By Ryker Burr
For The New Era
In front of a crowd of nearly 500 at Cottage Grove High School, Sweet Home’s girls won their third 1A/2A/3A/4A regional wrestling title in the last four seasons Saturday, Feb. 21.
Sweet Home, with nine placers (top six finishers placed), was the only team to score over 200 in a packed field of 50 teams.
The Huskies finished with 210 points, with Harrisburg (180) and Mazama (172.5) rounding out the top three. Harrisburg had the most individual champions with five, while Oakridge (fourth overall) finished with three.
Sweet Home will be sending six wrestlers to Portland for the state tournament.
Those state-qualifiers are: Kass Zajic (third at 110), Lyla Ventura (fourth at 110), Alizeah Weikel (second at 115), Bailey Chafin (first at 125), Madison Looney (second at 145) and Eturnity Allison (second at 170).
Head Coach Tomas Rosa praised his team: “Our girls are some of the best in the state. They’re gamers. They put in a lot of work and deserve it.”
Two-time state champion Bailey Chafin led the Huskies’ winning effort with her fourth straight regional title. She was the only individual winner for the Green and Gold.
“This one means a lot more because of the knee surgery,” Chafin stated, referring to an injury she suffered in last year’s state finals, which forced her to sit out the rest of the year. “I wasn’t even sure if I could wrestle at the beginning of this season.”
Rosa also had something to say about Chafin’s historic feat.
“All year long she’s been trying to wrestle her best coming off the injury. We’re constantly focusing on wrestling our best despite the noise,” he said. “She lost to that girl earlier this year… It was good to see Bailey get back to wrestling the way we know she can.”
Chafin, who is seeded No. 1 at 125 pounds going into the tournament, attributed her increased motivation this year to the team around her: “Their support and desire to win makes me want to win more. I don’t want to let them down.”
Chafin went on to note she is excited for what the team will show at state, though she is uncertain how high they’ll place.
But she certainly knows what her goal is: a third state title.
“Getting a state title this year would mean more than getting four because it’s more meaningful to come back, just a year later, from a full reconstructed knee surgery.”
Last year at state, Chafin had to forfeit the final after that knee injury. She exited the mat in tears, uncertain what her future would hold.
Of Sweet Home’s qualifiers, only Chafin has placed at the state level.
Zajic and Weikel will compete at state for the first time; Ventura, Looney, and Allison for the second.
Despite the lack of experience, Rosa thinks this group can come home with a trophy.
“It’s been our goal the whole time. If we stack a few good wins, we’re sittin’ pretty for a pretty high placing.”
Even if they don’t return with a trophy, there’s something else Rosa will be looking for in Portland: “We’re looking to get state experience and try to stay on our routine as much as possible. If we wrestle our match, good things will happen.”
The 4A state tournament for boys and girls will take place Thursday and Friday, Feb. 26-27, starting at noon Thursday at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Friday’s matches will start at 2:45 p.m., with finals taking place following the Parade of Champions at 7 p.m.
Sweet Home’s boys enter the tournament with three top seeds: Cody Sieminski at 106, Riley Vaughan (120) and Jesse Landtroop (126), and two No. 2 seeds, Keeghan Jefferson (113) and Luke Rosa (175).
