Oregon 4A wrestling: Champions, takeaways from district meets

The 4A wrestling district meets took place over the weekend, with the OSAA state championships scheduled for Feb. 22-23 in Portland

The 4A wrestling district meets took place over the weekend, with the OSAA state championships scheduled for Feb. 22-23 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

Here’s a look at the champions and three takeaways from each of the four district meets. The top four finishers from each district meet advance to state. 

— 

Special District 1 (at Estacada)

Team champion: Tillamook (338 points) 

Most automatic qualifiers: Tillamook (14), Estacada (10), St. Helens (8), Astoria (8) 

Individual champions

106 Braiden Grochowsky, So., Estacada

113 Bryce Haltiner, Sr., Tillamook

120 Jak Hopkes, Jr., Tillamook

126 Beau Sandberg, So., Molalla

132 Chance Fletcher, So., Tillamook

138 John Hayes, Jr., Molalla

144 Cohen Schleich, Sr., Estacada

150 Brayden Cooley, Fr., Seaside

157 Maverick Heimbuck, Jr., Scappoose

165 Derek Bond, Sr., Scappoose

175 Henry Davis, Jr., Astoria

190 Koi Smith, Jr., Tillamook

215 Cayden Baker, Jr., Scappoose

285 Matthew Evans, Sr., Astoria

3 notes

Tillamook claims sixth team title, sends 14 wrestlers to state

It wasn’t quite as dominant of a performance as a year ago for Tillamook, but the Cheesemakers still made it a half-dozen consecutive district titles by defeating host Estacada by 45 points.

Tillamook, which saw a streak of four podium finishes at the state meet snapped last winter, will send 14 wrestlers to Memorial Coliseum in two weeks.

The Cheesemakers’ title run was led by last year’s 106-pound state champion, Haltiner, who recorded three pins en route to the 113 district title. He was one of four Tillamook district champions, most of the eight schools in the field.

Estacada’s Schleich wins third district championship 

Schleich earned a three-peat (he has lost only once in four district tournaments) with four consecutive pins to highlight a strong performance by the Rangers, whose second-place finish is their best showing since 2021.

Schleich, who finished fourth at state a year ago, has placed at state in his first three appearances. He will be part of a 10-wrestler contingent at the Coliseum in two weeks, including fellow district champion Grochowsky in his first season. 

Molalla on the rise with third-place district finish

Just two years ago, Molalla finished seventh at district, with one district champion and two state qualifiers. This weekend, it matched its best showing in the standings (third) since 2018, with two district titlists and six qualifiers. Hayes repeated as district champion with a 9-3 decision against St. Helens’ Greg Hall and now hopes to reach the state podium after coming up one win short last year. 

—

Special District 2 (at Stayton)

Team champion: Sweet Home (472.5 points)

Most qualifiers: Sweet Home (18), Cascade (12), Philomath (9)

Individual champions

106 Jesse Landtroop, Fr., Sweet Home 

113 Tytus Hardee, So., Sweet Home

120 Kyle Sieminski, Sr., Sweet Home

126 Jayce Miller, Sr., Sweet Home

132 Conrad Baxter, Jr., Cascade

138 Leonardo Michel, So., Stayton

144 Kyle Zajic, Fr., Sweet Home

150 Riley Barrett, So., Philomath

157 Luke Rosa, So., Sweet Home

165 Ethan Coates, Sr., Cascade

175 Ashton Swanson, Jr., Sweet Home

190 Matthew Hinkle, So., Cascade

215 Lynkin Royer, So., Sweet Home

285 Nicholas Lopez, Jr., Cascade

3 notes

A decade’s worth of championships for Sweet Home

Sweet Home put on an even more impressive performance this weekend as it did a year ago in earning a 10th consecutive district title. 

The Huskies improved upon their overall point total (448.5 last year), had one more district champion (eight), put 14 of 18 state qualifiers in district finals — including all-Sweet Home finals at 120 and 215 — and advanced wrestlers in 13 of 14 weight classes, missing only at 138.

Sieminski, who will be going for a fourth state title in two weeks, won by default against sophomore teammate Dillan Davis for his third district title. Also repeating as district champions were Hardee and Swanson, and junior Colton Bennett moved up to 285 and lost to Lopez 3-1 in sudden-victory overtime in a matchup of returning titlists.

2 Cascade champions beat ’23 state placers among 12 qualifiers

Cascade put in a solid showing in finishing second again to Sweet Home and advanced 12 wrestlers to Memorial Coliseum in its bid to earn a state trophy for the first time since 2020.

Lopez, who won a second consecutive title, was among four Cougars who took home district championships. Coates posted an impressive victory over Sweet Home’s Ryker Hartsook (fifth at state as a junior) in the 165 final, and Hinkle defeated another returning state placer (Sweet Home’s David Steagall) in the 190 final.

Philomath’s Barrett remains undefeated heading to state meet

Barrett heads to Memorial Coliseum with his undefeated season intact after a 7-1 decision against Sweet Home junior Jacob Landtroop in the 150 final. Barrett improved to 44-0, including 31 pins and four technical falls. Only six of his matches have gone the full six minutes. Barrett bids to become the first Philomath wrestler to win an OSAA state title since 2007. 

—

Special District 3 (at Marshfield)

Team champion: Mazama (340 points) 

Most qualifiers: Mazama (16), Marshfield (13), Hidden Valley (8)

Individual champions

106 Garron Castro, So., Marshfield

113 Christian Woodram, Fr., Marshfield

120 Trayton Forbes, So., Marshfield

126 Dylan Clark, Sr., Henley

132 Reese Hite, Jr., Marshfield

138 Kyle Nichols, Sr., Henley

144 Wyatt Smith, Sr., North Bend

150 Levi Hicks, Jr., Klamath Union

157 Zach Humphrey, Sr., Hidden Valley

165 Kris Baldwin, Jr., Mazama

175 Aryan Wright, Jr., Marshfield

190 Tyson Van Gastel, Sr., Mazama

215 Ty Bradbury, Jr., Hidden Valley

285 Armando Galindo, Sr., Mazama

3 notes 

Mazama advances 16 to state, wins fifth district title in past six years

Mazama won a fifth district championship in the past six years, although it was a much closer battle with runner-up Marshfield than a season ago, when the Vikings won the title by 145 points.

This time, the margin was only 20 points as Mazama — seventh at state for the second year in a row last February — hopes to win a state trophy for the first time.

Van Gastel and Galindo repeated as district champions, joined atop the podium by Baldwin, who pinned Henley’s Estefan Muneton in 76 seconds to win the 165 title. They’re among 16 Vikings who’ll make the long trip from Klamath Falls to Portland for the state meet in two weeks.

Henley’s Clark keeps in-state win streak intact, claims third district title

Clark continued making his case as the state’s most dominant wrestler, breezing to a third district title with two pins and a technical fall over Mazama’s Hadyn Burk in the 126 final to improve to 52-1 this season.

Clark went undefeated as a junior in winning the 120 state title a year after missing weight by two-tenths of a pound at the district meet as a sophomore. He has not lost on the mat to an in-state opponent since December 2021 — his only loss this season was to Nicholas Bulanin of Elk Grove (Calif.) in the Sierra Nevada Classic final — and is 140-8 for his career. 

Henley, Marshfield wrestlers earn third district crowns

Besides Mazama’s duo and Clark, four other wrestlers repeated as district champions. Nichols defeated another returning champion in Klamath Union’s Mathyis Horton in the 138 final, pinning the Pelicans senior in 4:57 for his third district title. Hite also won a third title, moving up three weight classes in doing so, and Hicks and Humphrey also repeated. 

—

Special District 4 (at Crook County)

Team champion: Crook County (440.5 points) 

Most qualifiers: Crook County (18), La Grande (12), Pendleton (12)

Individual champions

106 Bragen Anderson, So., La Grande

113 Chase Hemphill, Fr., Crook County

120 Aldo Duran, Jr., Baker/Powder Valley

126 Chance Yancey, So., Crook County

132 Kai Carson, Sr., La Grande

138 Landon Lavey, Jr., Crook County

144 Tommy Belding, So., La Grande

150 Vance Nelson, So., Pendleton

157 Riley Krantz, So., La Grande

165 Ridge Kehr, Sr., La Grande

175 Ethan Lamphere, Jr., Crook County

190 Gavin Sandoval, Jr., Crook County

215 Tommy Ishida, Sr., Ontario

285 Kenai Huff, Jr., La Grande

3 notes

Crook County shows it’s still force to be reckoned with

Crook County saw a decade-long streak of finishing first or second at OSAA state meets snapped last season when the Cowboys finished a distant third behind Eastern Oregon rival La Grande at Memorial Coliseum.

The Cowboys then struggled to a sixth-place finish at last month’s Reser’s Tournament of Champions, with only four wrestlers making the podium. Their 116-point romp to a second consecutive district title announced they should not be forgotten in two weeks in the 4A title race.

The Cowboys won five district titles, advanced a district-best 18 wrestlers and qualified wrestlers in 13 of 14 weight classes. They got a boost with the return of Sandoval, last year’s 152-pound state champion who missed the regular season because of injury. He moved up three weight classes but didn’t miss a beat in his return, spending a cumulative 141 seconds on the mat in pinning three opponents. 

La Grande sending 12 to Memorial Coliseum to defend state title 

Two-time defending state champion La Grande didn’t have a bad district meet (except compared with its 2023 standard of seven titlists and 17 qualifiers), advancing six champions and 12 wrestlers for the state tournament. 

Among the Tigers’ champions were Carson, a two-time state titlist who won a fourth district title, and Reser’s TOC champion Belding. Of their seven returning state medalists from last year, six earned returned trips, including district champions Anderson, Kehr and Huff. 

Pendleton also qualifies 12 to state, finishes third at district 

Pendleton posted its best finish at a district tournament in the past five years, finishing third in the team standings and advancing 12 wrestlers to state. Nelson improved upon a third-place district finish a year ago to win his first title, surviving in sudden-victory overtime in the semifinals and knocking off Jayden Lopez of Crook County in the final with a third-period fall.