According to ORHSsportsrecords.com, forty (40) wrestlers have won four consecutive state championships in the 73-year history of the sport in Oregon.
This weekend at the OSAA OnPoint Community Credit Union Wrestling State Championships, four more wrestlers – Newberg’s Ayden Garver, Stayton’s Mauro Michel and Crescent Valley’s Gabe Whisenhunt and James Rowley -- will get the opportunity to add their names to that storied list.
While there has been at least one wrestler every year to complete the quad every year since 2008, never have four wrestlers achieved the goal in one year. If Michel gets it done, he will become only the fifth wrestler in Oregon history to win four state titles with two different schools. Michel won state as a freshman and sophomore for Cascade.
Here’s a brief look at what to expect this weekend:
6A state championships
Saturday and Sunday, Sandy HS
2021 state champion: Newberg
2022 state favorite: Newberg
Most qualified wrestlers: Newberg 21, Roseburg 20, Sprague 13, Tualatin 13
Returning state champions:
106: Gage Singleton, 10, Roseburg
120: Brayden Boyd, 12, Sprague (2-time champion)
126: Zachary Keinonen, 10, Newberg (won last year at 113)
132: Nash Singleton, 12, Roseburg ( 2-time champion; named Most Outstanding Wrestler at Reser’s)
132: Nicky Olmstead, 12, Newberg (2-time champion; won at 126 last year)
145: Ayden Garver, 12, Newberg (3-time champion)
152: Charlie Evans, 10, Newberg (2-time champion)
170: Riley Davis, 11, Sprague (won last year at 160)
182: Brook Byers, 12, Sprague (2-time champion)
195: Hudson Davis, 11, Newberg
Story lines to follow: Sophomore Isaac Hampton of Newberg is the top seed at 113 pounds. He remains undefeated on the year. Hampton lost in the 106-pound final last spring to Gage Singleton of Roseburg…Nicky Olmstead of Newberg won a state title at 106 pounds as a freshman and at 126 last year. To triple, he will need to get by top-seeded Nash Singleton of Roseburg at 132 pounds…Undefeated Charlie Evans of Newberg will be looking for a third straight tile after finishing as runner up at 132 his freshman year…Sophomore Jeremiah Wachsmuth from Clackamas and sophomore Max Blanco of McNary are seeded 2 and 3 in the 106-pound division. They are first cousins and could meet in the third round. They have not wrestled one another in at least four years…McNary qualified five wrestlers, including Blanco, who is McNary’s first District champion since 2016. Blanco has lost only four times this season, all at 113 pounds…Lincoln qualified four wrestlers: freshmen Nico Farinola (113 pounds) and Milo Sameck (132), junior Matthew Burks (195) and senior Mack Dolich (195). All took second in their District meet…If Ayden Garver wins at 145 pounds, he will be only the second four-time champion at Newberg…Newberg coach Neil Russo knows that his Tigers are the favorite, but says that Roseburg, Mountain View, Sprague and West Linn should all be formidable. “Folks want to hand it to us and say that the race is for second,” Russo said. “We are not thinking that way at all. We are not dismissing that, on paper, we are the favorites. But, we are only concerned with our kids being just a little bit better than they have been all year long - nothing more and nothing less. We like our chances and we like our guys! We are focused on round one on Saturday morning and we'll go from there.” Newberg has never won three consecutive team titles…
5A state championships
Saturday, Ridgeview HS
2021 state champion: Crescent Valley
2022 state favorite: Crescent Valley
Most qualified wrestlers: Crook County 21, Redmond 17, Thurston 16, Dallas 15, St. Helens 14
Returning state champions:
106: Everest Sutton, 10, Crescent Valley
126: Gabe Whisenhunt, 12, Crescent Valley (3-time champion)
132: Cash Wells, 11 Crook County (seeded fifth in 2022)
132: DJ Gillett, 11, Crescent Valley (2-time champion; won at 120 last year)
170: Daschle Lamer, 11, Crescent Valley (2-time champion; won at 160 last year)
182: James Rowley, 12, Crescent Valley (3-time champion)
195: Hayden Walters, 11, Crescent Valley (2-time champion)
285: Riley Godek, 12, Crescent Valley
Story lines to follow: Crescent Valley is favored to repeat as 5A champions despite qualifying just 10 wrestlers for the state tournament. Down in numbers this year, the Raiders only entered 12 in the District meet. It helps to have seven returning state champions…Austin Dalton, a state champion as a sophomore, is wrestling at 160 pounds and gives Crescent Valley a potential eighth state champion this year. “In 2019 we only brought eight guys to state and won it so I think our crew can pull it off again but hopefully it won't come down to the last match like 2019!” exclaimed Raider head coach Chad Lamer…Rex Putnam is taking seven to state, a tie for the school record. Undefeated Drew Greco at 145 pounds is one of them. The senior is 23-0 on the year, but faces a brutal bracket featuring top-seeded Ethan Dunigan of Central and No. 2 seed Junior Downing of Redmond…Tournament host Ridgeview will have seven in the state tournament, including two serious contenders, seniors Daniel Jaramillo (152 pounds) and Joe Martin (220). Both are 3-seeds…Keep an eye on North Salem senior Owen Reding. He has been wrestling at a high level all month, has only lost three times all season and could challenge Thurston senior Hunter Harwood in the 152-pound division...
4A state championships
Saturday, Cascade HS
2021 state champion: Sweet Home
2022 state favorite: La Grande
Most qualified wrestlers: Tillamook 19, La Grande 18, Sweet Home 17, Mazama 14, Baker / Powder Valley 14
Returning state champions:
106: Kyle Sieminski, 10, Sweet Home
120: Benjamin Hernandez, 11, Philomath (won at 113 last year; seeded fifth at 120)
126: Jake Sieminski, 11, Sweet Home (won at 120 last year; seeded fifth at 126)
132: Mauro Michel, 12, Stayton(3-time champion; won at 126 last year)
145: Braden Carson, 12, La Grande (2-time champion; won at 138 last year)
170: Blaise Pindell, 12, Philomath (seeded fifth this year)
182: Lance Van Hoose, 12, Cascade (won at 160 last year)
195: Gauge Bloomer, 12, Baker / Powder Valley (seeded fifth this year)
Story lines to follow: Braden Carson of La Grande followed a runner up finish at 126 his freshman year with back-to-back state titles… Mauro Michel, who is seeking to win a fourth straight title, has won 63 straight matches since transferring to Stayton from Cascade. His competition at 132 pounds should come from second-seeded Dylan Smith of Banks, whom he has pinned; and third-seeded Brysen Penaloza of La Grande, a wrestler he has yet to face…Mazama has 14 total qualifiers, including Tanner Wood, the third seed at 138 pounds. Wood is seeking to become the first three-time state placer in school history…Mazama has five other seeded wrestlers, including returning state placer Savien Burk at 145 pounds. Unseeded Tyson Van Gastel was district runner up at 195 pounds, not bad for someone wrestling in high school for the first time. “Our team goal is to earn a top four trophy at state,” said coach Matthew Penrod. “If we come to wrestle, we have several competitors that can challenge for the finals and podium finishes.” Stayton senior Eli Howard finished second at 138 pounds last year. He is the No. 1 seed in that division this year…Kolton Malone not only is undefeated on the year; the junior also won the Reser’s Tournament of Champions at 138 pounds. He should be the No. 1 seed but, because of criteria – he was injured and did not wrestle last season after placing second at 120 pounds as a freshman – will start as the No. 4 overall seed. That’s bad news for top-seeded Narcizo Garza of St. Helens, a senior who fill likely have to tangle with Malone in the semifinals rather than for the title…
3A state championships
Saturday, La Pine HS
2021 state champion: La Pine
2022 state favorite: La Pine
Most qualified wrestlers: La Pine 14, Harrisburg 14, Burns 10, Warrenton 10
Returning state champions:
106: Tyson Flack, 10, Sweet Home (seeded third this year)
138: Dylan Mann, 12, La Pine (won at 132 last year)
145: Tony Cisneros, 12, Dayton (won at 138 last year)
145: Kevin Peasley, 12, Burns (seeded third this year)
160: Michael Fox, 12, Willamina / Falls City
182: David Bowlin, 12, Dayton
Story lines to follow: Michael Fox of Willamina / Falls City was twice a state runner up before breaking through to win at 160 pounds last spring…Senior Oliver Barnes of Burns won state as a sophomore at 106 pounds. He is the third seed at 126 pounds this year…Harrisburg qualified a school-record 14 wrestlers to the state tournament. The Eagles have 18 wrestlers, total, with only two juniors and no seniors. They have no returning state placers, but several wrestlers who should contend, including top-seeded Luke Cheek, a freshman, at 106 pounds…Harrisburg freshman Isaac Talmadge has a win this season over top-seeded Landyn Philpott of La Pine at 120 pounds…At 132 pounds, Harrisburg sophomore Neaphi Heakin, the second seed, is one of four wrestlers on his size of the bracket with third-or-better state finishes…
2A/1A state championships
Saturday, Culver HS
2021 state champion: Culver
2022 state favorite: Culver
Most qualified wrestlers: Culver 15, Illinois Valley 11
Returning state champions:
106: Michael Miller, 10, Illinois Valley
120: Brandon DePue, 12, Vernonia (won at 113 last year)
126: Garrett Burns, 12, Imbler (2-time champion; won at 120 last year)
132: Aaron Solomon, 12, Reedsport (2-time champion)
138: Chase Butner, 12, Pine Eagle (2-time champion; won at 126 last year)
170: Kaleb Oliver, 12, Oakland (2-time champion; won at 160 last year)
182: Morgan Ludwig, 12, Lakeview
Story lines to follow: Pine Eagle senior Chase Butner won state as a freshman at 106 pounds, but was upset in the second round as a sophomore at 120 pounds. He won again in the spring at 126 pounds…Regis qualified five for the state tournament in its first year as a program. Two District champions are seeded at state: Lucas Bischoff at 160 pounds and his brother, Thomas Bischoff, at 170…Imbler only qualified one for state but he is a good one! Senior Garrett Burns is the top seed at 126 pounds. Burns is 38-3 heading into the state tournament. His losses have come against a 5A wrestler, a 2A/1A wrestler competing in another weight class and someone he has twice pinned since losing to… Justin Hodge, a senior from Grant Union / Prairie City, won state at 152 pounds as a sophomore in 2020. He is seeded second in the same weight division this year…
Girls state championships
Thursday, Culver HS
2021 state champion: Thurston
2022 state favorite: Thurston
Most qualified wrestlers: St. Helens 6, North Medford 6, Hillsboro 5
Returning state champions:
105: Kaylee Annis, 11, Thurston (2-time champion)
120: Haley Vann, 11, Cleveland
125: Ayana Medina, 12, Hillsboro (2-time champion)
135: Makaila Takahashi, 12, Forest Grove
140: Bella Amaro, 12, Oregon City
155: Destiny Rodriguez, 11, West Linn (2-time champion)
Story lines to follow: Nationally-regarded Anna McDougall won state for Elmira in 2020 wrestling at 155 pounds. Now wrestling at Central Linn, the senior will be unseeded at 170 pounds after being pinned by Tillamook’s Jennifer Delatorre in the District final. McDougall is wrestling up to avoid two-time defending champion Destiny Rodriguez of West Linn at 155. Rodriguez is one of the top 20 girls wrestlers, regardless of weight division, in the country. Newberg senior Sophia Redwine is a two-time state champ. She’d probably be looking for the quad herself, but she opted to wrestle in the boys’ 6A tournament as a sophomore. To win a third title, Redwine will have to go through two-time champion Ayana Medina of Hillsboro at 125 pounds…When Redwine won state at 100 pounds her freshman year, she became the first official girls’ state champion to be recognized by the OSAA…Two-time defending champion Thurston has only four wrestlers in the field, but two are top-seeded: Annis and senior Averie Stockwell...The 120-pound division features two stars in Haley Vann and Estella Gulches, but don't sleep on third seeded Mariko Sonis of North Salem. The sophomore is a former jiu-jitsu all-star as a youth who decided to try her hand at wrestling. Sonis was a regional champion in 2022 and barely missed placing last year at state.
johnt@osaa.org
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