Oregon (OSAA) 4A/3A/2A/1A girls wrestling state championships preview: 9 champions seek repeats
The Oregon 4A/3A/2A/1A girls high school wrestling state championships take place Thursday and Friday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Here's a look at what to expect.
Photo by Leon Neuschwander
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Schedule
Thursday, Noon-7:30 p.m.: Round 1 and Quarterfinals
Friday, 2:30 p.m.: Semifinals
Friday, 7:15 p.m.: Parade of Champions and Finals
Top seeds (returning champions in italics)
100 Zoe Brewer, Willamina, jr.
105 Vanessa Keller, Oakridge, so.
110 Katelynn Leonard, St. Helens, sr.
115 Emmalee Brissette, Oakridge, fr.
120 MaKenna Duran, Crook County, sr.
125 Bailey Chafin, Sweet Home, so.
130 Payton Perry, Vale, jr.
135 Sariah Zepeda, Gervais, sr.
140 Ava Collins, Vale, sr.
145 Jessica Williams, Vale, sr.
155 Hannah Henderson, Harrisburg, sr.
170 Jadyn Pense, St. Helens, fr.
190 Lilliyan Jaramillo, Rogue River, sr.
235 Breanna Meek, North Valley, jr.
Other returning champions
110 Macali Lade, Siuslaw, jr.
235 Mallory Lusco, Grant Union/Prairie City, jr.
Most state qualifiers
1, La Grande 13. 2, Sweet Home 8. 3, Crook County 5. 4, (tie) Grant Union/Prairie City, Harrisburg, Hidden Valley, Oakridge, Siuslaw, St. Helens, Tillamook, Vale 4.
What to watch
Will quantity or quality reign at second edition of small-school state tournament?
La Grande and Sweet Home have the numbers entering the weekend, but Huskies coach Steve Thorpe — whose team finished in a tie for second last year behind first-time champion La Pine — knows it’s not just quantity but quality that makes the difference when contending for titles.
“La Grande is the favorite right now with 13 girls qualified. They are just solid,” he said. “But Oakridge has several good girls. Crook County has girls who will score plus a returning champion and All-American (Duran).”
Don’t count the Huskies out, though. Chafin is the only nationally ranked wrestler in the field (No. 23 at 130 pounds), and their eight qualifiers trail only La Grande’s 13 among the 61 schools that will take part.
Other teams that should contend thanks to their top-end talent at the second edition of the small-school state tournament include Vale, with its two defending champions, and St. Helens, which looks to build off its seventh-place finish with top seeds Leonard and Pense leading the way.
Nine ’23 champions seek repeats in return to Memorial Coliseum
Nine of last year’s 14 champions return this weekend, but a 10th — Cottage Grove junior Allison Palluck — will miss the meet after suffering a season-ending knee injury in early January.
One of the most anticipated matches of the tournament involves Meek and Lusco at 235 pounds. Lusco is a two-time champion who won at 190 last year but moved up to 235, where Meek won her first title. The two have split their meetings this season, with Lusco winning at the Oregon Classic last month before Meek beat her in the district final last week.
Lade is a dangerous floater in the 110 bracket after losing in the district final to Harrisburg freshman Payton Steele. Lade is the No. 4 seed and faces a possible semifinal against top seed Leonard, who took fourth at state last year also as a No. 1 seed.
Crook County’s first female champion Duran back for more
Duran became Crook County’s first girls wrestling state champion last year with her 4-1 victory over Lowell’s Kaili Kirkhart in the 120 final. There won’t be a rematch (Kirkhart didn’t wrestle this season after December), and Duran — who won the Rollie Lane Invite this season — looks to add a second state title this weekend.
