Oregon Wrestling’s Next Wave Has Arrived: 25 Freshmen Already Turning Heads

From unbeaten starts to tournament titles, these first-year standouts have wasted no time making their mark across the state

Photo by David Dennis

With the first month of the high school wrestling  season in the books, High School On SI Oregon wanted to look at 25 of the best freshmen around the state who’ve excelled in their first month on the scene.

Records are through December 31 from Trackwrestling.com.

Rhett Arsenault, Culver

The latest product off the Bulldogs assembly line entered the new year with a 21-1 record, with his only defeat coming to Grants Pass’ Patrick Murphy, with the 113-pounder winning titles at the Culver and White Buffalo invitationals and going 6-0 at the Northwest Duals.

Bella Carter, Beaverton

The 135-pounder won her first high school tournament at Century’s Jaguar Invite, then captured the consolation title at War of the Roses and took fourth at Mountainside as she started her career 12-3.

Molly Cummings, Thurston

The Colts are one of the pioneers in girls wrestling in the state, and their latest standout is a 125-pounder who made the podium at Kenny Cox (second) and War of the Roses (fourth) as part of a 16-4 start to her career.

Emily Delarosa, McLoughlin

Delarosa hasn’t struggled against maturer opponents at 170, reaching the finals at Adrian Irwin and Oregon Trail, placing fourth at the Safeway Girls Buckle Classic, and now winning her first two titles at Rumble on the River and her home tournament as part of a 15-4 start.

Lucas Fincher, Elgin

Tucked away in Northeast Oregon, the 106-pounder has already won titles at Devven Dawson and Perry Burlison, finally suffering his first loss in 12 matches in the Elgin Memorial Classic final to Nyssa’s Jose Jimenez.

Jenna Friesen, McNary

Friesen’s biggest win to date came in the final of the HammerHead Invitational in Bremerton, where she handed returning Washington state champion Emily Gomez of North Kitsap her first loss in over two years in the 145 final, adding it to her wins at the Jaguar Girls Invite and Rick Sanders to start her career 8-0.

Talon Harvey, North Douglas/Elkton

Harvey hasn’t looked overmatched as a ninth-grader wrestling at 157, winning titles at Gary McDaniel and Shamrock and placing third at Willie Wilkinson and Coquille to start the season 14-2.

Kaydee Ingram, Yamhill-Carlton

The 115-pounder’s only two losses in December came at her first high school tournament, following up a fourth-place finish at Kelly Bledsoe with titles at Warrenton, Rumble of the Rivers and Bill Hagerty to open the season 12-2.

Diesel Johnson, Nyssa

The 113-pounder held his own against some of Idaho’s best to open the season, including a third-place finish at the Calhoun Classic, and is unbeaten against in-state opponents in winning the Elgin Memorial and Woodfin Robinson Johnson Memorial to start the year 14-2.

Tate Lawrence, Redmond

Lawrence has wrestled at 106, 113 and 120 so far this season, reaching the podium at Tyrone Woods (fifth) and North Bend (third) and going 6-1 at the Northwest Duals to start the year 14-4.

Olivia Noll, Harrisburg

The 120-pounder owns titles at Deven Dawson and Hadden and took fourth at the North Bend Coast Classic to start her season 13-2.

Ryker Pruett, North Bend

The 120-pounder’s only two defeats in his first month were to California North Coast Section champion Chulhs Bates of Del Norte and Oregon 4A runner-up Alejandro Vargas of Crook County, with his victory at the Pacific Coast Championships capping a 17-2 December.

Gerardo Rodriguez Gonzalez, Century

Rodriguez Gonzalez has wrestled from 138 to 157 pounds to open the season, with his only loss coming in the semifinals of the Garner Ivey MIT in Hawaii en route to an 11-1 record.

Ben Postlewait, Crescent Valley

The 106-pounder won his first tournament title at the Warrior Classic and also has made the medal stand at Perry Burlison (third) and the Grants Pass Winter Kickoff (fourth) in compiling a 12-3 record.

Ethan Regas, Thurston

Regas has wrestled at 144 and 150 this winter, winning the Kenny Cox at 150 and placing third at 144 at Rose City as he opened his career with a 22-3 record.

Macen Rosa, Sweet Home

Rosa opened the year on the JV roster but quickly broke into the varsity lineup, finishing fourth at Rose City as part of a 14-7 start to his season.

Audrie Sanchez, Grants Pass

Sanchez has wrestled at 115 and 120 during her first season, winning titles at Crater and her home Winter Kickoff while placing fifth at the North Bend Coast Classic to start 12-2.

Madden Sandoval, Crook County

The 144-pounder won his first 12 matches, including titles at the Perry Burlison Invitational and North Bend Coast Classic, and reached the quarterfinals at the Reno Tournament of Champions before coming up one win shy of medaling.

Rayna Schneider, Centennial

The 125-pounder reached her first tournament final at Canby, falling to state placer Emilia Ensrud of Canby for the second time this year, and also placed sixth at Battle for the Capital as part of a 15-8 start.

Reese Sedano, Dallas

The Dragons have a deep contingent of ninth-grade girls, and leading the way is their 115-pounder who’s placed at four tournaments as part of a 14-9 start to her career.

Cody Sieminski, Sweet Home

The 113-pounder has built off a solid showing at the Rose City Championship to start his career 22-2, with his only losses coming to returning state champions Casen Villastrigo of Crook County and Lukas Salas-Sanchez of Thurston.

Ethan Stampke, Burns

The 106-pounder won his first varsity tournament at Adrian Irwin, then took home third-place medals from Cody Louk and Grants Pass before reaching the Woodfin Robinson Johnson final en route to a 12-3 record.

Lincoln Steele, Vale

Steele has yet to lose to an in-state opponent in compiling a 15-2 record in the 150-pounder’s first month, placing third at Muilenburg and Wiley Dobbs before winning his first title at the Woodfin Robinson Johnson Memorial.

Brayden Thomas, Dallas

Thomas has already cracked one of the deepest lineups in 5A, finishing sixth at Perry Burlison at 120 and recently wrestling at 113 at the Northwest Duals as he’s started his career 20-11.

Kassidy Zajic, Sweet Home

Zajic has bounced between 105 and 110 in her first season, reaching the podium at The Spartan Invitational (fifth), Battle for the Capital (second), Lady Warriors (third) and Thurston (second) to start the season 16-6.