Sweet Home’s Laura Gourley, 11, brought home a sixth place finish recently from the national women’s wrestling tournament held in Lake Orion, Michigan.
Gourley is the daughter of Jim and Lisa Gourley. She is in the sixth grade at Hawthorne Elementary School and competed in the Middle School category at 120 pounds.
Oregon grapplers finished third and brought home 19 medals among 23 athletes.
Gourley wrestled several times over the two-day event, losing to the first and third place finishers by points.
She has been wrestling for six years and enjoys the hard work it takes. While training for the nationals, Gourley practiced twice a weeky in Portland with the touring team.
She’s excited that women’s wrestling will be an Olympic sport in 2004.
She also enjoys swimming, soccer and softball.