Bend freshman Leif Larwin serves notice as top contender with TOC title (Reser’s TOC 165 pounds)

“Nobody really saw me coming ... but I just brought everything I had and put it all out there and wrestled tough.”

Bend freshman Leif Larwin made a name for himself in the middle school ranks last season, winning the Triple Crown of folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman state titles in the 16U division at 170 pounds. 

He still arrived at Hillsboro’s Liberty High School for last weekend’s Reser’s Tournament of Champions as a bit of an unknown quantity despite owning a 23-5 record and a fifth-place finish at the Rollie Lane Invitational. 

He exited the gym Saturday night clutching a gold eagle trophy, clad in the red jacket handed out to champions, announcing himself to a wider audience with a dominant performance at the state’s premier tournament. 

Larwin pinned his way to the 165-pound final, where he dispatched of West Linn’s Lucas Gray 7-0 to become his school’s first TOC champion.

“I’ve trained super hard so that I could win this,” Larwin said. “Nobody really saw me coming. I mean, people knew who I was, but I just brought everything I had and put it all out there and wrestled tough. And it was great. Super exciting.”

Leif Larwin of Bend (photo by Taylor Balkom)

And now, he knows he won’t sneak up on anybody next month when he returns to the Portland area to compete at his first OSAA Class 5A state tournament.

“I know that’s not going to happen ever again,” he said. “And I’m never going to overlook any opponent, because that’s how you get overthrown. I just want to stay hungry, to keep winning.” 

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