Sweet Home’s wrestlers celebrated Senior Night with three dual-meet wins Thursday, then went on to win the Linn County Championships tournament Saturday at Scio.
While that championship may not have been a surprise, since the Huskies have won every one of those tournaments they’ve competed in, they got six individual championships, including two from freshmen.
Sweet Home, which entered 23 wrestlers in the event, finished first with 280.5 points, followed by Lebanon and West Albany, which tied for second with 174 each, Harrisburg and Scio, which tied for fourth with 112 each, Central Linn (68), South Albany (41) and Santiam (4).
The event was held outdoors because Scio doesn’t have a big enough gym to contain three mats, Coach Steve Thorpe said. The day included some brand new experiences for him, he said.
One, wrestling was halted for a rain delay. Then competition was stopped because the mats got too hot from sunshine.
But the topper was when some wind got under one of the mats and flipped it over – covering the referee and the wrestlers.
“Those were some firsts I’ve never had in wrestling in my life.”
First-place finishers were Kyle Sieminski (106), Jake Sieminski (120), Ryker Hartsook (145), Braden Newport (152), Jesse Jamison (160) and Jake Fanning (220).
“I told Kyle and Ryker, ‘winning this tournament is a pretty big deal,'” Thorpe said. “I hope it motivates them to do great things next year and the year after that. I’m pretty proud of those two young men.
Jake Sieminski pinned Central Linn’s Blake Owens twice to win the 120-pound title. Both he and Jamison would have faced teammates in the final, but Thorpe opted for injury defaults “because we don’t need to wrestle each other.”
Newport bounced up to 152 to make room for Hartsook and “wrestled as good as I’ve seen him wrestle,” Thorpe said.
“Jake Fanning, for him to win that tournament as senior, that was great,” Thorpe said.
Finishing second were Evan Ashcraft (106), Kyle Watkins (126), Gavin Walberg (160), and Ethan Spencer (182).
In third were Jayce Miller (113), Kaden Zajic (170), Charlie Crawford (195), and David Steagall (220).
Fourth were Trenton Smith (138), Dakota Melkvik (220) and Colby Gazeley (285).
Chance Linn (106) was fifth, Brandon Elder (132) and Huston Holly (285) finished sixth, and
In the girls tournament, Jessy Hart won the 130-pound division, Kami Hart won at 190 pouds, Sicily Neuschwander was second at 110, a division with a deeper field.
On Thursday, Senior Night, the Huskies beat Marshfield 78-6, Cascade 63-18 and Philomath 57-24.
“We were able to get our seniors matches,” Thorpe said, noting that all except Treyson Smith, who was coming off a bout with illness, won on the mat.
“He still had his singlet on and was able to leave the program with his shoes on the mat,” Thorpe said, referring to the traditional removal and placement of senior wrestlers’ shoes on the edge of the mat after their final match.
“There’s just something special about that senior night, taking your shoes off and leaving them on the mat,” he said. “We graduated two girls (Jessy Hart and Sicily Neuschwander) who started as freshmen. They’ve changed. They’re not timid. They are beautiful and tough young women. It makes me really proud of their journey.
“Tristen Spencer has taken on a leadership role this year. Right now he’s probably one of the hardest workers in the room. It’s pretty incredible what he’s doing, how he’s winning matches.
“Gavin (Walberg), senior, got into the lineup and finished with a fall at home.
“Jake went 2-1, He’s a kid who started with us in eighth grade.”
The Huskies, 10-2 with losses only to Newberg and Mountain View, will travel to Tillamook Tuesday, June 8, then will host the regional championship tournament on June 17. Spectators will only be allowed in with tickets, which can be procured from wrestlers.
The girls will participate in their regional on June 18 in Cottage Grove.
Sweet Home 78, Marshfield 6
106 – Evan Ashcraft (SH) pinned Spencer Pederson (M) (1:08); 113 – Jayce Miller (SH) won by forfeit; 120 – Treyson Smith (SH) won by forfeit; 126 – Kyle Watkins (SH) won by forfeit; 132 – Brandon Elder (SH) pinned Chris Thomas (M) (1:26); 138 – Trenton Smith (SH) pinned Jonathan Calvert (M) (1:04); 145 – Brayden Newport (SH) pinned John Lemmons (M) (3:14); 152 – Tristan Spencer (SH) won by forfeit; 160 – Jesse Jamison (SH) won by forfeit; 170 – Kaden Zajic (SH) won by forfeit; 182 – Ethan Spencer (SH) won by forfeit; 195 – Miguel Velazquez (M) pinned Tucker Weld (SH) (1:39); 220 – Jake Fanning (SH) pinned Hayden Murphy (M) (2:22); 285 – Colby Gazeley (SH) pinned Aiden Barnhart (M) (0:17).
Sweet Home 63, Cascade 18
106 – Kyle Sieminski (SH) pinned James Hoffman (C) (0:19); 113 – Jayce Miller (SH) pinned Adrian Cotton (C) Fall 4:53); 120 – Treyson Smith (SH) won by forfeit; 126 – Kyle Watkins (SH) pinned Tayton Miller (C) (3:55); 132 – Connor Stapleton (C) pinned Brandon Elder (SH) (5:17); 138 – Trenton Smith (SH) pinned Trenton Wymore (C) (5:26); 145 – Brayden Newport (SH) pinned Caymus Roache (C) (5:20); 152 – Tristan Spencer (SH) won by forfeit; 160 – Jesse Jamison (SH) won by forfeit; 170 – Lance Van Hoose (C) pinned Kaden Zajic (SH) (2:52); 182 – Ethan Spencer (SH) dec. Blake Perlichek (C) (5-0); 195 – Kaden Fraser (C) won by forfeit; 220 – Jake Fanning (SH) pinned Waylon Wymore (C) (3:11); 285 – Colby Gazeley (SH) won by forfeit.
Sweet Home 57, Philomath 24
106 – Kyle Sieminski (SH) won by forfeit; 113 – Jayce Miller (SH) won by forfeit; 120 – Jake Sieminski (SH) pinned Benjamin Hernandez (P) (0:55); 126 – Kyle Watkins (SH) dec. Blake Niemann (P) (6-4); 132 – Christian Gregory (SH) pinned Caleb Blackburn (P) (3:27); 138 – Trenton Smith (SH) pinned Gradin Fairbanks (P) (1:04); 145 – Brayden Newport (SH) won by forfeit; 152 – Tristan Spencer (SH) pinned David Griffith (P) (1:39); 160 – Gavin Walberg (SH) pinned Jacob Williams (P) (0:28); 170 – Blaise Pindell (P) pinned Kaden Zajic (SH) (0:25); 182 – Ethan Spencer (SH) won by forfeit; 195 – Issiah Blackburn (P) won by forfeit; 220 – Connor Kohn (P) pinned Jake Fanning (SH) (1:10) 285 – Joseph Choi (P) won by forfeit.