Marissa Kurtz secures girls state title with win over Lexi Schilling

Scott Swanson

Marissa Kurtz won the girls state 105-pound wrestling title and teammate Lexi Schilling was second after an all-Sweet Home final Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

The girls semifinals and finals were carried over, on a demonstration basis, from an earlier qualifying tournament held Jan. 27 at Thurston High School.

Kurtz came in as the No. 3 seed and Schilling was No. 4, out of a bracket that started at the January tournament with more than 40 girls.

On Saturday, Kurtz pinned Rainier’s Allie Ocain in the semis, in 5:24, but it was Schilling who really turned heads after trailing Charli Stewart of Bend 11-1 in the second period, then suddenly escaping and taking Stewart down and pinning her in a shocking turnaround.

Stewart was the No. 1 seed after beating Kurtz 5-3 in the qualifying tournament. She dominated Schilling through most of the first two periods, keeping her on her back for much of that time.

“Lexi Schilling, as much as any boy or any girl I’ve ever coached, fights to get off her back,” Thorpe said. “It was absolutely the most incredible thing, but it’s what we teach in our program: If you think you’re still in the match, you’re still in the match.”

“I was on my back for the second or third time and I thought, ‘I just have to get off,'” Schilling said. “I was so close to getting pinned, I felt like I was passing out, and I didn’t want it to end that way.

“I wanted to be in the finals; that was my goal.”

She fought free for an escape, then immediately threw Stewart for a takedown on the very edge of the circle, stubbornly keeping her toes inside the ring to avoid an out-of-bounds ruling.

“I had a chance, so I just had to throw it and keep my toes in and I did,” Schilling said. “My heel was on the line. I was was watching the whole time: ‘All right, I gotta focus on keeping my feet in, I have to stay in.'”

In the final Kurtz kept her teammate from scoring, winning 6-0, but the match was competitive throughout.

Kurtz said she was happy to win her second title after a second-place finish last year as a sophomore.

“It was a big deal,” she said. “I was in tears afterwards. Everything I’ve worked for, I’ve cut so much weight for this – and it al came together. It meant a lot.”

“She earned a state title,” Thorpe said. “It’s hard to wrestle your teammate in the final.”

He noted that women’s wrestling is the fastest-growing sport in not only Oregon but America. It will be added as a division next year after being approved as an OSAA-sanctioned sport.

“Our two young ladies are incredible ambassadors why we need to build women’s wrestling in Oregon, why it will grow in Sweet Home,” Thorpe said.

“It’s hard to wrestle your teammate in the final She earned a state title. Marissa’s a two-time state champion in a women’s division that is fastest-growing sport in, not only Oregon, but America.”

Kurtz said the opportunity for girls is exciting, especially for beginners “who could be really good.”

“I think it’s awesome,” she said. “You have more matches and more competition. Just a lot of matches helps a lot.”

Schilling said she hated to end with a loss.

“I had some tough matches to get here,” she said. “It was worth it. I’ve come a long way because I just started last year and I fell short (of state) by one match last year.”

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