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-
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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."
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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.
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Held Showing Off New Spring Fashions
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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.
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