Oregon 6A/5A girls wrestling: Champions, takeaways from district meets

The 6A/5A girls wrestling district meets took place over the weekend

Mountainside wrestler Layla Morris remained unbeaten this season as she looks to repeat as a 6A/5A girls state champion. / Taylor Balkom

The 6A/5A girls wrestling district meets took place over the weekend, with the OSAA state championships scheduled for Feb. 28-March 1 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

Here’s a look at the champions and three takeaways from each of the four district meets. The top four finishers from each district meet advance to state. 

Special District 1 (at Century)

Team champion: Forest Grove (197 points)

Most qualifiers: Hillsboro (7), Southridge (7), Forest Grove (6), Aloha (5)

Individual champions

100 Kiana Wedel, So., Century

105 Paisley Conway, So., Newberg

110 Nevaya Gerberg, Fr., Liberty

115 Emilia Ensrud, So., Canby

120 Emma Gregg, Sr., Glencoe

125 Layla Morris, Sr., Mountainside

130 Renae Cook, Jr., Forest Grove

135 Paige Carrier, Sr., Westview

140 Kennedy Blanton, Sr., Forest Grove

145 Elsa King, Sr., Southridge

155 Dema Al Rubaye, So., Aloha

170 Leticia Martinez, Jr., Hillsboro

190 Jocelyn Morales, So., Beaverton

235 Bianca Miranda, Sr., Liberty

3 notes

Forest Grove finally reaches top of district heap in tight battle with Southridge, Hillsboro

Forest Grove won a state championship in 2022 but hadn’t won a district title until this weekend, when the Vikings dethroned Southridge by 25.5 points, with 2023 champion Hillsboro another 10 back. 

Blanton, who won a state title last year, became a three-time district champion with four consecutive pins, and Cook won her first — also with four pins.

Mountainside's Morris remains unbeaten, earns third district title

The anticipated 125 final between defending district champions Morris (a state champion at 115) and Forest Grove senior Kailea Takahashi was derailed in the semifinals when Aloha’s Archer McLain knocked off Takahashi (a 2023 state champion and runner-up last year) 12-6. Morris improved to 48-0 with a first-period pin of McLain for her third district title, and Takahashi pinned two opponents to finish third and qualify for state.

Liberty heavyweight prepares for state title defense with district championship

Miranda tuned up for her state title defense at 235 by cruising to another district championship, pinning four opponents, including Aloha freshman Eliza Henderson seven seconds into the final period. Miranda’s only loss this season came at the Braided 64.

Conway defeated teammate Caitlyn Kendall 4-0 in the 105 final to take a 26-0 record to Memorial Coliseum next weekend.

Ida B. Wells wrestler Zorina Johnson / Taylor Balkom

Special District 2 (at Sandy)

Team champion: Centennial (161.5 points)

Most qualifiers: Grant (6), Barlow (5), David Douglas (5)

Individual champions

100 Jeredith Fahnbulleh, So., Gresham

105 Amy Carlson, Sr., Clackamas

110 Genesis Anguiano, Fr., Centennial

115 Fera Thomas, Sr., Lincoln

120 Micah Muir, Sr., Lincoln

125 Taylor Ward, Fr., Barlow

130 Zorina Johnson, Jr., Ida B. Wells

135 Cadence Payton, So., Clackamas

140 Makayla Dye, Sr., Tualatin

145 Maya Kruger, Sr., Parkrose

155 Isabel Herring, Sr., Cleveland

170 Olivia Howell, Jr., Barlow

190 McKenzie Mills, Sr., David Douglas

235 Addyson Gibson, Jr., Reynolds

3 notes

Centennial secures crown in newly formed special district

The growth in girls wrestling statewide led to the expansion of the tournament field to 16 wrestlers and broke the northern district in two, allowing eastside teams to escape the stranglehold that teams such as Hillsboro, Southridge and Forest Grove had atop the standings.

That allowed Centennial to win its first district title since 2020, edging Barlow by 13.5 points, with David Douglas one point back in third and Lincoln fourth. Anguiano was the Eagles’ only champion, beating Lincoln’s Cordelia Conser 10-2 in the final, and they sent three qualifiers to Memorial Coliseum.

PIL stars Johnson, Herring dominant in repeating as district titlists

Two dominant PIL wrestlers cruised to repeat championships, with Johnson clinching a third title and extending her win streak to 48 over the past two seasons with a 17-2 technical fall over Hood River Valley’s Kyra Mitchell. Herring improved to 48-2 with a third-period pin of Sandy junior Lilyana Nuno.

Lincoln, Tualatin, Parkrose get first girls atop podium

The district split not only opened the door for teams that typically hadn’t been among the leaders, but individuals as well. Lincoln had its first two individual champions since the OSAA made girls wrestling an official sport in 2019, and Tualatin and Parkrose also had their first individual titlists.

McKay wrestling Sarahi Chavez / Taylor Balkom

Special District 3 (at McNary)

Team champion: Dallas (296.5 points)

Most qualifiers: Dallas (12), McKay (7), McNary (6), North Salem (6)

Individual champions

100 Sarahi Chavez, Sr., McKay

105 Aileen Paniagua, So., McKay

110 Marlina Martinez, So., McNary

115 Polly Olliff, Sr., Dallas

120 Naudie Edmiston, Jr., West Albany

125 Macie Manning, So., West Albany

130 Syriana Bird, Sr., Corvallis

135 Liliana Alvarez, So., Central

140 McKenna Unger, Jr., McNary

145 Jenna Rogers, Jr., Dallas

155 Gabriella Dyer, Fr., Dallas

170 Ryann Sharp, Sr., Corvallis

190 Sophia Zuniga, Fr., West Salem

235 Jennifer Soto, Sr., North Salem

3 notes

Two-time state champion Olliff helps Dallas win second straight district title

Dallas won its second consecutive district title and qualified 12 wrestlers as the Dragons look to topple Thurston and earn their first state championship. McKay finished a distant second, 99 points back, with McNary four points behind in third.

Two-time state champion Olliff avenged her only loss of the season in the Lady Dragon final, defeating Corvallis’ Jennifer Russell 9-0 in the district final. The duo will be highly favored to reprise their rivalry next weekend in the state final — just as they did last year at Memorial Coliseum.

McKay's Chavez takes undefeated record to state after dominant district run

Chavez will close her career next weekend looking to reach a fourth state final and win a second consecutive title, but first, she earned a third district championship and remained unbeaten at 31-0 with a 17-2 technical fall over Dallas sophomore Marissa McGinnis. 

Central sophomore wins first girls district championship

Alvarez became Central’s first girl to win a district title, pinning her way past four opponents — including Lebanon’s Lila Haworth as the final second ticked off the clock in Round 2 of the championship match. 

Thurston wrestler Kristal Zamora / Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Special District 4 (at North Eugene)

Team champion: Thurston (270.5 points)

Most qualifiers: Thurston (12), Redmond (9), Crater (6)

Individual champions

100 Eily Asher, Sr., Thurston

105 Skyler Hall, Jr., North Medford

110 Jamie Baldwin, So., South Medford

115 Teagan Merritt, So., Thurston

120 Mia Pedersen, Jr., Redmond

125 Joey Dean, Jr., Caldera

130 Sadie Hall, Sr., North Medford

135 Reina Barnes-Rubio, Sr., Redmond

140 Kristal Zamora, Sr., Thurston

145 MacKenzie Shearon, Sr., Redmond

155 Emily Fitzgerald, Jr., Eagle Point

170 Sage Thatcher, Jr., Ashland

190 Izabella Castlebery, Jr., Thurston

235 Mia Nicasio, So., South Medford

3 notes

Thurston holds off Redmond to win fifth consecutive district crown

Thurston and Redmond finished first and third at last year’s state tournament, and the two dominated the district tournament this weekend. The Colts won a fifth consecutive title by 39 points over the Panthers, with no other team within 100 points of the top two. 

Zamora won her fourth individual title, pinning Redmond’s JaydaRae Nance late in the first period, and Castlebery (a defending state champion) won her second district title and improved to 39-1 by defeating North Medford’s Alixia Hernandez (a state finalist last year at Eagle Point) 5-1 in the final.

Trio of Panthers repeat winners at district meet

Shearon, a 2023 state champion, won her fourth district title with a first-period pin of Thurston’s Karlie Yaroma to improve to 35-1, leading the Panthers’ runner-up team. Pedersen won her third district crown as she seeks her first state title after two runner-up finishes, and Barnes-Rubio repeated as a district champion.

North Medford's Hall sisters each win third district gold medal

The Hall sisters made it six district gold medals between them, each winning a third consecutive title as they look to defend their state championships next weekend at Memorial Coliseum. Skyler has yet to lose a postseason match during her career, improving to 23-3 this season with a 65-second pin of Redmond’s Gemma DeLance, and Sadie is 29-2 after a second-round pin of Eagle Point’s Emma Lee.

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