See our photo gallery for State Tournament photos: https://www.sweethomenews.com/photos/02_27_2019
Marissa Kurtz won her second state wrestling championship Saturday, Feb. 23, during the OSAA girls finals at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
Junior Lexi Schilling was fourth at 105 pounds.
Kurtz, a senior, won the 110-pound division, pinning Scappoose junior Emma Jones in the semifinals and then beating Hillsboro freshman Emma Blackwell in the final, 4-1.
Blackwell scored first on an escape in the second round, but Kurtz said she was confident because she had the entire third round in front of them.
“I knew she was really tough,” Kurtz said of Blackwell. “But I beat her twice earlier this year.”
She scored a reversal to turn the tide.
“I wasn’t worried because I could just feel it in my bones,” she said. “It was awesome. I lost my sophomore year, so coming back and winning the last two has been great.”
Kurtz also was awarded a $1,000 Tyrone Woods Memorial Scholarship. She is the first girl to receive the award. Winners are chosen by the Tyrone Snowden Woods Wrestling Foundation based on essays they have submitted on how wrestling has impacted their lives.
Coach Steve Thorpe said Kurtz has “very, very much to be proud of.”
As a defending champion, she had added pressure going into the tournament.
“Going in there with the expectation to win is tough,” he said.
Schilling lost a 14-3 major decision in the semifinals to Century junior Nimo Sheikh, then lost 8-4 to senior Riana Martin of Scio in the consolation final.
Thorpe said he was proud of their efforts.
“Our girls represented the women’s program with a lot of what Sweet Home is known for – hard wrestling and always trying to win.”