Oregon (OSAA) wrestling state championships: Meet the 12 ‘unbeatable’ wrestlers
One of my first big assignments as a sportswriter was covering Mat Classic, the wrestling extravaganza that is Washington’s high school state championships.
Nothing could quite prepare me for the moment I walked into the press area at the Tacoma Dome and was awash in the sights and sounds — the sensory overload that overcomes you upon first experiencing it.
One reference I used to prepare for the occasion was the Tacoma News Tribune — the former home of two SBLive Washington colleagues, Todd Milles and Andy Buhler.
And one of my favorite stories was its annual announcement of the “Untouchables” — the wrestlers it considered the most unbeatable from around the state.
So, in homage to the three decades the News Tribune has picked the best of the best, we at SBLive Oregon decided to pick a dozen reigning state champions — including three vying to win a fourth title — to highlight before the OSAA state championships run Thursday through Saturday at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Kyle Sieminski (Sweet Home) photo by Leon Neuschwander
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Ava Collins, Vale, senior
4A/3A/2A/1A Girls 140
Season record: 26-2
Career record: 64-5
Collins had her freshman season derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic — she didn’t compete during the spring 2021 season. As a sophomore, she went 13-3 and placed third at the state meet, losing to Creswell’s Brielle Brick in the semifinals. That was her last loss to an in-state opponent — she went 28-0 and won the 140-pound state title with a third-round pin of Hidden Valley’s Megan Peterson last season, and her only two defeats this season were to Idaho wrestlers. Among her wins this season were two over Forest Grove’s Kailea Takahashi at the Rollie Lane Invitational and three against Ontario’s Hannah Hernandez, a state runner-up last year and her top rival this weekend.
Bailey Chafin, Sweet Home, sophomore
4A/3A/2A/1A Girls 145
Season record: 28-2
Career record: 72-3
Chafin drew inspiration from her older sister, Paige, who won a state title two years ago before heading to Eastern Oregon University, and made her goal to outdo what Paige accomplished with the Huskies. Bailey romped to her first championship last year and has hardly missed a beat this season, losing only once to an in-state opponent (Redmond’s Mia Pedersen, a 6A/5A runner-up last year, at the Oregon Classic in mid-January), with 25 of her 28 victories by fall.
Devon Kerr, La Pine, junior
3A 144
Season record: 40-4
Career record: 112-13
As a freshman, Kerr became the fifth member of his family to win a state championship, joining his father, Dave, and older brothers David and Derrik and sister Kira. He’s now halfway to becoming the first to earn four state titles after beating Elmira’s William Walton 9-5 last season.
Dylan Clark, Henley, senior
4A 126
Season record: 53-1
Career record: 149-8
Clark has gone more than two years without losing to an in-state opponent on the mat (he forfeited two matches at district as a sophomore after failing to make weight), going 47-0 last season and winning his first state title (he was second as a freshman). His only loss this season came in the Sierra Nevada Classic final to Nicholas Bulanin of Elk Grove, Calif.
Easton Kemper, Burns, junior
3A 175
Season record: 23-2
Career record: 107-9
There are several 3A juniors going for a third state title this weekend, but only Kemper is riding a 53-match win streak against in-state opponents, with his last defeat coming in the district final as a freshman. He avenged that loss to La Pine’s Cache Montgomery in last year’s district final, then again in the 170 state final for his second state championship.
Isaac Hampton, Newberg, senior
6A 126
Season record: 47-3
Career record: 152-7
Hampton has lost only once in his previous three state meets, falling to Roseburg’s Gage Singleton in the 106-pound final as a freshman. He followed with an undefeated season as a sophomore, then went 42-3 last season and pinned Westview’s Elliott Mauck in the final to win a second title.
Kai Carson, La Grande, senior
4A 132
Season record: 24-6
Career record: 111-13
Carson looks to match his older brother, Braden, this weekend by winning a third state title before joining Braden at Eastern Oregon University. Carson placed third at the COVID 2021 spring state meet, then won his first championship by going 35-3 and beating Sweet Home’s Kyle Watkins in the final. Last year, he won a 6-2 decision against Scappoose’s Anthony Comer for his second title.
Kailea Takahashi, Forest Grove, junior
6A Girls 130
Season record: 39-2
Career record: 106-12
Takahashi always thought of herself as a soccer player first, but after she missed the state tournament as a freshman and watched older sister Makaila reach the finals, she decided to dedicate more time and effort to the sport in which her father, Guy, was a two-time All-American. The result? A 41-3 record and a state title with a 6-2 decision against Gracie Grenfell of Liberty. She recorded her 100th career win during the Colton Holly Girls Invitational and pinned her way to a second district title last weekend.
Kyle Sieminski, Sweet Home, senior
4A 120
Season record: 50-3
Career record: 157-14
Sieminski joined his father, Clint, in winning a third state championship last year, defeating Crook County’s Alberto Flores 6-3 to cap a 52-3 season. Now, he’s bidding to become the school’s first four-time champion to cap a season that’s already seen him beat two-time champion Gage Singleton of Roseburg at the Reser’s Tournament of Champions.
MacKenzie Shearon, Redmond, junior
6A Girls 155
Season record: 47-2
Career record: 106-8
Shearon went 24-4 as a freshman, coming back from an injury that ousted her from the Rollie Lane Invitational to win a district title and place fourth at state. She returned last year to win her first state championship, wrapping up a 35-2 season with an overtime victory over Forest Grove’s Kennedy Blanton, and this season she placed third at Reno and Rollie Lane and won a third district crown.
Mike Miller, Illinois Valley, senior
2A/1A 113
Season record: 33-3
Career record: 94-12
Miller overcame a broken femur he sustained during the summer between his sophomore and junior seasons to win a third state championship last year, beating Illinois Valley teammate James Conn 7-5 in the state final. Miller is back this year seeking to become the program’s first four-time state champion.
Zachary Keinonen, Newberg, senior
6A 138
Season record: 46-4
Career record: 145-11
Keinonen kicked off his career by going undefeated as a freshman, winning the first of his three state championships. None of his state titles have come easily — he beat teammate Brandon Smith 4-0 as a freshman, edged McMinnville’s Chris Dillworth 1-0 two years ago, then needed overtime last year to get past Tigard’s Cade McCallister 5-3 and set himself up to become his school’s fourth four-time titlist.
