Smoke Signals
April 1993
Page 8
Shonn & Dustin Leno Win State Wrestling Title
This season, Shonn and Dustin Leno helped
lead Willamina High School to a state wrestling
championship, and they each won the individual title
for their weight class. This is Shonn's third state title
and Dustin's second title. They are the only brothers
in the history of Oregon 2AWrestling to ever win back
to back championships. Shonn was the first wrestler
in Willamina wrestling history to ever place all four
years, and Dustin was the first Freshman ever to win
a state title. Joey Smith and Jimmy LeBoff are the
boys' teammates who also won state titles.
The boys began wrestling when they were four
years old, coached by their dad, Reyn Leno. Now at
seventeen, Shonn is thinking about college. "I'm
thinking about Portland State, but I'm still looking," he
said. Both Shonn and Dustin admit their big dream is
to be part of an Olympic team. Said Shonn, "Maybe
in the year 2000."
The prospect is not as unlikely as it may seem.
A lot of people think that when school wrestling is
over, they will be done for the year. This is far from the
truth. "Both boys wrestle for the Peninsula Wrestling
Club in Portland during the off-season," explained
tribal member Reyn Leno, the boys' dad. "They have
been with the Peninsula Club for six years. They have
been on National and Cadet National tournaments."
Roy Pitman, their coach at Peninsula, has been
an Olympic coach in Canada, and has taken Shonn and
Dustin to compete in places like Iowa, Minnesota, and "
Montana.
Wrestling is a family affair with these boys.
Shonn and Dustin's family is very involved with their
sporting activities. So much so that support is not a
strong enough word to describe the active role they
play.
Said Liz, their mother, "We have always had a
lot of family support for the boys. At their tournaments
and matches they always have a great cheering section
filled with aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins.
Even the Tribe donated some money and held raffles
to help fund Shonn's way to Nationals one year."
Though Shonn is seventeen and Dustin fifteen,
they weigh in pretty close together. Shonn at 1 3 0 lbs. ,
and Dustin at 123 lbs. Usually, during a meet, they
wrestle pretty close together. Their sister, Angie,
usually attends every meet. "It helps when they
wrestle close together. When Dustin wins his match,
the enthusiasm carries over into Shonn's match. They
really lean on each other," she said.
When asked if they ever wrestle each other to
see who is stronger, Dustin replied, "We work out a lot
together at practice and school, but we don't usually
wrestle each other. " Dustin was also the first freshman
at Willamina to win a state title last year.
I asked the two brothers if they ever get mad
at themselves for not performing as well as they's like.
"It really depends on how big of a match it is,"
said Shonn. But you usually don't dwell on it. You've
got to brush it off."
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Shonn & Dustin are the only brothers to ever win back-to-back state titles in Oregon.