‘This is for everybody in Redmond.’ Panthers’ 5A championship is for everyone in their wrestling-loving community

“It’s just so fun to see the people rally around this team and what we’re all about.”

By René Ferrán | Photos by Taylor Balkom 

When Redmond won the OSAA wrestling state championship in 1959, Kris Davis’ grandfather was on the coaching staff. 

Sixty-four years later, Davis led the Panthers back to the top of the standings.

While Thurston and three four-time state champions were the headliners in Sunday morning’s Class 5A finals at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Redmond quietly amassed enough points in the consolation bracket to secure the program’s second state title by seven points. 

“This is for the whole community,” said Davis, a 1991 Redmond graduate. “Redmond is a wrestling community. My phone is blowing up right now. It’s just so fun to see the people rally around this team and what we’re all about. This is for everybody in Redmond, for sure.”

The Colts had eight finalists and three champions, but no one in the consolation rounds. The Panthers had four finalists and one champion, but that one championship was a big one — senior Ansen Widing pulled out a 7-0 decision against Thurston’s Colton Annis that provided an eight-point swing in the standings.

Five wrestlers worked on the backside of the brackets to chip away at Thurston’s Day 1 lead, going 7-3, with each winning at least one match. 

“We knew we could get there,” Davis said. “We had to have our backside on the consolation side win, which they did. They stepped up and scored a lot of points, getting as high as they could on the podium. If we could build up a big enough lead, we knew we could maybe be able to win.”

Thurston seniors Kolton Malone (145) and Vaun Halstead (195) capped undefeated seasons by repeating as state champions, joined on the top step of the podium by junior 106-pounder Kanoe Kelly.

Halstead’s younger brother Holton was one of the Colts’ five runners-up, going the distance against Crescent Valley’s DJ Gillett before the Raiders senior wrapped up his fourth state title with a 4-0 victory. Thurston’s second-place finish was its best since winning the 2002 title.

Gillett’s teammate Daschle Lamer, the No. 3 wrestler in his weight class in SBLive/Sports Illustrated’s national rankings, capped his fourth state title with a first-round pin of Thurston’s Sawyer Casarez. 

Crater edged Mountain View by a half-point for third place, with Hayden Walters’ first-round pin in the 220 final to clinch his fourth state title providing the necessary bonus points.

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Meet the champions: Class 6A | Class 5A | Class 4A | Class 3A | Class 2A/1A | Class 6A/5A Girls | Class 4A/3A/2A/1A Girls

Photos of championship matches: Class 6A, 5A | Class 6A/5A Girls | Class 4A, 3A, 2A/1A, 4A/3A/2A/1A Girls

Wrestlers to watch at state: Freshmen | Sophomores | Juniors | Seniors

Previewing the state meets: 6A | 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A/1A | 6A/5A Girls | 4A/3A/2A/1A Girls

Recapping the district meets: 6A | 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A/1A | Girls

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF 2023 OSAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS