Several past wrestlers for the Huskies have continued in the sport in their collegiate careers, two at a very high competitive level this year.
James Gourley, a member of the Sweet Home Hall of Fame, now attends Southwestern Oregon Community College and has been a stalwart for that team at 197 pounds. This last weekend, after placing third in the regional tournament, Gourley took sixth place in the national community college wrestling meet in Minnesota.
A 1999 graduate, Gourley took 4th place in the 3A state meet as a junior and sixth as a senior. He was also a member of the Oregon Junior National Team and the Oregon Cultural Exchange team that went to Vienna, Austria, and Budapest, Hungary as well as numerous accomplishments in Greco State and Freestyle State tournaments.
At the NCAA Division 1 level, David Helfrich wrestles for Lehigh University in Pennsylvania,
which is currently ranked number seven in the nation. Despite having outstanding teammates ahead of him at 184 and 197 pounds, Helfrich has cracked the lineup on occasion and has a 12-3 record this year as a redshirt freshman. He is coached by former Olympian and Oregon State wrestler, Greg Stroble, and Olympian and silver medalist heavyweight Kerry McCoy.
Helfrich, also a member of the Hall of Fame, was the 3A state champion at 171 pounds and runnerup the previous year. He too was on a cultural exchange team where he was a champion at 178 pounds and gained recognition in Wrestling USA magazine as one of the nation’s best seniors.
Two 2003 graduates, Andrew Swanson, a three time placer in the top four at state, and Kyle Temple, who captured 4th place at 140 pounds his senior year, are redshirting in the Southern Oregon University wrestling program.