Kris Newport, who this year became the first Sweet Home freshman to win a state wrestling title, was named Outstanding Wrestler Tuesday, March 4, at the team’s 12th Awards Banquet.
Some 225 family members and wrestling fans turned out for the event at the Sweet Home High School Cafeteria, where they feasted on a potluck spread and watched a photo presentation from the previous season.
Guests of honor were the four graduating seniors, Casey Johnson, Danny Johnson, Nick Pitts and Shaw Valentine.
“It was great food and great fellowship,” Coach Steve Thorpe said.
The Huskies celebrated a ValCo District title and a third-place finish at the state 4A championships, one point behind Scappoose , which got a lift from two mid-season transfers who scored in the state tournament, Thorpe noted.
He praised the supporters of the program who, he said, are responsible for making it what it is and who helped make the banquet a “first-class event.”
“I believe it truly celebrated the accomplishments of the wrestlers this year and the wrestling program,” Thorpe said.
In addition to Newport, awards went to:
– Danny Johnson, for scoring the most first takedowns in the first round of his matches – 31.
– Levi Weikel, for the most falls – 28, including five at the state tournament.
– Nick Pitts and Jack Perry, who won the Iron Man Award, which goes to a wrestlers who has exhibited grit in the face of severe obstacles such as injuries or other difficulties during the course of the season. Pitts finished the season with 38 wins – the most on the team – despite wrestling withbroken ribs and a possible slight concussion in the state tournament, in which he finished sixth.
– Brock Crocker, Mitch Grove, Matt Grove and Taylor Tagle, who received the Workhorse
Award, given to the wrestler who puts maximum effort into this preparation.
– Marshall Arndt, who received the Rookie of the Year award after qualifying for the state championships in his first year of wrestling and his first match at state.
– Debi Temple, who was honored with the Fan Appreciation Award for being “a great fan, follower and supporter of our athletes and our program,” Thorpe said. Temple is retiring this year.
– Kendra McCaslin, who received an Extra Mile Award for doing “all those extra things that make our program what it is, from putting together lists of food, making copies, helping to setting up, cleaning up and organizing things,” he said. Temple is also statistics adviser for the team.
Thorpe told the wrestlers that the time to start getting ready for the 2008-09 season “is now.”
He noted that the Greco-Roman and freestyle seasons are under way and that next summer’s Santiam Wrestling Camp is already full.
“What we do isn’t by accident,” he said. “We want to continue to have success.”