Oregon girls wrestling: Champions, takeaways from district meets

The girls wrestling district meets took place over the weekend, with the OSAA state championships scheduled for Feb. 24 at Culver High School.

By René Ferrán

The girls wrestling district meets took place over the weekend, with the OSAA state championships scheduled for Feb. 24 at Culver High School. Here's a look at the champions and three takeaways from each of the four district meets.

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Special District 1 (Northwest)

At Century HS

Team champion: St. Helens (183 points)

Individual champions

100 Nina Deleon, Jr., Hillsboro

105 Yamilet Claudio Marquez, Jr., Glencoe

110 Ashley Willis, Sr., St. Helens

115 Courtney Hall, Jr., Scappoose

120 Haley Vann, Jr., Cleveland

125 Ayana Medina, Sr., Hillsboro

130 Alice Rickett, Jr., Hillsboro

135 Makaila Takahashi, Sr., Forest Grove

140 Madelyn Russell, Jr., Banks

145 Jasmine Hopkins, Jr., Forest Grove

155 Vida Boskovic, Jr., Roosevelt

170 Cambria Funk, Jr., St. Helens

190 Ella Taplin, Sr., Forest Grove

235 Faith Wooley, Sr., Liberty

3 notes

Lions roar to first district title, send 6 to state

Three years ago, St. Helens sent one wrestler to the girls state qualifying meet. A year ago, the Lions finished a distant eighth at the North Regional.

This weekend, they showed how far they’ve come in a short time, qualifying a district-high six wrestlers to state and edging Hillsboro by 18.5 points. 

Willis, who won the 110 title by pinning Hillsboro’s Natalie De Leon in 92 seconds, personifies the Lions’ surge to the district title. In June, she went 2-2 at regionals at 120 and failed to advance to state. Now, she’s the school’s first district champion.

Hillsboro still poised to make noise at state

Hillsboro advanced five to state, including three district champions led by Medina, now 17-0 after a first-round pin of Kailee Kester of St. Helens and ranked No. 6 in the nation by USA Wrestling at 122.

The Spartans placed second at the inaugural OSAA girls state championships in 2019 but have finished 32nd and sixth the past two seasons.

Defending state champions Vann, Takahashi take unbeaten marks to Culver

Vann, No. 10 in the nation at 117 and a returning state champion, improved to 21-0 in winning her title with a 57-second pin of Century’s Emilia Correa Artiaga.

Also headed to state with undefeated records are Takahashi (27-0), a state champion in June, and Taplin (27-0). They are among four Vikings who qualified for state and helped lead Forest Grove to a third-place finish in the team standings.

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Special District 2 (Southwest)

At Cottage Grove HS

Team champion: Thurston (179 points)

Individual champions

100 Chelo Garcia, Jr., Siletz Valley/Eddyville Charter

105 Kaylee Annis, Jr., Thurston

110 Destiny Weaver, Fr., Glendale

115 Paige Chafin, Sr., Sweet Home

120 Estella Gutches, Jr., North Medford

125 Klaira Flatt, Sr., Toledo

130 Kristal Zamora, Fr., Thurston

135 Hayden Muller, Sr., Siuslaw

140 Brielle Brick, Sr., Creswell

145 Averie Stockwell, Sr., Thurston

155 Zoey Smalley, Sr., Douglas

170 Kami Hart, Sr., Sweet Home

190 Olivia McCurdy, Sr., Hidden Valley

235 Breanna Meek, Fr., North Valley

3 notes

Thurston sends 4 to go for third team title

Two-time defending state champion Thurston held off a strong charge by North Medford to win the district title by 34 points. The Colts will send four wrestlers to Culver in three weeks, including Stockwell and the nationally ranked Annis (No. 23 at 106), both undefeated headed to state. 

Don’t count out North Medford at state

Put the Black Tornado, fourth at state in June, on the shortlist of title contenders this winter. They advanced a district-high six wrestlers, including Gutches (12-0), in holding off Sweet Home for second place in the team standings.

Gutches is the niece of Hall of Fame wrestler and world champion Les Gutches. She’ll vie for her second state title in Culver. 

Toledo senior Flattening all comers

Flatt entered her senior season having no major titles to her record. Saturday’s 5-1 decision over Oakridge’s Kaili Kirkhart in a matchup of unbeaten wrestlers added her first district title to victories at Deven Dawson, Liberty and Central Linn, and she enters state 15-0, looking to take home hardware for the first time.

Other undefeated wrestlers coming out of the Southwest meet are Garcia (12-0) and Smalley (15-0).

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Special District 3 (Eastern)

At Redmond HS

Team champion: La Grande (178 points)

Individual champions

100 Emma Poe, Fr., Henley

105 Dora Galindo, So., La Grande

110 Analise Smith, Sr., Bend

115 Delia Gulzow, Jr., La Grande

120 MaKenna Duran, So., Crook County

125 Julietta Leal, Jr., La Pine

130 MacKenzie Shearon, Fr., Redmond

135 Kira Kerr, Jr., La Pine

140 Ava Collins, So., Vale

145 Riley Allison, So., La Pine

155 Rowena Yandell, So., Estacada

170 Sheylin Karolski, Fr., Baker/Powder Valley

190 Gracie Baker, Fr., Crane

235 Mallory Lusco, Fr., Grant Union

3 notes

A grand finish for La Grande

La Grande’s boys wrestling program has been solid over the years, including a state championship in 2020. Now, it’s the girls’ turn to make some noise. 

The Tigers finished 12th at regionals a year ago, but with Eastern Oregon getting its own district meet this winter, they won the inaugural title while sending three wrestlers to state. 

La Pine, which finished second, positioned itself well to make a push for the podium by advancing five to state, most of any eastside team. Bend’s Smith, the only unbeaten wrestler (16-0) advancing from this meet, leads a four-person Lava Bears contingent to state. 

Familial ties for two district champs

A couple of familiar last names to Eastern Oregon wrestling fans found their way atop the podium at the district meet.

Kerr, who finished second at state a year ago, won her first district title by pinning Estacada’s Dana Glasser in 1:42. Kerr’s brothers David and Derrik were three-time state champions for the Hawks, and father Dave won the school’s first title in 1989.

Lusco’s older brother Drew was a two-time state heavyweight champion for Grant Union in 2018 and 2020. Mallory hopes to join him as a state champion in three weeks, but in the meantime, she became the Prospectors’ first girls district champion since Trinity Hutchison in 2019.

Two-time state champion unable to go

One notable absence from the list of district champions is Vale senior Tyler Richardson, a two-time state champion and three-time finalist. Richardson, who won the Supreme Summer Nationals in August, was unable to compete this season.

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Special District 4 (Valley)

At West Albany HS

Team champion: McKay (216 points)

Individual champions

100 Sarahi Chavez, Fr., McKay

105 Richi Campbell, Sr., West Albany

110 Ariana Martinez, Jr., West Albany

115 Krystaline Kamstra, Sr., Cascade

120 Mariko Sonis, So., North Salem

125 Sophia Redwine, Sr., Newberg

130 Arianna Brown, Sr., Tillamook

135 Faliscity Murphy Snider, Fr., Tillamook

140 Bella Amaro, Sr., Oregon City

145 Icela Sanchez Rodriguez, Jr., North Salem

155 Destiny Rodriguez, Jr., West Linn

170 Jennifer Delatorre, Sr., Tillamook

190 Georgia Buehler, Jr., Corvallis

235 Yared Calderon, Sr., McNary

3 notes

McKay enjoys banner day

McKay finished third at the South Regional in June but led by four state qualifiers, including the Scots’ only champion (Chavez at 100), they romped to a 90-point victory over Woodburn. 

It could have been an even bigger day for McKay as it looks ahead to state in three weeks. The Scots had two wrestlers finish fourth, just out of the state qualifying spots.

Three nationally ranked wrestlers win titles

Rodriguez, a reigning national champion who is No. 12 in USA Wrestling’s pound-for-pound national rankings, continued her march to a third state title and improved to 18-0 with a first-round pin of Tualatin’s Madi Randels in the 155 final. 

Two other nationally ranked wrestlers also cruised to district titles — Redwine (No. 23 at 122) and Amaro (No. 4 at 132). All three will look to defend state championships in three weeks in Culver.

Tillamook’s Delatorre pulls surprise at 170

Delatorre knocked off three-time state finalist Anna McDougal of Central Linn in the 170 final, pinning her one minute into their district final to improve to 9-0 this season. McDougal, who has spent time this winter in the national rankings, fell to 33-3.

Delatorre joined Rodriguez and three other wrestlers — Brown (13-0), Snider (5-0) and Amaro (10-0) — in remaining undefeated headed to state.

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