Oregon 4A/3A/2A/1A Girls wrestling state championships preview: La Grande favored to repeat as champion

The Class 4A/3A/2A/1A Girls Oregon high school wrestling state championships take place this weekend. Here's a look at what to expect.

Siuslaw wrestler Macali Lade is a former champion who earned a top seed. / Leon Neuschwander

The Oregon 4A/3A/2A/1A Girls high school wrestling state championships take place Thursday and Friday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Here's a look at what to expect. 

Schedule

Thursday, Noon-9 p.m.: Round 1 and Quarterfinals

Friday, 2:45 p.m.: Semifinals

Friday, 7 p.m.: Parade of Champions and Finals

Top seeds (returning champions in italics)

100 Lorien Bowns, Soph., Nyssa

105 Zoe Brewer, Sr., Willamina

110 Vanessa Keller, Jr., Oakridge

115 Emmalee Brissette, So., Oakridge

120 Macali Lade, Sr., Siuslaw/Mapleton

125 Bailey Chafin, Jr., Sweet Home

130 Kali Williams, Jr., Oakridge

135 Kenadi Bonfield, So., Colton

140 McKenna Word, So., Banks

145 Paige Allen, Sr., La Grande

155 Marli Lind, Sr., Baker/Powder Valley

170 Jadyn Pense, So., St. Helens

190 Megan Weil, Fr., Burns

235 Breanna Meek, Sr., North Valley

Other state champions

110 Paxton Steele, So., Harrisburg

120 Lyndie Isaacson, Sr., La Grande

235 Mallory Lusco, Sr., Grant Union

Most state qualifiers

1, La Grande 11. 2, (tie) Crook County, Scappoose and St. Helens 7. 5, Yamhill-Carlton 6. 6, (tie) Baker/Powder Valley, Harrisburg, Mazama, Oakridge and Sutherlin 5.

What to watch

La Grande ready to defend title

The 4A/3A/2A/1A meet continues to expand in its third season, adding a third special district and two more qualifiers, boosting each bracket to 12 wrestlers.

One thing remains the same — La Grande comes to Memorial Coliseum favored to repeat as state champion, bringing a meet-leading 11 qualifiers, although defending state champion Isaacson was the victim of a curious seeding decision. 

Isaacson is the No. 2 seed behind 2023 titlist and 2024 runner-up Lade and stuck in the same quarter as Cottage Grove senior Allison Palluck, also a 2023 champion who missed most of last season because of injury.

Lusco, Meek set on collision course again

Another puzzling seeding is in the heavyweight division, where three-time champion Lusco looks to become the first girl to win four OSAA titles since girls wrestling became an official sport in 2019.

Meek, a 2023 champion, pinned Lusco in their meeting this season at the Oregon Classic, but Lusco went 2-1 against her last season — including a third-period pin of Meek in the state final. Lusco also wrestled for Team Oregon at a national tournament in April and signed with Eastern Oregon.

Returning champions could clash at 110

Two returning state champions find themselves on opposite sides of the 110 bracket, where two-time titlist Keller (100, 105) is the top seed, and defending 110 champion Steele is the No. 2.

Keller is 2-1 against Steele, winning 4-1 at the Harrisburg tournament and 2-1 in the ultimate tiebreaker in the district final. Steele’s 8-1 win came in the Cottage Grove final.

Another girl halfway to becoming a four-time champion is Chafin, who has had only one of her seven state matches go the distance.

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