Sweet Home wrestlers have continued to compete this fall, despite state prohibitions against physical contact during practices and other hindrances that have created obstacles to what normally would be a full-fledged pre-season buildup to the club and high school seasons.
In late October local wrestlers competed at the pre-season Western States Championships in Logan, Utah. The week previous, Sweet Home wrestlers were among the competitors in the Freak Show Tournament in Nampa, Idaho.
Eight local wrestlers competed at the pre-season regional championships: Bailey Chafin, Dylan Hartsook, Ryker Hartsook, Jesse Jamison, Colton McCubbins, Cody Sieminski, Jake Sieminski and Kyle Sieminski.
Jake Sieminski, a sophomore, placed in two divisions, taking first at 113 pounds in the 9th/10th-grade competition and fifth in the high school open category.
Chafin was second in the girls competition at 100 pounds in the middle school girls division.
Dylan Hartsook (fifth-sixth 135 pounds) and McCubbins (third-fourth 100 pounds) both placed fourth.
“I was very happy that the boys and Bailey got to compete,” Coach Steve Thorpe said of the Logan tournament. “It was good that we got to do that. This was our third trip out of state. It’s the only place you can find activity.”
State officials consider wrestling a high-risk activity, so actual contact is banned through the current state-of-emergency proclamation – Jan. 2.
That puts a crimp in the winter OSAA sports season, which was supposed to begin Dec. 28.
Oregon wrestlers numbered 295 of the over 900 wrestlers at the Logan tournament.
“We have to go to states that allow contact,” Thorpe said, noting that states that are allowing wrestling also are those that have allowed students back in school classrooms. “That tells you how bad Oregonians need activities.”
This weekend, Nov. 6-8 another group of Sweet Home wrestlers will head to Farmington, Utah, for the Northwest Bigfoot Battle competition, typically held in Washington, but being held this year in Idaho instead.
Thorpe acknowledged the fact that wrestlers can’t drill is a problem.
“I don’t like that they can’t fully train for an event, but at same time, it’s the best we have and it’s what we’re going to do. This gives them a chance to do something that is normal for them. I don’t see our state getting in a hurry to provide opportunities like this.”
Thorpe, who heads the state wrestling federation and sits on the USA Wrestling board of directors, noted that few known COVID cases have developed from wrestling tournaments, even big ones.
One positive COVID case has surfaced after a 32-team tournament in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., the USAW TOA Club Duals, held Oct 17-18, the same weekend as the Nampa tournament, he said.
“I know that, from USA wrestling tournaments, we have developed a way to mitigate risk best we can.”
He’s hopeful the winter sports season will proceed as planned.
“I can’t give up hope and can’t give up believing because I’m preparing kids academically to be successful, working on finding them ways to train that are safe alternatives,” Thorpe said.