Scott Swanson
Sweet Home’s girls kicked off what Coach Steve Thorpe described as a “wild weekend” for the wrestling team by scoring a second-place finish in the state tournament Thursday, June 24, at Cottage Grove.
Team-wise, the girls finished second behind defending state champion Thurston in a field of 23 schools representing all divisions.
“We walked away behind Thurston with a second-place trophy, our girls’ first team trophy in the history of Sweet Home,” Thorpe said.
Junior Paige Chafin said, “I think it was really great how we placed second, with only four girls, behind a team that had 21 at regionals and six at state.”
Seniors Sicily Neuschwander (105) and Jessy Hart (130) both finished second, while Chafin (105) and fellow junior Kami Hart (190) were third.
“We had a goal to trophy all four,” Thorpe said. “I didn’t know how fierce they would be as they entered that tournament.”
Neuschwander may not have had the experience of some of her teammates, but “has such an incredible work ethic and incredible determination” and “worked so stinking hard, with a great training partner in Paige, Thorpe said, analyzing her success.
“For Sicily and Jessy to get in the finals, that’s probably the best they could have done. There’s nothing bad about losing to a good wrestler.”
Jessy Hart said she “honestly expected not even to have a state tournament” this year. “I just kind of expected to have some home duals and maybe have five matches.”
Instead, she said, she’s wrestled 23 and lost twice.
“I’m really happy with my finish,” she said. “The girl that I lost to in the finals, she’s pretty decent. So I’m happy with second. Definitely. And then, second as a team. I’m very happy with that. That’s kind of cool.”
Chafin and the Hart sisters spent the last year looking for competition, Thorpe said, traveling all over the West to tournaments. He said Chafin was able to get critical experience that way.
“Paige lost a very tough semifinals match to the eventual champion. She’s a seasoned veteran now. She knew what she had to do to come back and get third.”
Chafin noted that she “didn’t win a single match last year, so I trained all summer. I feel like I made some really big improvements in the last year and beat some people that definitely would’ve beaten me last year.”
Cami Hart got pinned by Ella Taplin of Forest Grove in their opening match, but then pinned her way through the backside to meet Taplin again in the consolation final, where she pinned her.
“I wasn’t really in it,” she said of the opener. “My head wasn’t in it, so I lost my first match.”
She said she was “happy” with her outcome, though, she said.
“Those first and second-place girls, they were good,” said Hart, who is finishing her second season in the sport. I didn’t I didn’t think I’d even make it to state. Last year I didn’t. This year, it’s been a good year. I put in some work and I’m happy with it.”
Girls State Wrestling Championship Results
Team Scores – (1) Thurston (six wrestlers) 107 points; (2) Sweet Home (4) 62; (3) Oregon City (3) 50; (4) North Medford (3) 48; (5) Forest Grove (4) 47; (6) Hillsboro (5) 43; (7) Cottage Grove (2) 40; (8) La Pine (4) 37; (8) North Salem (4) 37; (10) Hood River (3) 35; (11) Estacada (2) 30; (12) Bend (3) 27.5; (13) West Albany (2) 25; (14-tie) Miwaukie, West Linn (1 each) 24; (16) Cleveland (3) 23; (17-tie) Newberg (1), McKay (3) 22; (19-tie) Ashland (1), Central Linn (1), Eagle Point (1), Elmira (1), Gervais (1) 18.
Individual Results
105 – Sicily Neuschwander (senior) won by forfeit; decisioned Anybeth Valenzuela (West Salem) (6-2); lost by fall to Emma Baertlein (Oregon City) (0:54); placed second.
115 – Paige Chafin (junior) won by major decision over Lysandra Fuentes (Forest Grove) (15-4); lost by fall to Haley Vann (Cleveland) (1:05); pinned Delia Gulzow (La Grande) (3:27); dec. Richi Campbell (West Albany) (4-0); placed third.
130 – Jessy Hart (senior) pinned Hannah Hernandez (Ontario) (3:59); pinned Haley Hewlett (Molalla) (1:16); lost by fall to Ayana Medina (Hillsboro) (1:05); placed second.
190 – Kami Hart (junior) lost by fall to Ella Taplin (Forest Grove) (1:45); pinned Rose Williams (Centennial) (1:46); pinned Sadie Hill (Oregon City) (0:59); pinned Ella Taplin (Forest Grove) (1:07); placed third.