Bend Wrestler Continues His Quest to Become a Four-Time Reser's TOC Champion

Leif Larwin wins by second-period technical fall to notch third TOC title; Crater junior sees his hopes of achieving four-timer status dashed.

Bend junior Leif Larwin continued his quest to become the fourth wrestler ever to win four Reser's TOC championships Saturday night. / Taylor Balkom

Two wrestlers arrived at Sherwood High School for the 27th edition of the Reser’s Tournament of Champions, dreaming of becoming a four-time champion.

One, Bend junior Leif Larwin, kept his hopes alive.

Another, Crater junior Jeremiah Oliva, saw his dashed in one of the many upsets that dotted Saturday night’s finals.

Larwin's dreams of four TOC titles live on

Larwin won his third Reser’s TOC title with a dominant performance against Pendleton’s Vance Nelson, needing only 2 minutes, 20 seconds to record a 15-0 technical fall in the 175-pound final.

Larwin looks to join Tommy Siciliano (Newberg, 2007-10), Tyler Berger (Hermiston, 2011-13; Crook County, 2014) and Santos Cantu III (Sprague, 2017-19; Crescent Valley, 2020) as the only wrestlers to win four consecutive championships.

Larwin will look to add a third consecutive Class 5A state title next month at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Thurston transfer upsets 2-time champion Oliva in 126 final

Oliva, also a two-time 5A state champion, reached the 126 final but lost to Thurston sophomore Tanner Brumble in a 21-8 major decision.

It was Brumble’s second victory over Oliva this month after recording a second-period pin at the Oregon Classic on Jan. 17.

Brumble — who reached the 106 final at Class 4A last year at Crook County before transferring to the Springfield school over the summer — also defeated another reigning TOC champion (and 6A state champion) Jorge De La Rosa of Forest Grove 9-4 in the semifinals.

Thurston wrestlers win four weight classes to capture team title

Brumble’s victory was one of four in a row by Thurston wrestlers as the Colts won the team championship with 256.5 points, beating 6A state champion Newberg by 77 points. 

Crater, last year’s team champion, took third, just 1.5 points behind Newberg.

Returning state champion brothers Lukas and Michael Salas-Sanchez kicked off Thurston’s title run, with Lukas, a sophomore, winning a 12-7 decision over Newberg’s Kiah Worthington in the 113 final, followed by Michael, a junior, taking a 7-3 decision over Crook County’s Alejandro Vargas at 120.

Sophomore Ivan Henderson closed the stretch with a 19-3 technical fall over Mountain View senior Aiden Nelmes at 132.

Harrisburg, La Grande seniors also repeat as Reser’s TOC champions

Three-time state champion Brody Buzzard of Harrisburg repeated as a Reser’s TOC champion with a third-period pin of Newberg’s Zadek Bowlby in the 215 final. Buzzard looks to become the 54th boy to win four state titles next month.

Meanwhile, La Grande senior Tommy Belding won a third TOC gold eagle trophy with an 8-7 decision over Lebanon senior Seth Wynn at 157.

Other TOC champions crowned Saturday were Sweet Home freshman Cody Sieminski (106), West Linn senior Ryder Sprague (138), Crook County freshman Madden Sandoval (144), Crater junior Aidan Godley (150), Burns junior Cannon Kemper (165), Crater junior Ryland Walters (190) and Burns senior Joe Weil (285).