Sports
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Appeal Tribune, www.silvertonappeal.com
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Silverton freshman wins state title
BILL POEHLER AND PETE MARTINI
STATESMAN JOURNAL
PORTLAND - Kaden Kuenzi wasn’t
an unknown coming into the OSAA Class
5A state wrestling tournament, but
when Silverton High School’s freshman
won the state championship Saturday
night, it was still a stunning accomplish-
ment.
Kuenzi pinned Redmond sophomore
Landon Robinson in 2:56 to win the 5A
state championship at 106 pounds at the
Memorial Coliseum.
He took down Robinson seconds into
the match, let him up, took him down
again, turned him for a near fall and had
a huge 7-1 point lead.
The No. 4 seed for the tournament un-
derstood the immediacy of the situation.
“In my head I want to go out there and
put points on the board and whatever
happens at the end happens,” Kuenzi
said. “I just knew if I put pressure on
him I’m going to break him.”
Kuenzi understood the significance
of his accomplishment.
He became the second wrestler from
Silverton to win a state championship in
as many years and the first freshman
from the school to win a state champion-
ALEX MILAN TRACY/SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL
Silverton freshman Kaden Kuenzi accepts his state championship medal at the OSAA State
Wrestling Championships at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore.
ship in decades.
“Grinding out practices every day,
just wanting to be the best in the state,
working out with my great partner Ja-
cob Whitehead, he really pushed me and
so did my coaches to get to where I am
now,” Kuenzi said.
Whitehead, a junior, lost a 10-0 major
decision to Mountain View’s Beau Olsen
in the 113 pound final.
Also placing for Silverton was Robert
Guenther (sixth at 120). And Madison
Shockley placed third at girls exhibition
113 pound class.
Placing for Dallas were Ryan Bibler
(fourth at 106), Dawson Barcroft (fifth
at 113), Jacob Jones (third at 126), Joseph
Foster (sixth at 126) and Joseph English
(sixth at 138).
For Central, Noah Worthington (sixth
at 106), Sam Crow (fourth at 195) and Ca-
leb Sedlacek (sixth at 285).
For Woodburn, Giovanni Bravo
placed fourth at 138, Rafael Vasquez
placed fourth at 145 and Karson Chris-
tiansen placed third at 170.
In the 6A state meet, Sprague sopho-
more Daniel McClung lost a heartbreak-
ing 5-4 decision to Lakeridge’s Quinn
Brink in the 6A 120 pound state champi-
onship match.
McClung, the No. 1 seed in the brack-
et, took Brink down in the opening sec-
onds of the match and scored a quick
near fall, but Brink came back with a re-
versal and scored a takedown in the sec-
ond period to win.
Also placing for Sprague were Bol-
long Joklur (fourth at 106), Evan Spragg
(fourth at 126), Michael Murphy (third at
138), Landon Davis (sixth at 152), Dane
McKinney (fifth at 160), Spencer Nofzig-
er (sixth at 170) and Tanner Sorensen
(fifth at 220).
West Salem’s Luke Ferschweiler
placed fifth at 106 and Brenton Reddy
was fifth at 182. North Salem’s Brandon
Quezada was third at 113. McNary’s En-
rique Vincent was third at 120.
South Salem senior Abigail Whitney
placed second in the exhibition girls 132
pound weight class, losing to Central
Linn’s Sarah Conner.
N. Marion, Cascade, Dayton, Scio,
Willamina wrestlers win state titles
PETE MARTINI
STATESMAN JOURNAL
PORTLAND — North Marion’s Rus-
sel Stigall now has a state championship
to match his father and brothers.
Stigall beat Scappoose’s Tyler Cooper
4-3 in the 120-pound final Saturday at the
OSAA Class 4A wrestling state champi-
onships at Memorial Coliseum, joining
his father, Ford, and brothers, Jake, Ty-
ler and Lane as state champions.
“It’s awesome, man. Now I really
know what my brothers are talking
about. It’s the best feeling in the world,”
Stigall said. “All the hard work for 11-
plus years and getting a state title is just
amazing.”
Stigall said that he felt family pres-
sure to do well in wrestling, and he didn’t
handle it well at a young age.
“In the younger years, I had some
troubles,” Stigall said. “I wasn’t the best
wrestler, didn’t like it at all. I would cry, I
would scream, ‘I don’t want to go to prac-
tice.’ But now, I know what they’re talk-
ing about. The hard work really does pay
off.”
The pressure Stigall felt early on
made Saturday’s championship just that
much sweeter.
“The pressure was on me, I’m the
youngest, and I did it,” Stigall said. “It’s
so awesome, I can’t believe it. It’s awe-
some to be able to say you’re a state
champ just like all your older brothers.”
Stigall’s brother, Lane, won his third
state championship, taking the 152-
pound title match 17-6.
“It feels really good,” Lane Stigall
said. “I’m just out there to get better.”
Lane Stigall said he is proud of his
younger brother, Russel, as well as his
entire family.
“The greatest part was having a
chance to win a title with my little broth-
er, that was awesome. I think I get five
times more nervous for his matches than
mine,” Lane Stigall said. “It’s really awe-
some to have all those people to motivate
you and push you.”
RELATED:
MID-VALLEY ROUNDUP — CLASS 4A
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
152: The 152-pound final between
North Marion’s Lane Stigall and Hen-
ley’s Martin Sierra started after press
time Saturday night.
160: North Marion’s Gregory Wing
lost 9-6 to Banks’ Trevor Thiessen in the
160-pound final at the OSAA Class 4A
state championships, as Thiessen rallied
to win.
220: Cascade’s Louie Sanchez beat
McLoughlin’s Spencer Wells 10-4 in the
220-pound final of the OSAA Class 4A
state championships.
“It was tough at first, it was very
physical, I just got the upper hand,” said
Sanchez, who admitted to being a little
nervous before the match. “It means so
much to me, I’ve worked so hard for
this.”
TEAM SCORES: 1. Sweet Home 181.0;
2. Crook County 180.5; 3. North Marion
165.0; 4. Marshfield 157.0.
MID-VALLEY ROUNDUP — CLASS 3A
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
106: Willamina’s Jordan Reyes was
pinned in the second period by La Pine’s
Derrik Kerr in the 106-pound final at the
OSAA Class 3A state championships.
Reyes had a 5-4 lead before the pin. As
a sophomore, Reyes will have a couple
more chances to capture a state champi-
onship.
113: Willamina’s Remigio Tapia-Bra-
vo lost 1-0 to Harrisburg’s Chance Hen-
drickson in the 113-pound final at the
OSAA Class 3A state championships.
Hendrickson scored his point on an
escape in the third period.
126: Willamina’s Justin Fasana lost
17-6 on Saturday to La Pine’s David Kerr
in the 126-pound final at the OSAA Class
3A state championships.
PHOTOS BY ANNA REED/STATESMAN JOURNAL
Silverton’s Tristan Lanier, top, competes against Milwaukie’s Bryant Smith in the OSAA Wrestling State Championships Class 5A quarterfinals for
weight 126 at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland on Friday, Feb. 24.
Silverton coach Stryder Davis, left, stands on
the side as Tristan Lanier competes in the
OSAA Wrestling State Championships Class
5A quarterfinals for weight 126.
Scio’s Ryan Mask, left, competes against Willamina’s Chase Onstot in the OSAA Wrestling State
Championships Class 3A quarterfinals for weight 220.
138: Dayton’s Jared Henry beat Nys-
sa’s Ryan Vineyard 8-3 to win the 138-
pound Class 3A state championship, the
second state title of his career.
“I knew it was a kid I never wrestled
before, never even seen the kid wrestle,”
Henry said. “I knew at the start of the
match to just take it slow and figure him
out.”
Henry said that winning a second
state championship has been tougher
than winning the first.
“It’s been a little bit tougher,” Henry
said. “People come in swinging for the
fences. Just stay calm, keep my compo-
sure. That’s the only thing you can do.”
160: In the 160-pound final, Dayton’s
Cody Stahl lost 6-5 to Coquille’s Wyatt
McCarthy at the OSAA Class 3A state
championships.
170: Willamina’s Chandler Allen beat
Harrisburg’s Layten Briggs 5-4 to cap-
ture the 170-pound Class 3A state cham-
pionship.
“There was a lot of stuff going on
through my head, you know,” Allen said.
“I placed third last year, and I took a hard
loss in the semis. I just wanted to be a
state champ so bad. I worked so hard
over the season. At the end of the day, I
got it done.”
220: Scio’s Ryan Mask pinned Day-
ton’s Josue Martinez in overtime of the
220-pound final at the Class 3A state
championships.
“I really don’t know what to say,”
Mask said. “I feel awesome, I just won
state.”
285: Scio’s Jacob Lowther was pinned
by Nyssa’s Osiris Tapia in the first period
of the Class 3A 285-pound final.
TEAM SCORES: 1. Nyssa 287.0; 2. Wil-
lamina/Falls City 167.0; 3. Dayton 134.0;
4. Glide 122.0
MID-VALLEY CONSOLATION ROUND-
UP
Also placing for North Marion was
Brandon Gibson (fourth at 132), Derek
Estrada (fifth at 132), Avidan Sanchez
(fourth at 138), Matt Carrillo (fourth at
182) and Ramon Organiz (sixth at 195).
For Cascade, Kane Nixon placed third
at 113, Kade VanDeHey (fifth at 152) and
James Van Agtmael (fifth at 195).
Stayton’s Ryan Ninman placed fourth
at 120.
Also placing for Willamina were Eth-
an Howard (fifth at 120), David Elwood
(sixth at 138), Noah Sickles (fifth at 145),
Jordan Mode (sixth at 182) and Chase On-
stot (fifth at 220).
Also placing for Dayton were Ryan
Penrose (sixth at 106), Zach Russell
(sixth at 152), Legin Engle (third at 182),
Blake Larsen (fourth at 195) and Aaron
Hiatt (third at 285).
Also placing for Scio were Hunter
Robinson (fifth at 126), Brandon Zeiher
(fourth at 145) and Dru Cook (third at
170).
Placing for Jefferson were Mitch
Garcia (sixth at 113), Cody Adams (sixth
at 160) and Riley Davis (fifth at 182), San-
tiam Christian’s Luke Janssen placed
sixth at 126, Jason Manzi placed fifth at
138, Caleb Beck placed fourth at 182 and
Amity’s Aaron Runion was fourth at 126).