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TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2022
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Bulldogs earn MCC wrestling honors
Hermiston has
4 boys named
to the fi rst team
H
ERMISTON — The Hermiston
Bulldogs placed four wrestlers
on the fi rst team, and three on
the second as the Mid-Columbia
Conference honors were released last
week.
Junior Aiden Favorite (120 pounds),
freshman Jaysen Rodriguez (126), soph-
omore Ben Larson (160) and senior Jesse
Vassey (220) were named to the fi rst
team by the conference coaches, while
senior Hunter Dyer (138), junior Jaxson
Gribskov (182) and senior Sam Cadenas
(285) were selected to the second team.
Freshman Carlos Cervantes (106)
and sophomore Daniel Garza (132) were
named to the honorable mention team.
The Bulldogs had an outstanding
season placing second at the 3A state
tournament, and crowning two cham-
pions.
Gribskov, who placed third at region-
als, became the fi rst Hermiston wres-
tler to win a Washington state title when
he won by a 12-4 major decision over
Deklen Agloinga of Mead at 182 pounds.
Cadenas, who pinned his fi rst three
opponents at state, was pushed in the
285-pound championship match before
he came away with a 5-4 decision over
Burak Bowers of Bonney Lake.
Cadenas, who also won district and
regional titles, fi nished the season 36-3.
Also placing at state for the Bulldogs
were Vassey (3rd), Larson (5th), Rodri-
guez (5th), Favorite (5th), Daniel Garza
(6th, 132) and Dyer (7th, 138).
Jake Hubby (138) of Hanford was
named the Lower Weight Wrestler of the
Year, while Chiawana’s Darion Johnson
SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
Hermiston’s Young wins
shot put at Oregon Relays
hoping to come out with
a really good fi rst throw.
When I started off with a
EUGENE — Throwers 44, that was a really good
know when they unleash a throw. I wanted to get the
school record, no matter
monster throw.
Her miston’s Bailey when or where. This is
Young knew when the shot such a huge meet. I thought,
put hit the 14-meter line ‘Let’s get it here.’ “
Oregon Relay patches
Saturday, April 23, at the
Oregon Relays at Hayward are handed out to the
Field that she had
top eight in each
broken the school
event. Young also
record.
has patches for
Young opened
the discus and the
hammer throw.
the competition
Young, who is
with a throw of
44-1 ½ feet, which
headed to East-
would have won
ern Washington
Young
University, fi nished
her the title, but
fourth in the discus
she closed out her
four throws with a heave of with a personal record of
46-1 ½ to not only win the 121-6, which came on her
title by almost 3 feet, but she third throw.
also shattered the school
Young also finished
record in the process.
fourth in the hammer throw
Young’s top throw with a distance of 116-3,
surpassed Mykael Both- which came on her second
am’s school record of 44-10, throw. She fouled her other
set on April 22, 2005, at the three throws. She is the fi rst
Moscow Invite.
Hermiston girl to throw the
“I started off the season hammer in a high school
not throwing my best, but meet.
I have been moving up
Caden Hottman on
a couple of inches every April 25 fi nished second
meet,” Young said. “It still in the hammer throw
hasn’t hit me that I threw a with a mark of 203 feet, 4
46. I knew as soon as I hit inches — a personal best
that mark. I had three PRs that also broke his own
in that series.”
school record. He also was
One thing driving third in the shot put with a
Young was the prize at the mark of 54-9 ¼, which
came on his fi nal throw.
end of the rainbow.
As a team (boys and girls
“You win at the Oregon
Relays and you get a back- combined), the Bulldogs
pack,” Young said. “I told placed 10th with 51 points.
(coach Emilee) Strot, I
wanted a backpack. I was
See Highlights, Page A11
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
East Oregonian, File
Hermiston’s Jesse Vassey, top, wrestles Dallin Bowman, of Southridge, in the
220-pound fi rst place match Feb. 5, 2022, at the Mid-Columbia Conference 3A Dis-
trict wrestling tournament in Hermiston. Vassey won the match, and Mid-Colum-
bia Conference coaches in April selected him for fi rst-team honors.
Cadenas
Dyer
Favorite
Gribskov
Larson
Payne
Rodriguez
E. Sepeni
T. Sepeni
Vassey
(182) was the Upper Weight Wrestler of
the Year. Chiawana’s Jack Anderson was
named Coach of the Year.
The Hermiston girls had three wres-
tlers earn honors, led by senior Eseta
Sepeni who was named to the fi rst team
at 235 pounds.
Junior Parys Payne (145) and fresh-
man Tutaitaga Sepeni (235) were
selected to the second team.
Eseta Sepeni, in just her second year
of wrestling, became the fi rst female
See Wrestling, Page A11
A10