Oregon 5A wrestling state championships preview: Plenty of contenders in title race

The 5A Oregon high school wrestling state championships take place this weekend. Here's a look at what to expect.

Crater's Jeremiah Oliva is one of six Comets to receive a top seed for this weekend's state tournament. / Photo by Taylor Balkom

The Oregon 5A high school wrestling state championships take place Friday and Saturday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Here's a look at what to expect. 

Schedule

Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.: Round 1 and Quarterfinals

Saturday, 9 a.m.: Semifinals

Saturday, 6 p.m.: Parade of Champions and Finals

Top seeds (returning champions in italics)

106 Lukas Salas-Sanchez, Fr., Thurston

113 Michael Salas-Sanchez, So., Thurston

120 Jeremiah Oliva, So., Crater

126 Colton Hankey, So., Crescent Valley

132 Joey Hutchins, Sr., Crater

138 Jaret Hickey, Jr., Crater

144 Aidan Godley, So., Crater

150 Jaxon Godley, Jr., Crater

157 Arturo Echeverria, So., Hillsboro

165 Ryland Walters, So., Crater

175 Leif Larwin, So., Bend

190 Carson Langford, Fr., Dallas

215 Jackson Doman, Sr., Canby

285 Isaac Jordan, Sr., Lebanon

Other state champions

120 Aiden Nelmes, Jr., Mountain View

126 Joseph Johnson, Sr., Dallas

215 Brash Henderson, Sr., Silverton

Most state qualifiers

1, Thurston 22. 2, Canby 20. 3, (tie) Crater and Redmond 17. 5, Dallas 15. 6, Hillsboro 12. 7, West Albany 11. 8, (tie) Bend and Eagle Point 10. 10, (tie) Mountain View and Ridgeview 9.

What to watch

So many contenders, only one blue trophy to hand out

The race to succeed Dallas as 5A champion could be a wild one.

Thurston, which finished runner-up to the Dragons last year, qualified the most wrestlers in its bid to add a second championship to the one it won in 2002.

Crater, which narrowly lost to Thurston at the district meet, won the Reser’s Tournament of Champions title last month and has six top seeds as the Comets look for their first blue trophy since 2017.

Canby, which finished second to Crater at the Reser’s TOC, has the second-most qualifiers as the Cougars seek their first title since 1963 and the program’s first state team trophy since 2009.

Redmond emerged from the always-rugged Intermountain district as its champion and brings 17 wrestlers to Memorial Coliseum seeking a second crown in the past three years.

And don’t forget the Dragons, who won another Mid-Willamette district title two weeks ago but placed 10th at the Reser’s TOC. 

It should make for a wild weekend for the top contenders as they watch the race shake out.

Can returning champions Doman, Henderson make their way to 215 final?

Doman enters his final tournament before graduating and heading on his two-year mission in Brazil riding an 87-match win streak and seeking a second consecutive 215-pound title.

Among those wins was a 2-1 decision over Henderson (the 285-pound champion last year) in the Larry Owings final in late December. They hoped to meet again at Reser’s TOC, but Henderson lost in the semifinals, spoiling those plans.

Now, they’re on opposite sides of the bracket, looking for that long-awaited rematch on the state’s biggest stage. 

2024 titlists Oliva, Nelmes on opposite sides of 120 bracket

Another potential matchup of returning champions looms in the 120 bracket, where Oliva — who won Reser’s wrestling at 126 — brings a 37-1 record to the Coliseum, where he could meet Nelmes in the final.

Oliva’s only loss came in early December wrestling at 138. He dropped to 132 and then 126 starting at the Northwest Duals before deciding on 120 for the postseason.

Nelmes, who finished second at 120 at Reser’s, is 40-7 after romping to the IMC district title. Among those losses was a 17-1 technical fall against Oliva at the Oregon Classic.

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