Local wrestlers booked their tickets to state with great performances at the district championships. Warrenton had five athletes qualify, Astoria and Seaside each had success and a Knappa freshman impressed in his debut district meet.
Warrenton wrestling leads the way
It’s no surprise Warrenton wrestling led the way with five state qualifiers.
The Warriors depth has been a key to their success throughout the season and it played out exactly as expected on Saturday.
Warrenton had state qualifiers in the light, middle and heavyweights. Competing in Yamhill, the Warriors came home fourth place behind Banks, Willamina and host Yamhill-Carlton. The Warriors finished with a total of 163.5 points.
Rayce Sturgell (120 pounds), Javen Zepeda (126 pounds) and Finley Marshall (132 pounds) qualified for the lower weight classes, while Sean Irwin and Devon Sturgell battled it out in the 190 pounds championship round. Zepeda finished second, Marshall finished third and Irwin outlasted his teammate 8-5 in the boys 190-pounds final.
A Knappa freshman leads the way
Freshman Logan Wells was the lone Logger wrestler to qualify for state.
Wells finished second to St. Paul athlete Max Cain in the 132 pound championship match. His teammate Camden Demase finished fifth place at 285 pounds to just miss out on the state meet. Overall the Loggers finished with 41 total points.
Astoria wrestlers nab multi first-place finishes
Astoria’s boy wrestlers capped off a good season with a 6th place finish at the District Championships and three wrestlers winning their respective weight classes.
The Fishermen scored a total of 121 points to finish behind Tillamook, Estacada, Molalla, Scappoose and St. Helens. Seaside boys were seventh with a total score of 98 points.
Beau Smith (144 pounds), M. J Brito (215 pounds) and Adrian Balli (285 pounds) all won their weight classes to punch tickets to the state meet. Elijah Hoffseth was the other athlete to finish in the top four. He was fourth in the boys 113 lbs. weight class.
A Seaside junior paces the field
Junior Brayden Cooley was the lone winner for Seaside in wrestling over the weekend.
Cooley defeated Dillon Bennet of Tillamook in the final at 157 pounds to take home first place and return to state. Henry Rollins and Carlos Silva-Villa finished second in their respective weight classes. Rollins punched his ticket to state after being the runner-up in the 120-pounds division and Silva-Villa came home second in the 190-pounds division. Kyle Weichal was the other Seagull to finish in the top four. Weichal took home fourth place honors in the 138-pounds weight class.