‘Live and learn.’ Motivated by last year's final loss, Thurston's Vaun Halstead seals the deal this time: Oregon (OSAA) wrestling 220-pounds roundup

By René Ferrán 

Vaun Halstead knew the stakes riding on his 220-pound final. 

If the Thurston junior could pin Hillsboro junior Sebastian Echevarria, he would get the two bonus points needed for the Colts to tie Crook County for second place in the team standings.

He also knew it would not be easy to pin his rival — but it could be done. He’d pinned Echevarria in the semifinals of June’s state meet, but Echevarria had yet to be pinned in a match this season.

While Halstead took him down three times during the match — once in each period — he never came close to getting the necessary fall, winning a 7-1 decision that left the Colts two points shy of catching the Cowboys for second at Saturday’s Class 5A state wrestling meet at Ridgeview High School in Redmond.

“I’ve wrestled Sebastian a lot in middle school and high school, and I knew what he was capable of,” said Halstead, who finished the season 36-1. “He was a tough opponent — obviously the toughest I had all day — so I just tried to focus on what I had to do, the things I wanted to work on, and that’s what I did. I executed my plan.” 

Halstead placed second at state eight months ago, letting a 4-3 lead slip away in the final round against Redmond’s Austin Carter. That defeat was still fresh in his mind. 

“It was definitely heartbreaking,” he said. “It was a winnable match, but you’ve got to live and learn from that, and I feel like that’s what I’ve done this year.” 

4A: Sweet Home senior Colby Gazeley survived overtime to win his semifinal match, then knocked off top seed Tanner Wells of McLoughlin/Weston-McEwen 4-2 in the final to give the Huskies four individual champions. 

3A: Nyssa junior Jesse Aragon stunned top seed Trent Olsen of Sutherlin 3-1, handing the senior his first loss of the season and securing the fourth-place team trophy for the Bulldogs. 

2A/1A: Coquille sophomore Tommy Vigue lived up to his top seed, winning four matches by fall, including a first-round pin of Adrian’s Toby Clow in the final. 

6A: Breaking the silence: Sprague’s David Sherman enjoys atmosphere surrounding second wrestling title