Sweet Home’s girls are sending three girls to the state wrestling championships, two of them district titlists, following the OSAA Special District 2 championship tournament held Saturday, Feb. 5, at Cottage Grove.
Senior Paige Chafin pinned her way to the 115-pound title and senior Kami Hart was the winner at 170, pinning both her opponents as well.
Freshman Kendra Jamison was second at 100 pounds, pinned her three opponents on her way to the final, where she lost by a fall to undefeated Chelo Garcia of Siletz Valley/Eddyville Charter.
“I think Kendra Jamison did what she needed to do,” said Coach Steve Thorpe, noting that this was Jamison’s first year of competitive wrestling, which is true of all Chafin, Hart, and sophomore Kaylene Zajic, who had a brief stint with the team last season.
Coach Steve Thorpe said a “last-minute” change by the OSAA, from two district tournaments to four statewide, resulted in Sweet Home finishing with less qualifiers.
“That does not get the right wrestlers into the state tournament. I think, under the original system, we would have qualified five.”
The Huskies finished third as a team, behind Thurston (179 points) and North Medford (145). Sweet Home scored 140, nearly doubling fourth-place Hidden Valley’s 76. A total of 36 schools fielded wrestlers at the tournament.
Chafin’s finals match, against Kyleigh Fradelis of North Bend,14-7 was her longest of the day, as she pinned Fradelis in 41 seconds.
“Paige dominated her weight class and the tournament,” Thorpe said. “As far as I’m concerned, she was the wrestler of the tournament.”
“I thought I did very well. It was my first time winning it after four years. It was really nice to go out and perform, and get some quick pins,” Chafin said. “I just did the same thing every time, took them down, straight to their back.”
She said that the final match was her most difficult, “Just because of the nerves. It was a lot of pressure.”
In order to deal with the nerves, Chafin said, she “stepped out of the room and took a couple deep breaths. Then I came back and just wrestled.”
To prepare for the state tournament, she is going to focus on continuing to practice her “No. 1 moves,” she said.
Hart’s weight division had less competitors, so she had to wrestle twice after a first-round bye. She pinned Clara Fausett of South Eugene in 1:47, then finished off Hidden Valley’s Abigale Boeggeman in 38 seconds.
Hart credited Thorpe and her teammates with helping her get the district win.
“He’s a really good coach. I love him,” she said of Thorpe, who heads the program with assistance form Huskies alum Gracie Olsen Stutzman. “My practice partners make me better every day.”
She admitted to nerves before the final.
“I was really nervous. I don’t like wrestling under the (spot)light (used for final matches). I’m glad I won. I told myself ‘don’t be nervous,’ and kind of just breathed through it.”
Also placing for the Huskies were Kelsie Rush, fourth at 105; Zajic, fourth at 140; Riley Watkins, fifth at 125; and Ivy Dewitte, sixth at 120.
“I’m very proud of the girls, the way they competed,” Thorpe said.
The girls state tournament will be Tuesday, Feb. 22, at Culver.
OSAA Girls Special District 2 Championship Results
Team Scores (Top 10) – (1) Thurston 179; (2) North Medford 145; (3) Sweet Home 140; (4) Hidden Valley 76; (5) Siuslaw 57; (6) Creswell 55; (7) Oakland 52; (8) North Bend 51; (9) Crater 43; (10-tie) Elmira/Crow, North Eugene 40.
OSAA Girls Special District 2
Individual Results for Sweet Home
100 – Kendra Jamison pinned Vielka Zuniga (Sheldon) (0:58); pinned Izel Tavallia (Churchill) (0:18); pinned Janessa Sitowski (North Eugene) (2:31); lost by fall to Chelo Garcia (Siletz Valley/Eddyville Charter) (1:24); placed second.
105 – Kelsie Rush lost by fall to Bella Eyler (Oakland) (2:45); pinned Taylor Mussati (Philomath) (0:40); pinned Cocao Barrett (Toledo) (0:20); lost by fall to Bella Eyler (Oakland) (1:02); placed fourth.
110 – Akemi Jimenez lost by fall to Destiny Weaver (Glendale) (1:09); lost by fall to Charis Niderost (Thurston) (4:30); did not place.
115 – Paige Chafin pinned Zoey Howard (Toledo) (0:29); pinned Elyssa Diego (Marshfield) (0:17); pinned Rebekah Cook (Harrisburg) (0:23); pinned Kyleigh Fradelis (North Bend) (0:41); Champion.
115 – Trinity Landtroop won by forfeit over Nevaeh Patterson (Rogue River); lost by fall to Aurianna Van Houten (Oakland) (1:26); lost by fall to Rachael Graves (Thurston) (1:28); did not place.
120 – Ivy Dewitte pinned Gracie Gerding (Toledo) (0:12); lost by fall to Allison Palluck (Cottage Grove) (5:41); dec. Payson Little (Oakland) 7-2; pinned Alana Strand (Thurston) (2:47); lost maj. dec. to Liberty Barklow (Elmira/Crow) 16-6; lost by fall to Sydney Landreth (Thurston) (3:58); placed sixth.
125 – Riley Watkins lost by fall to Katarina Jentzsch (Elmira/Crow) (0:42); won by forfeit over Bailey Swanson (Grants Pass); pinned Kira Hunter (Sutherlin) (1:41); pinned Brooklyn Wilson (Douglas) (2:33); lost by fall to Rocio Perez (North Medford) (1:50); pinned Emma Zylstra (Lowell) (2:18); placed fifth.
130 – Zoey Erevia won by forfeit over Kayley Waldorf (Springfield); lost by fall to Juliette Wolf (Illinois Valley) (4:44); pinned Keeley Guthrie (Sutherlin) (1:17); lost by fall to Jocelyn Trozelle (Creswell) (1:18); did not place.
135 – Alyssa Peterson lost by fall to Jennalyn Kruger (Creswell) (4:55); pinned Aquela Hasty (Douglas) (3:47); lost by fall to Sierra Samhammer (Cascade Christian) (1:09); did not place.
135 – Cadence Makinson (3-7) lost by fall to Hayden Muller (Siuslaw) (1:03); lost by fall to Josie Larson (Thurston) (0:58); did not place.
140 – Kaylene Zajic lost by fall to Megan Peterson (Hidden Valley) (1:26); pinned Izzy Slaughter (Crater) (0:44); lost by fall to Isabella Prinslow (North Medford) (0:48); placed fourth.
145 – Miah Miller pinned Mary Bond (North Eugene) (2:30); lost by fall to Litzi Aguirre (Roseburg) (0:23); lost by fall to Callie Meadows (Thurston) (3:01).
155 – Natalie Templin lost by fall to Sage Teixeira (Eagle Point) (1:28); lost by fall to Nahaya Thomas (Harrisburg) (3:47).
170 – Kami Hart pinned Clara Fausett (South Eugene) (1:47); pinned Abigale Boeggeman (Hidden Valley) (0:38); Champion.
Girls Results from Feb. 1
Siuslaw 18, Sweet Home 6
110 – Macali Lade (S) pinned Trinity Landtroop (SH) (1:23); 130 – Zoey Erevia (SH) pinned Brooke Olson (S) (0:43); 135 – Makayla Freeman (S) pinned Cadence Makinson (SH) (2:52); 140 – Hayden Muller (S) pinned Kaylene Zajic (SH) (1:16).
Sweet Home 18, Philomath 3
100 – Ellie Morton (P) dec. Kelsie Rush (SH) 11-9; 105 – Kendra Jamison (SH) pinned Ellie Morton (P) (5:53); 110 – Kendra Jamison (SH) pinned Ellie Morton (P) (3:51); 110 – Kelsie Rush (SH) pinned Taylor Mussati (P) (2:21).