Wrestlers from Sweet Home, around the State of Oregon and a Canadian team spent last week with the Oregon Junior National Wrestling Team’s camp for the second year in Sweet Home.
The wrestling camp is used to prepare the Oregon Junior Wrestling Team, 44 individuals, for nationals, already underway, in Greco and freestyle during the Asics-USA Wrestling Junior National Tournament in Fargo, N.D.
Representing Sweet Home on that team is Mike Aerni, an incoming senior at 132 pounds. Kyle Temple wrestles at 132 pounds on the cadet team, under the age of 16.
Joining the camp was a provisional Canadian team, with eight members. The team joined the camp to prepare for the Canadian Games, which are held every four years. That team includes four national champions, one national runnerup and several All-Canadians.
Thirty-nine campers, primarily varsity wrestlers from around the state, spent the week honing their skills with the best Oregon and Canada have to offer among coaches and national teams.
Last year, Sweet Home Coach Steve Thorpe headed the freestyle team. With a new baby, he stepped down from that role and served solely as Oregon Junior National Camp director.
“It’s an incredible camp,” Coach Thorpe said. “It’s one of the only camps that focuses on three styles of wrestling.”
Those styles include Greco, freestyle and collegiate.
Coaching staff, an assembly of some of the top wrestlers and coaches, at the camp included camp clinicians Neil Russo, coach at Newberg and Sweet Home’s Tim Boatwright.
Head coach was Shane Bradley, a 1992 assistant Canadian Olympic coach and a teacher. He has coached the provisional team from Canada for several years.
Steve Lander, also a Newberg coach, served as junior director of the camp. He is heading up the Oregon team at nationals.
Coaching Grecco at nationals is Randy Couture of Gresham. He is a four-time Pan-Am champion, world team member, two-time Olympics alternate and the current World Ultimate Fighting Heavyweight Champion.
Also coaching in Grecco is Matt Lindland of Oregon City, 2000 76-kilo Olympic silver medalist in Grecco-Roman and 2001 84-kilo world team member. He also is national champion in Grecco-Roman.
Rounding out the Grecco coaching staff is Nathan Stanley, head wrestling coach at Clackamas High School.
In freestyle, Brad McBee is head coach. He is head coach a Eagle Point High School. Joining him are Scott Kearney, assistant coach at Churchill, and Jeremy Enrud, assistant coach at Oregon State University. Enrud was fifth in the National Freestyle Open in 2001 at 62 kilos.
“We draw the top collegiate coaches in the state,” Coach Lander said. “We’re very fortunate to have these guys. I think they’re an inspiration to (the wrestlers).”
The students hear their coaches, but when instructions are coming from an Olympic medalist or an ultimate fighting champion, “they’re going to listen,” Coach Lander said.
“Honestly, this is probably one of the premium camps in the state,” Coach Thorpe said. The talented coaching staff is all volunteer and exposes young wrestlers to the best in the world. “The camp, it was a great success. How the kids handled themselves and how they worked was incredible.”
The camp started each day last week at 7 a.m. with a two- to three-mile run.
The day was intensive. Following the run, the camp went into sessions from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. as teams and all together.
After lunch, the camp would split into eight teams and compete in events like ultimate frisbee, chariot races, tog o’ war and more, accumulating points in a daily competition. During the camp, the wrestlers also held a body-building contest, with the dance and volleyball teams judging.
Dinner would follow and evening sessions would begin at 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The camp serves as training for the national event, requiring the grueling schedule.
“If you’re lazy, this is not the camp for you,” Coach Thorpe said. “It’ll make a long week for you if you are.”
After the 13-hour day, campers and team members could use the pool, which Aquatics Director James Mellein held open for them. Some slept, Coach Thorpe said, while others visited the Rio Theater, whom Coach Thorpe wanted to thank for remaining open during the camp.
In addition to the workouts, the provisional Canadian team faced dueled the campers and won the majority of its matches on Tuesday. On Wednesday the Oregon Junior National Team won the majority of its duels against the Canadian team.
After the Wednesday duel, Lindland and Couture put on an exhibition of submission for the crowd, which included visitors from the community.
Coach Thorpe wanted to thank the community for its support, “the way they come out and embrace wrestling. We had a lot of people come in and watch the duels.”
The wrestlers like the way the community responds, and Sweet Home is great place to be a wrestling coach and host a wrestling camp, Coach Thorpe said. Coach Thorpe added thanks to Sweet Home Coach Steve Hummer for helping prepare for the camp prior to the arrival of exchange students from Josai High School in Tokyo, Japan.
“It was kind of unique that the Monday night (the start of camp) for Norm (Davis,” Coach Thorpe said. The memorial service for the former wrestling coach drew hundreds to Husky Field that night. Among them were all but a couple of the camp coaching staff.
“By the end of the week, the kids are tired,” Coach Thorpe said. “This is a very intense camp.”
Campers can show up average wrestlers, “but in your group, you are training with one of the best coaches … some of the best Oregon wrestler,” Coach Thorpe said. “When you surround yourself with the best, you either elevate your wrestling or find another sport.”
“I think the camp was exceptionally well organized,” Coach Lander said. “I think we’ve got quite a few kids that have a shot to be All American.”
To do that, they must hit the top eight, which means they must win seven to nine duels prior to being beaten twice. Two national champions return to the team, Coach Lander said. “A handful of kids are capable of placing.”
“I think the kids are excited,” Coach Lander said. “I can sense the excitement.”
Aernie placed fourth in freestyle at the state level. Being in the top three in regionals or top two at state in either Grecco or freestyle automatically qualifies a wrestler for nationals. A spot on the team came open as a result of an injury, and Aerni was selected to fill it.
“It’s not just an easy on,” Coach Thorpe said. “He took fourth at the state tournament. The situation presented itself, and now he’s on his way.”
He would have qualified through petition had he otherwise completed one, Coach Thorpe said. “Mike’s a guy who has wrestled all spring.”
He has trained with Temple throughout the summer as Temple prepared for cadet nationals.
Aerni finished third in districts and wrestled nationally at the cadet level last year.