Oregon girls wrestling: Champions, takeaways from district meets
By René Ferrán
The girls wrestling district meets took place over the weekend, with the OSAA state championships scheduled for Feb. 23-25 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
Here's a look at the champions and three takeaways from each district meet.
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CLASS 6A/5A
The top three finishers at the SD1 and SD2 tournaments and the top two finishers at the SD3 tournament advance to the OSAA state championships Feb. 24-25 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
Special District 1 (at Century)
Team champion: Hillsboro (224 points)
Most qualifiers: Hillsboro (6), Forest Grove (4), Liberty (4), Southridge (4)
Individual champions
100 Nina Deleon, Hillsboro, Sr.
105 Dezire Solis, McDaniel, Sr.
110 Karen Nava, Century, Sr.
115 Zorina Johnson, Ida B. Wells, Fr.
120 Layla Morris, Mountainside, So.
125 Kailea Takahashi, Forest Grove, So.
130 Haley Vann, Cleveland, Sr.
135 Annalis Ortez-Pierce, Westview, Sr.
140 Kennedy Blanton, Forest Grove, So.
145 Jasmine Hopkins, Forest Grove, Sr.
155 Lauraine Smith, Hood River Valley, Sr.
170 Vida Boskovic, Roosevelt, Sr.
190 Meleane Liu, Southridge, Sr.
235 Marilyn Ramirez-Carmona, Southridge, Sr.
3 notes
Three district champions bolster Forest Grove’s state title defense
Forest Grove won its first OSAA state championship last February despite just four wrestlers advancing to the state meet in Culver, with all four reaching the finals. Blanton and Hopkins will get a chance to take the final step up the podium after winning district titles, and Takahashi (the younger sister of 2022 runner-up Makalia Takahashi) gave the Vikings a meet-best three champions.
Cleveland’s Vann extends win streak to 74 in winning district title
Vann earned an invitation to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs earlier this season. The two-time state champion and future North Central College grappler won her 74th consecutive high school match with an 11-1 major decision over Forest Grove freshman Renae Cook in the final. Vann is ranked No. 17 in the country at 132 pounds by USA Wrestling.
Beaverton, Wells, Jefferson set to debut at OSAA state tournament
Beaverton had not qualified a wrestler to any of the first three official OSAA state meets (the Beavers had one wrestler at the 2021 OWA championships). Three Beaverton girls will make the trip to Memorial Coliseum in three weeks, including freshman Sara Pipinich, the runner-up to Solis at 105. Other schools taking advantage of the OSAA’s split into two classifications to qualify girls for the first time include Ida B. Wells and Jefferson.
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Special District 2 (at West Albany)
Team champion: McKay (288 points)
Most qualifiers: McKay (9), North Salem (5), West Albany (4)
Individual champions
100 Sarahi Chavez, McKay, So.
105 Angelina Paniagua, McKay, So.
110 Mia Pedersen, Redmond, Fr.
115 Ariana Martinez, West Albany, Sr.
120 Mariko Sonis, North Salem, Jr.
125 Marilyn Mentado, McKay, Jr.
130 Venelle Imbi, Wilsonville, Sr.
135 Maci Pearson, West Albany, Jr.
140 MacKenzie Shearon, Redmond, So.
145 Reese Lawson, West Salem, Jr.
155 Destiny Rodriguez, West Linn, Sr.
170 Jasmine Brown, Wilsonville, Jr.
190 Ali Martinez, McNary, Jr.
235 Rose Williams, Centennial, Sr.
3 notes
McKay sending state-leading nine wrestlers to OSAA championships
McKay has steadily built its girls program since the OSAA bestowed official state championship status in 2019. After having zero qualifiers that first year, one in 2020, three at the unofficial OWA event in 2021 and four last year, the Royal Scots will send a state-leading nine qualifiers to Memorial Coliseum in three weeks. Chavez, who reached the state final last winter, leads the contingent, joined by two other district champions.
Destiny in her hands: Rodriguez remains undefeated for high school career
Rodriguez is three weeks from cementing her legacy as the most dominant female wrestler in state history — and perhaps the most dominant high school wrestler, period. The West Linn senior, ranked No. 3 in the nation pound-for-pound and No. 1 at 164 pounds by USA Wrestling, improved her all-time record to 68-0 (66 by fall) with four first-period wins en route to a third district title. She’ll look to become the second four-time girls state champion at the 6A/5A meet.
West Albany’s Martinez improves to 40-0 after rolling through district
Ariana Martinez might not have Rodriguez’s pedigree, but the West Albany senior continued one of the most dominant seasons of any wrestler this winter with her performance this weekend. Like Rodriguez, Martinez also had four first-period pins, including a 71-second fall against Mountain View’s Arianna Korish in the final, to improve to 40-0 this season.
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Special District 3 (at Thurston)
Team champion: Thurston (201 points)
Most qualifiers: North Medford (7), Thurston (7), Dallas (3)
Individual champions
100 Skyler Hall, North Medford, Fr.
105 Sienna Caruso, Crater, Sr.
110 Kaylee Annis, Thurston, Sr.
115 Ivy McIntosh, Dallas, So.
120 Sadie Hall, North Medford, So.
125 Sophia Cellini, Ashland, Sr.
130 Kiana Patrick, North Medford, Jr.
135 Estella Gutches, North Medford, Sr.
140 Kristal Zamora, Thurston, So.
145 Izabella Castleberry, Thurston, Fr.
155 Isabella Jaime, North Medford, Jr.
170 Alixia Hernandez, Eagle Point, So.
190 Georgia Buehler, Corvallis, Sr.
235 Katelyn Klingler, Crater, So.
3 notes
Thurston, North Medford parlay dominance into numerous state berths
Two-time state champion Thurston made its case for reclaiming the title it lost to Forest Grove last winter (the Colts finished second) by holding off North Medford by 23 points for the district crown. Both Thurston and North Medford advanced seven wrestlers to state — the two schools grabbed half the qualifiers from the district meet.
Gutches set up to win first OSAA state championship
Gutches, the niece of Hall of Fame wrestler and world champion Les Gutches, will vie for her first OSAA state title in three weeks after needing just 105 seconds in her three matches to win a third district title. Gutches finished second at last year’s state meet and third as a freshman — her only state championship came at the OWA tournament that culminated the COVID-shortened 2021 season.
Colts bolster state hopes through wrestle backs
Because the district tournament offered only two spots at the state meet, the winner of the consolation bracket had the opportunity to “wrestle back” and face the loser of the district final if they had not already met in the bracket.
Half the weight classes required this winner-take-all match, and four consolation winners took advantage to earn the coveted second berth. Among those four were three Thurston wrestlers — freshmen Karly Willson at 120 and Kassidy Hadden at 125 and junior Katelyn Dow at 170 — bolstering the Colts’ hopes of winning a third state title. South Medford freshman Leilarose Calva (155) was the other “lucky loser” to advance.
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CLASS 4A/3A/2A/1A
The top four finishers at each district tournament advance to the OSAA state championships Feb. 23-24 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
Special District 1 (at Scappoose)
Team champion: La Grande (254 points)
Most qualifiers: Baker/Powder Valley (7), La Grande (7), Scappoose (6)
Individual champions
100 Kiya L. Roe, Knappa, Fr.
105 Lyndie Isaacson, La Grande, So.
110 Katelynn Leonard, St. Helens, Jr.
115 Courtney Hall, Scappoose, Sr.
120 Delia Gulzow, La Grande, Sr.
125 Joss Pember, Clatskanie, Sr.
130 Alexandra Geschwill, Kennedy, Sr.
135 Sariah Zepeda, Gervais, Jr.
140 Ava Collins, Vale, Jr.
145 Jessica Williams, Vale, Jr.
155 Marli Lind, Baker/Powder Valley, So.
170 Oakeley Anderson, Baker/Powder Valley, So.
190 Gracie Baker, Crane, So.
235 Stephanie Romero, Irrigon, Jr.
3 notes
Another La Grande wrestling dynasty in the making?
La Grande barely made any headway in the first four seasons that girls wrestling became an official OSAA sport, never finishing higher than 40th in four meets. The Tigers, however, might be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the split between 6A/5A schools and 4A/3A/2A/1A. They romped to an 88-point victory at the district meet and qualified seven wrestlers to state, led by Gulzow, their only previous state medalist (fourth in 2020, third in 2022).
Four schools to send first girls to OSAA state championships
Eastern Oregon rivals La Grande and Baker/Powder Valley cleaned up at the westside district meet, placing 1-2 in the team standings and combining to grab one-fourth of the available berths. Two coastal schools — Knappa and Clatskanie — made history with their first girls district champions, while both joined Adrian and Rainier in sending their first girls to an OSAA state meet (Knappa had one qualifier to the 2021 OWA tournament).
Another Zepeda ready to make her mark in girls wrestling
If Zepeda’s name rings a bell, it’s because she’s the younger sister of Alexys Zepeda, one of the early pioneers of girls wrestling in the state who as a freshman became the highest-placing girl at an OSAA boys state tournament with a third-place finish in the 3A 113-pound division. Sariah, like her older sister, was a schoolgirl phenom, but she took the past two years off from the sport.
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Special District 2 (at Cottage Grove)
Team champion: Sweet Home (168 points)
Most qualifiers: La Pine (5), Sweet Home (5)
Individual champions
100 Sarah Gonzales, North Valley, So.
105 Chelo Garcia, Siletz Valley, Sr.
110 Macali Lade, Siuslaw, So.
115 Allison Palluck, Cottage Grove, So.
120 MaKenna Duran, Crook County, Jr.
125 Bailey Chafin, Sweet Home, Fr.
130 Julietta Leal, La Pine, Sr.
135 Katarina Jentzsch, Elmira, Sr.
140 Megan Peterson, Hidden Valley, Jr.
145 Riley Allison, La Pine, Jr.
155 Kira Kerr, La Pine, Sr.
170 June Highburger, Elmira, Jr.
190 Lilliyan Jaramillo, Rogue River, Jr.
235 Breanna Meek, North Valley, So.
3 notes
Sweet Home looks to better second-place showing of two years ago
Two years ago, Sweet Home posted the best-ever finish by a small school at a girls state tournament, placing second at the OWA championships that culminated the COVID-shortened season. The Huskies dropped to eighth last season, but they’ll be one of the title contenders in three weeks after edging La Pine by eight points for the district title. Chafin, who improved to 39-1 with a first-round pin of La Pine’s Jade Seymour in the district final, will lead their five-wrestler contingent at Memorial Coliseum.
La Pine hopes to make podium for first time since inaugural state meet
La Pine took home a trophy from the inaugural OSAA girls state championships in 2019 and has posted top-15 finishes at each meet since. The Hawks also had a strong showing at Cottage Grove, with a meet-high three district champions leading the way. Kerr became the fifth member of her family to win a state title last February and repeated as district champion this weekend.
10 schools qualify first girls to OSAA state championships
While La Pine and Sweet Home led the way with five qualifiers apiece, 32 of the 48 schools that sent wrestlers to district saw at least one girl qualify for the state meet in three weeks. Ten of those 32 will be their school’s first state qualifier to the girls meet, with Marshfield sending two.
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