Boys repeat (again) as Linn County wrestling champions

Sweet Home wrestlers show off the hardware they brought back from the Linn County Championships tournament Jan. 3.
— Photo courtesy of Karyn Hartsook

Sweet Home’s boys repeated as the county’s top team again this year after winning the Linn County Championships tournament Friday, Dec. 3, at South Albany High School.

The boys finished with 280.5 points, ahead of Harrisburg (236.5), West Albany (209), Lebanon (141), Scio (99), South Albany (63), Santiam (26) and Central Linn (13).

The Huskies had five individual champions: Keegan Jefferson at 113; Jesse Landtroop at 120;

Tytus Hardee at 126; James Hearick at 150; and Luke Rosa at 175.

“For the boys, that was our ninth consecutive tournament we’ve won,” Coach Steve Thorpe said. “Lebanon won the first one and we haven’t given the trophy back.

“Tytus is consistent right now – he is competing well,” he said. “Luke Rosa had a great tournament. He dominated his weight class,” he added, noting that Rosa’s win in the 175-pound final, over West Albany’s Justice Edmiston, was by a 17-1 tech fall.

“I kind of like where we are at this point.”

On the girls side, Sweet Home finished with 97 points, second to Harrisburg, which scored 109, followed by West Albany (93), Lebanon (54), Central Linn (43), South Albany (38) and Scio (16).

Bailey Chafin won the 125-pound title, beating West Albany’s Naudia Edmiston 15-10 in a battle of defending state championships, and a chance for Chafin to avenge a loss to Edmiston earlier this season.

Also claiming an individual championship for the girls was Alizeah Weikel, first at 115, Madi Looney was first at 140.

“That’s two tournaments in a row Alizeah has won,” Thorpe noted. “My girls are coming on.”

Conner Spencer gets set to pin Santiam’s Lane Korkow in a 132-pound bout. Spencer finished third in that bracket.

For the boys, Riley Vaughn was second at 120 after beating his first three opponents with two pins and a tech fall, then giving up a medical forfeit to his teammate, Landtroop.

“I’ve got to speak about Ryley and Jesse at 120,” Thorpe said. “On Riley’s side of bracket, he knocked off Owen Hoyt of West Albany and Andrei Donayri of Harrisburg, a returning state champion, pinning Donayri in overtime.”

Other Husky finalists were Dillan Davis, second at 132; Russell Dickerman, second at 144; Kyle Zajic at 157; Ashton Swanson at 190; Colton Bennett at 285.

Placing third were Cael Stevenson at 126, Conner Spencer at 132, and Liam Martin at 285.

Jasper Victor was fourth at 138; Elijah Cruz was fourth at 190, Lynkin Royer was fourth at 215

Jackson Barringer was fifth at 190; Jeremiah Steagall was fifth at 215

Brodee Gay was sixth at 138; Gavin Baker at 144; and Jackson Knight at 165.

For the girls, Eturnyti Allison was second at 145 and Mahala Gourley Webster at 155. (Emaline Durrett was second at 235, but did not actually wrestle due to an arm injury, but since there was only one other competitor at that weight, Durrett was still a placewinner even though she had to forfeit.)

Third-place finishers were Avery Temple at 100 and Rylie Hollingsworth at 145. Placing fourth were Natasha Marin at 105, Amelia Sullens at 110, and Bella Rico at 130.

Bailey Chafin scores over West Albany’s Naudia Edmiston in the 125-pound final, on her way to a 15-10 win over the defending 5A Division state champion in the Linn County Championships.

Lady White Buffalo Invitational

Sweet Home’s girls finished on top of 11 other teams in Madras Thursday, Jan. 2, at the Lady White Buffalo Invitational.

The Huskies finished with 143 points, ahead of St. Helens (132), Cascade (75), Ridgeview (66.5), Sisters (60.0), Estacada (57.0), Madaras (53.0), Cleveland (52.5), Mountain View (51.5), Molalla (34.0), Irrigon (31.0) and Heppner (30.0).

Individual champions for the Huskies were Natasha Marin at 105, Alizeah Weikel at 115, and Bailey Chafin at 125.

Other finalists for Sweet Home were Lyla Ventura, second at 110; Bella Rico, second at 130; and Eturnyti Allison second at 145.

The Huskies’ other place-winners were Avery Temple, third at 100; Amelia Sullens, who lost her first two matches, then won the next two to finish third at 110; and Emaline Durrett, who was injured in an opening loss to Velma Spino, then won her next three matches, including the consolation final against Spino, by falls to take third.

Up next for the Huskies is the Harrisburg Duals at 6 p.m. Thursday at Harrisburg, followed by Special District #2 Duals Saturday at home, beginning at 9 a.m.

Girls Wrestling from Linn County Championships