Freshmen to win district wrestling championships in Oregon

41 ninth-graders won district titles across seven classifications over the past two weeks

Dallas freshman Carson Langford, right, entered high school fresh off gold medals at the Pan-Am U15 championships. Now, he'll bid for his first 5A state title. / Taylor Balkom

Last year, 66 wrestlers came to Memorial Coliseum as freshmen and left holding hardware for making the medals podium in one of the seven OSAA state tournaments. Among them were 21 who reached a state final and nine who took the first step to joining the elite four-timer club as a state champion.

The easiest way for a ninth-grader to win a medal is to arrive at the Coliseum as a district champion, and over the past two weeks, 41 accomplished that feat. Here is a look at those individuals who will be seeded at state because of winning a district title.

CLASS 6A

Jason Blasingame, Westview

Weight class: 106

Season record: 15-5

After a slow start to his season, Blasingame has lost only once since the first of the year (in the Tualatin Invitational quarterfinals), pinning his way to the Metro League district title.

Isaac Conner, Mountainside

Weight class: 138 

Season record: 41-4

The Metro district champion’s only losses this season have been to a couple of returning state champions — Crater’s Joey Hutchins in the North Bend final and West Linn’s Oscar Doces at the Oregon Classic — and two California wrestlers in placing fifth at the Sierra Nevada Classic.

Zane Hill, Grants Pass

Weight class: 126 

Season record: 36-9

Hill has won only one tournament (Lebanon) but reached the Bill Geister final and placed fifth at three others (North Bend, Grants Pass, Tualatin) before winning the Southwest Conference district title.

Darion Johnson, West Linn

Weight class: 113 

Season record: 30-7

Johnson’s season got off to a fast start with a third-place finish at Rose City, and he added a fifth-place medal at the Reser’s Tournament of Champions before winning the Three Rivers district title.

Shae Morrison, Ida B. Wells

Weight class: 113 

Season record: 27-5

Morrison wrestled at 120 for most of the season, winning titles at Rick Sanders and Joe Stewart and finishing third at Mountainside and Southridge, but dropped to 113 for the final month and won a PIL district title.

Layth Qouchbane, Barlow

Weight class: 165 

Season record: 37-3

Qouchbane opened the season by winning titles at Tyrone S. Woods and Muilenburg, and after dropping to 165 in February, he won at Hood River before pinning his way to a Mt. Hood district title.

Judah Parr, Sprague

Weight class: 138 

Season record: 31-21

It’s been an up-and-down first high school season for Parr, but the past month included him finishing fourth at Bill Geister before defeating teammate Bradley Johnson 9-6 in the Central Valley district final.

Olin Storlie, Barlow

Weight class: 126 

Season record: 35-5

Storlie will arrive at Memorial Coliseum on a bit of a roll, winning his past two tournaments (Colton Holly and Hood River) and beating fellow freshman Elliot Wullbrandt of Clackamas in the Mt. Hood district final. 

Griffin Thomas, Sherwood

Weight class: 113 

Season record: 23-13

Thomas made the medals stand at three tournaments this season, placing sixth at Larry Owings and fifth at Tigard and Jack Berger, then won the Pacific district title with three pins and a 16-8 major decision over McMinnville’s Brady Schoof in the final.

CLASS 5A

Justice Edmiston, West Albany

Weight class: 175 

Season record: 33-10

Edmiston is coming on at the right time, winning the Mid-Valley Classic in early February and the Mid-Willamette district title with a 4-3 decision over Lebanon’s Grady Cox.

Sawyer Greenstreet, Thurston

Weight class: 126 

Season record: 19-9

Greenstreet and sophomore teammate Truman Winningham have battled all season for top honors in the Colts’ wrestling room, but Greenstreet got the upper hand in the Midwestern district final with a 12-7 victory.

Joshua Khual, Centennial

Weight class: 106 

Season record: 28-18

Khual started the season at 120 but eventually became one of four freshmen to win district titles at 106, pinning his way to the NWOC championship — each coming in the first minute.

Carson Langford, Dallas

Weight class: 190 

Season record: 35-4

Langford entered the Dragons program fresh off a U15 national Greco-Roman title at the U.S. Open in April and 85-kilogram gold medals in freestyle and Greco-Roman at the U15 Pan Am Championships in El Salvador. He finished fourth at Rose City to open the season and third at Reser’s before winning the Mid-Willamette district title.

Jack Mulvahill, Crescent Valley

Weight class: 106 

Season record: 31-0

Mulvahill has romped through his first high school season, winning titles at Grants Pass, Lebanon and Santiam Christian, then earning an 8-1 decision over Dallas’ Alexander Nunez in the Mid-Willamette district final.

Lukas Salas Sanchez, Thurston

Weight class: 106 

Season record: 34-3

Salas Sanchez is the younger brother of last year’s 106 state runner-up, Michael, and has had similar success in his first season, with victories at Kenny Cox and Mid-Valley, a runner-up finish at Rose City and a third place at the Reser’s Tournament of Champions before earning a 5-4 decision over Crater’s Shane Smoker in the Midwestern district final.

Jacob Smoker, Caldera

Weight class: 106 

Season record: 18-4

Smoker has lost only twice since beginning the season with a fourth-place finish at the season-opening Adrian Irwin tournament, winning titles at GFP Outlaw and Joe Stewart, then sweeping to the Intermountain district title.

Crook County wrestler Tanner Brumble / Taylor Balkom

CLASS 4A

Tanner Brumble, Crook County

Weight class: 106

Season record: 30-6

Brumble has only one tournament title to his name this season, but he has two top-three showings at major events — reaching the Reser’s Tournament of Champions final and placing third at Rollie Lane — before beating teammate Casen Villastrigo in the district final.

Charlie Morton, Marshfield

Weight class: 113

Season record: 17-10

Morton won two tournaments but also had double-digit defeats entering the district tournament, where he pinned two opponents to earn the title.

Alejandro Vargas, Crook County

Weight class: 113

Season record: 21-5

Vargas won his first high school event at Perry Burlison, then reached the final at North Bend and took fourth at the Reser’s TOC before winning a 4-0 decision over teammate Evan Provost in the district championship match.

CLASS 3A

Connor Devoogd, Glide

Weight class: 126

Season record: 38-9

Devoogd won two tournaments (Willie Wilkinson and Hunter Hoeptner) and made the medals podium at four others before dropping from 132 for the district meet, where he pinned three opponents to earn the title.

Brandon Henderson, Harrisburg

Weight class: 106

Season record: 33-13

Henderson will lead off the Eagles’ state title defense, looking to match Andrei Donayri as a 106-pound state champion after placing at four tournaments (including gold at Deven Dawson) and winning two matches at district.

Cameron Ireland, Banks

Weight class: 120

Season record: 28-10

Ireland posted a fourth-place finish at Werners Beef and an eighth at Super Champs, and he entered the district tournament as a No. 2 seed before toppling top seed Eden Stanton of Willamina 19-10 in the final.

Jack Quinones, Pleasant Hill

Weight class: 106

Season record: 21-7

Quinones had been the Billies’ No.  2 106-pounder behind sophomore Dean Scott all season, winning medals at five tournaments — including a title at Nick Lutz — before knocking off the top-seeded Scott 7-3 in the district final. 

Daniel Simpson, Burns

Weight class: 113

Season record: 28-10

Simpson wrestled JV to open the season, but after a third-place finish at the Mountain View Invitational, he solidified his spot in the lineup, going between 113 and 120 and posting two more podium finishes before beating Nyssa’s Adan De La Fuente 7-6 in the district final.

CLASS 2A/1A

Max Dickson, Culver

Weight class: 165

Season record: 33-10

Dickson arrived at district as a No. 2 seed after victories at his home tournament and the Screamin’ Eagle, then avenged his loss to teammate Leland Minson in the Frostbite Invite final by pinning Minson 3:36 into the district final.

Everett Palanuk, Oakridge

Weight class: 106

Season record: 21-5

Palanuk took home medals from four tournaments and won the Coquille Holiday title, then pinned top seed Forrest Yarbrough of Mohawk with three seconds left in the second round of the district final to kick-start the Warriors’ first district championship in 23 years.

Bohden Sowa, Kennedy

Weight class: 126

Season record: 27-2

Sowa’s only two losses this season were to three-time 3A state champion Luke Cheek of Harrisburg in the Deven Dawson final and Culver’s Cole Rahi in the Screamin’ Eagle semifinals. Sowa pinned four opponents at the district tournament, all in the first round.

Cole Walters, Oakridge

Weight class: 113

Season record: 32-13

Walters made the podium at each tournament he entered, with a best finish of third at Willamette, which was good enough for the No. 3 district seed. He beat the No. 2 seed in the semifinals, then took advantage of a surprise in the upper half of the bracket to beat teammate Adam Palanuk 3-0 in the district final.

Jasper Watson, Clatskanie

Weight class: 106

Season record: 36-8

Watson lost only once to an in-state opponent this season and was undefeated against 2A/1A opposition, pinning three rivals at the district tournament — including Gervais’ Jose Santos for the third time this season in the district final.

Rowdy Williams, Oakridge

Weight class: 138

Season record: 38-3

Williams did not lose to a 2A/1A opponent this season and won titles at Coquille Holiday, King of the Hill and Nick Lutz, then romped to four victories at district, including a first-round pin of returning champion Jaycen Marois of North Douglas/Elkton in the semifinals and a 52-second pin of Monroe’s Malakai Cobb in the final.

6A/5A GIRLS

Genesis Anguiano, Centennial

Weight class: 110

Season record: 33-19

Anguiano brought home medals from six tournaments this season, but her first major title came at the district meet, when she pinned her first three opponents before defeating Lincoln’s Cordelia Conser 10-2 in the final.

Gabriella Dyer, Dallas

Weight class: 155

Season record: 36-10

The Dragons are building one of the state’s top girls programs, and Dyer is one of three Dallas freshmen heading to Memorial Coliseum. She won the consolation title at Lady Dragon, reached the Big John final and placed third at three other tournaments before cruising to the district title with four falls.

Nevaya Gerberg, Liberty

Weight class: 110

Season record: 23-7

Gerberg finished third at her first three tournaments and reached the final at Ida B. Wells before winning four matches at district, defeating the top three seeds in the process and capping her run with a second-round pin over top-seeded Rhaya Waddell of Southridge in the final.

Taylor Ward, Barlow

Weight class: 125

Season record: 22-4

Ward’s only losses this season are to unbeaten state champions Layla Morris of Mountainside (twice), Zorina Johnson of Ida B. Wells and two-time state runner-up Renae Cook of Forest Grove. Ward has three titles, a runner-up finish and three third-place finishes. She pinned all four opponents at district, including Tualatin’s Naima Agboola in 1:17 in the final.

Sophia Zuniga, West Salem

Weight class: 190

Season record: 21-2

Zuniga fought through an injury in December that forced her out of two tournaments, coming back to finish third at Lady Dragon, win at Tualatin and take second at Bill Geister before pinning three opponents at the district meet, including a second-round fall against Lebanon’s Evangeline Graves.

4A/3A/2A/1A Girls

Emerie Cox, Crook County

Weight class: 110 

Season record: 23-8

Only one of Cox’s eight losses this season was to a potential rival at the state meet, and she pinned three opponents at the Special District 3 tournament to win the championship.

Hadley Gunderson, Burns

Weight class: 115 

Season record: 39-5

Gunderson notched titles at Adrian Irwin, Grants Pass and Hood River and a fourth-place finish at Sierra Nevada, and she’ll head to state on a 21-match win streak after pinning Nyssa’s Macy Dunn in the district final.

Paisley Morrison, Coquille

Weight class: 140 

Season record: 15-0

Morrison bounced between wrestling with the boys team, going 24-7 and medaling at Willie Wilkinson (third) and Shamrock (second), and the girls, where she won titles at North Bend, Shamrock, Sutherlin and Cottage Grove before winning by technical fall over 2024 state medalist Kaydence Johnson of Hidden Valley in the district final.

Eden Ridgley, Harrisburg

Weight class: 100 

Season record: 38-3

Ridgley will join older sister Lily and two other returning placers to help the Eagles challenge La Grande for the team title after a solid freshman season that included titles at Devan Dawson, North Bend and Hadden, a third-place finish at Lady Dragon and a 14-2 major decision over Sutherlin’s Emilija Singleton (fourth at state last year) in the district final.

Shyla Sells, Mazama

Weight class: 135 

Season record: 24-1

Sells won five tournaments during the regular season — Grants Pass, Junction City, High Desert, Basin’s Best and Corning — then pinned three rivals en route to the Special District 2 title.

Megan Weil, Burns

Weight class: 190 

Season record: 28-2

Weil won titles at Grants Pass and Sierra Nevada, and her only two losses were to state champions Shauna Anderson of Thunder Ridge (Idaho) in the Rollie Lane final and St. Helens’ Jadyn Pense in the Hood River semifinals. Weil defeated La Grande’s Maddy Armstrong, third at state a year ago, in the district final.

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