couple of pieces together he could be a very dangerous wrestler to end the season,” said coach Micheal Bradley.
***.
Canby’s boys wrestled a league home dual against Putnam on Thursday and won by shutout, 75-0. (My math suggests that 11 wins were by fall).
The Cougars then went to Newberg for the Earl Gillis dual tournament and took third overall. They lost to Thurston in the semis but bounced back to edge Mountainside, 42-37, for the bronze, sparked by Maddox White, who turned around a third-period deficit in a pivotal match with a decisive fall.
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Emilia Ensrud’s third-place finish was a highlight for the Canby girls, who finished middle of the pack at the Lady Dragon Invite.
Undefeateds
In this recurring category, we list wrestlers with 10 or more wins who are currently undefeated on the season.
26-0 -- Jackson Doman, Sr., Canby (5A), 215
24-0 -- Layla Morris, Sr., Mountainside (6A/5A), 125
22-0 -- Jadyn Pense, Soph., St. Helens (4A/3A/2A/1A), 170
20-0 – Seth Wynn, Jr., Lebanon (5A), 157
12-0 – Kiya Roe, Jr., Knappa (4A/3A/2A/1A), 105
10-0 – Isaiah Parson, Sr., Canby (5A), 190
10-0 -- Shyla Sells, Fr., Mazama (4A/3A/2A/1A), 135
Legends of the fall
In this section, we list wrestlers with 15 or more falls this season.
Forrest Baumbaugh, Jr., Canby (5A), 126 -- 19 wins by fall (26-7 overall)
Zoe Brewer, Sr., Willamina (4A/3A/2A/1A), 105 – 21 wins by fall (29-1 overall)
Levi Conley, Fr., Harrisburg (3A), 138 – 17 wins by fall (19-5 overall)
Jackson Doman, Sr., Canby (5A) ,215 lbs --17 wins by fall (26-0 overall)
Mary Jane Duty, Soph., Lebaon (6A/5A), 115 – 21 wins by fall (23-5 overall)
Lita Haworth, Sr., Lebanon (6A/5A), 140 – 15 wins by fall (20-4 overall)
James Keinonen, Sr., Canby (5A), 175 -- 19 wins by fall (28-4 overall)
Alexander Maurer, Sr., Canby (5A), 285 -- 15 wins by fall (17-7 overall)
Layla Morris, Sr., Mountainside (6A/5A), 125 – 17 wins by fall (23-0 overall)
Jadyn Pense, Soph., St. Helens (4A/3A/2A/1A), 170 – 21 wins by fall (22-0 overall)
Landyn Philpott, Sr., La Pine (3A), 144 - 18 wins by fall (24-1 overall record)
Lily Ridgley, Jr., Harrisburg (4A/3A/2A/1A), 130 – 18 wins by fall (19-3 overall)
Jade Seymour, Jr., La Pine (4A/3A/2A/1A), 132 -- 16 wins by fall (18-5 overall record)
Trey Smith, Soph., Canby (5A), 120 -- 15 wins by fall (27-2 overall)
Gracie Williams, Jr., Harrisburg (4A/3A/2A/1A), 105 – 17 wins by fall (20-7 overall)
Nico Yazzolino, Sr., Canby (5A), 144 -- 23 wins by fall (26-4 overall)
The top step
In this section, we list wrestlers with four or more tournament titles this season.
Zachary Brown, Sr., Heppner (2A), 165 – Enterprise Winter Kickoff, Oregon Trail Championship, Culver Invitational, Elgin Memorial
Maverick Heimbuck, Sr., Scappoose (4A0, 165 -- Muilenberg, Kelly Bledsoe, Phil White, Mountainside
Landon McMahon, Jr., Heppner (2A), 215 – Culver Invitational, Elgin Memorial, Mac-Hi Christmas Tournament, Jo-Hi
Layla Morris, Sr., Mountainside (6A/5A), 125 -- Jaguar Girls Invite, North Bend Coast Classic Girls, Mountainside Girls Tournament, Sierra Nevada Classic, Lady Dragon Invite
Jadyn Pense, Soph., St. Helens (4A/3A/2A/1A), 170 – Kelly Bledsoe tournament, Canby Girls tournament, PAC Coast tournament, Lady Dragon Invite
Landyn Philpott, Sr., La Pine (3A), 144 -- Adrian Irwin Invite, Culver Invite, GFP Outlaw Invite, Rollie Lane Invitational
Eden Ridgley, Fr., Harrisburg (4A/3A/2A/1A), 100 – Deven Dawson Memorial, Coast Classic, Hadden Invitational, Pape Linn County
Kiya Roe, Jr., Knappa (4A/3A/2A/1A), 105 – Kelly Bledsoe Invitational, Warrenton Girls Invite, Warrenton Fast Lube and Oil Invite, Bill Hagerty Invitational, Knappa Winter Bash
Paxton Steele, Soph. Harrisburg (4A/3A/2A/1A), 110 -- Coast Classic, Hadden Invitational, Pape Linn County, Sutherlin Girls
Blazing blades
In this section, we list wrestlers recording pins this season in 12 or fewer seconds.
8 seconds
Bailey Chaffin, Sr., Sweet Home (4A/3A/2A/1A), 125 – War of the Roses (Dec. 14)
10 seconds
Bella Rico, Fr., Sweet Home (4A/3A/2A/1A), 130 – War of the Roses (Dec. 14)
11 seconds
Mysti Ferguson, Soph., Newport (4A/3A/2A/1A), 170 – Your Space Storage Invitational (Jan. 3)
12 seconds
Addison Burleigh, Sr., Mountainside (6A/5A), 135 – Mountainside Girls Tournament (Dec. 21)
Layla Morris, Sr., Mountainside (6A/5A), 125 – Jaguar Girls Invite (Dec. 7)
100 % COMMITTED!
In this section, we identify those wrestlers who have made commitments to wrestle in college.
Orinn Hubbard, Sr., Redmond, 190 – University of Saint Mary (Kansas)
Maverick Heimback, Sr., Scappose, 157 – Trinity College (Connecticut)
Joey Hutchins, Sr., Crater, 138 – Southeastern University (Florida)
If you are a high school varsity wrestling head coach and want to know how you can contribute to future Notebooks, contact John Tawa at [email protected]
johnt@osaa.org
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