Kyle Sieminski of Sweet Home wins elusive TOC title, Most Outstanding Wrestler honors (Reser’s TOC 120 pounds)
Kyle Sieminski has a chance to become the first Sweet Home wrestler to win four state championships next month at the OSAA Class 4A tournament.
First, though, the Huskies senior had unfinished business at last weekend’s Reser’s Tournament of Champions.
The past two TOCs, Sieminski reached the finals, only to fall to Roseburg’s Gage Singleton each time — by second-round pin when both were sophomore 106-pounders in 2022, then by a 10-8 decision in a thrilling 113 final last year.
The two met one final time Saturday night in the 120-pound title match at Hillsboro’s Liberty High School, and finally, it was Sieminski’s turn to come out on top, scoring three takedowns and a reversal during a 10-6 victory that clinched Most Outstanding Wrestler honors.
Kyle Sieminski of Sweet Home (photo by Taylor Balkom)
“I’ve just gotten a lot better on my feet, on bottom, on top — just everywhere,” Sieminski said. “I’ve gotten a lot better, and my gas tank is better. I just felt really good tonight.”
Sieminski said his defeat in last year’s final led him to realize “I was doing the right things. So, I just built off that and just kept working harder, doing things that I never did. I ran a lot longer, worked out a lot harder with bigger guys. I knew going into this match, I would get what I wanted.”
Singleton got his lone takedown with about 20 seconds remaining, but when he realized he wouldn’t get the near-fall points he needed to force overtime, he released his grip, removed his anklet and turned to shake Sieminski’s hand as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
Sieminski hardly noticed.
“I was just in my own moment,” Sieminski said. “I just felt really good for myself. I really wanted to win.”
