Sweet Home Mat Club wrestlers finished with four Eagle awards at the Reno Worlds tournament, one of the largest in the West, March 31 through April 2 at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center.
The Eagle award is given to wrestlers who place in the top three at the tournament which includes top wrestlers from the western United States, from college down to elementary age.
Macen Rosa became Sweet Home’s first-ever champion at Reno with a first-place finish in the boys 10 and Under 110-pound division.
“He wrestled really tough,:” said Clint Sieminski, one of Sweet Home’s coaches at the event, noting that Rosa pinned his way through the tournament.
Senior Jake Sieminski, a three-time Oregon high school champion, finished second at 18U 138 pounds after losing 8-4 in the final to Josh Carman of Carrolton, Texas. Sieminski was leading going into the third round.
“It was a close match that’s for sure,” said Clint Sieminski, his dad.
High school freshman Bailey Chafin was second in the girls 15U 125-pound division, after losing the final 10-8 in overtime to Sara Ortega of Toppenish, Wash.
Junior Kyle Sieminski, also a three-time high school champion, was third at 18U 120 pounds.
Also placing, though just short of an Eagle, was high school junior Kaylene Zajic, who was fourth in the girls 15U 150-pound division.
“That was probably one of the best performances we had there,” said Sweet Home Coach Steve Thorpe. “We had our first-ever Reno champ and we brought home four Eagles and we had five people place in the top four.”
“It’s been going for a long time and we’ve never had a haul like that,” Clint Sieminski said. “Everybody wrestled tough.”
Thorpe and Sieminski noted that Kyle Sieminski could have wrestled for second, but due to concerns about injuries, coaches decided to forego that, Thorpe noting that Sieminski has beaten the division runner-up, Dylan Clark of Henley.
“Kyle was a little banged up,” Clint Sieminski said. “He’s got to heal up.”
Also competing for Sweet Home were: Colten Bennett (15U, 285), Elijah Cruz (12U, 145), Dillan Davis (15U, 108), Tytus Hardee (15U, 115), James Hearick (15U, 125), Eli Jensen (12U, 100), Evan Jensen (18U, 170), Harrison Kegler (15U, 115), Jayce Miller (18U, 126), Luke Rosa (15U, 145), Lynkin Royer (15U, 285), Cody Sieminski (12U, 80), David Steagall (18U, 195), Ashton Swanson (15U, 175), Kaden Zajic (18U, 170), Kassie Zajic (girls 12U, 73), and Kyle Zajic (15U, 135).