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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2003)
Smoke Signals 9 MAY 1, 2003 Tribal Member Wins National Wrestling Championships Community raises $1,500 to send Denny Linton Jr. to Reno By Ron Karten Practicing four to six days a week paid off for 12-year-old Tribal member Denny Linton Jr., a sixth grader at Willamina Middle School. His daily regimen of push-ups and sit-ups and jogging surprised even his father, also a wrestler in his school days. "All I did this year is give him a ride," said his dad, Tribal member Dennis Linton. "He pushed himself the whole year." The younger Linton joined some 2,400 young wrestlers from across the country at the Reno World of Wres tling Championships, April 4-6. Linton and his cousin, Tribal mem ber Daniel Scott (See Smoke Signals, April 1, 2003 issue and correction be low), represented the Bulldog Mat Club and joined a number of wrestlers from Willamina High School, though none succeeded like he did. Linton's next older brother, 13-year-old Tribal member Brandon, a seventh grader at Willamina Middle School, who won the state championship at his weight this year, had a medical prob lem that kept him from being the third from the local Mat Club to wrestle in Reno. "They've always been tough kids," said Tom Schussman, President of the mat club, whose son, Steve, also com peted at State for Willamina High, and in Reno in early April, "but over the last two years, they've really added skills, done the extra work needed to compete at that level." The boys also practice at mat clubs in Salem and Portland, said Schussman, "and you can't do all that without a lot of parental support." After defeating three wrestlers from California, Denny Linton Jr. faced what would turn out to be his tightest match against Colorado wrestler Zeke Hofer. After the three regulation pe riods, the score still was 0-0, said Linton's dad. In the first overtime period, Linton got the take-down and the match. In the finals, Linton took Illinois wrestler Brendon Murphy 5-4 for first place. "It was the best I've seen him wrestle all year," said his dad. "Only six points were scored on him the whole tourna ment. That's pretty good." x Linton's cousin, Daniel Scott, went' 2-2 for his matches. It took the whole community to send the family south. "We never would have been able to do it without all the community gave," said Linton, Sr. Before going to the nationals, Linton, Jr. made his mark in a number of re gional events. Last November in Sea side, he won the Pacific Coast Cham pionship. In February, he won the Oregon Classic in Redmond, Oregon. And later in February, he won the Northwest Collegiate Championship in Portland. "Now that he's won the nationals, he wants to go for the trinity," said his father. The trinity is winning three out of four major national cham pionships, including the Cliff Kean Kick-off Classic held in Tulsa, Okla homa in November, the Tulsa Nation- : j V " A- .... , -vwV vj als held in January, the Mile High Tournament of Champions held in Denver in March and the Reno event, which he just won. "Each year, it seems like he's become more and more dedicated," said his dad. "Pretty much, he's got his own style. He's getting real good. At Reno, it got to where he was getting real good on his feet. Nobody even got a take down on him." wmmmmimmmimmmm wmmmmmpmmm'' mmmm lh (ft Pi ALL IN THE FAMILY.. .these four champion wrestlers all Tribal members are from left, Daniel Scott, 10, and his cousins Denny Jr., 12, Levi, 8, and Brandon Linton, 13. They have been tearing up the mats in wres tling tournaments from here to Reno. As if this group of brothers and cousins were not enough, both sides of the family also sported wrestlers in the previous generation, including Dennis Linton and Leroy Scott. CORRECTION: a recent issue of Smoke Signals reported that Dennis Linton was the father of Daniel Scott. In fact, Linton is Scott's uncle and the father of Brandon, Denny Jr. and Levi Linton. Our apologies for this error. Q i 1 &mL-.mJtw SB I iTit.,Trtfii7Mf--i J I il I il f'l il Held Showing Off New Spring Fashions ...... Jr -.f ., ,- -.-. ,; V- fk'x j"""' If -iV x if ' 4 Tribal members Ariana Morales and her baby sister Aaliyah, granddaughters of Iola Galindo and great-great nieces of the late Tribal Elder Wilmadene Butler, show off some of the kids' clothing that was featured at the show. pany, which specializes in embroi dery. Their showcase item was a new version of the Grand Ronde Tribal logo jacket, with finer em broidery than before. "The logo jacket is much nicer, much higher quality," said George. U.S. Wear provided the women's wear, which is one of the biggest sellers at the Casino gift shop. "Very popular," said George. Textile Graphics of McMinnville supplied a line of golf wear, which has become ever more popular lately. All of the children were decked out in Milton's Funwear, a line of col orful clothes for kids. Each model made their way down a lighted cat walk that was set up for the show, stopped and struck a pose for the photographers. The crowd admired the models and applauded each as they de parted the stage. George said she eventually wants to make the fashion show into a benefit or fundraising event. "It went great this year, but I'm hoping next year will be even bet ter," said George. Tribal member Miranda Ellis was decked out in sporty soccer gear from Milton's FunWear, one of the clothing lines carried by the Casino Gift Shop. 7 Ho if