Several of Oregon’s best girls wrestlers showed off their abilities at the Oregon Classic on Jan. 15 in Redmond. Competing unattached, five Oregon high schoolers took home gold in the college women’s open tournament.
Cleveland’s Haley Vann (116 pounds), Hillsboro’s Alice Rickett (130 pounds) and Ayana Medina (136 pounds), Oregon City’s Isabella Amaro (143 pounds), and West Linn’s Destiny Rodriguez (155 pounds) all won their respective weight classes at the tournament, competing against collegiate opponents.
Vann, a junior, is currently ranked No. 10 in the National Girls High School Rankings, which was developed by USA Wrestling, FloWrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Vann took care of her opponents in her five matches. She won every match by fall and only once had a match go longer than 30 seconds. Her victory over Corban University’s Tess Barnett, at two minutes and 26 seconds, was the longest match of the day for the Cleveland junior.
Rickett had a couple of tough matches in the Oregon Classic, but was still able to beat all five of her opponents. The day was highlighted by an 11-8 decision over Eastern Oregon University’s Morgan Shines and a 9-6 win over Grays Harbor College’s Marissa Riojas.
The plaque that was awarded to those who won their weight class at the 2022 Oregon Classic.Courtesy of Rafael Medina
Medina was unable to leave Redmond with a spotless record, the Hillsboro senior bounced back from a pinfall loss to Grays Harbor’s Tatum Pine and won all of her other matches by fall in less than two minutes. Medina was ranked No. 6 in the country at 122 pounds in the latest high school rankings.
Amaro took care of her five opponents, with two techfall victories on the day. The Oregon City senior’s closest match of the tournament was a 10-4 decision over Emily Alderman of Umqua Community College. Amaro is currently ranked No. 4 nationally at 132 pounds.
Rodriguez showcased why she is among the top high school wrestlers in the country at the Oregon Classic. The West Linn junior is ranked No. 2 at 152 pounds and No. 12 in the pound-for-pound rankings.
Rodriguez finished the tournament with three pinfall wins and two 10-0 techfall wins.
Other results from the tournament
- Newberg put the whole state on notice on Jan. 15. The Tigers are the favorite to win the 6A state championship this winter, and showcased their talents in a dominant way. Newberg faced little adversity as it won the 6A championship at the Oregon Classic, including a 78-6 win over Sandy, a 59-18 win over Roseburg and a 62-9 win over Mountain View in the championship dual.
- Thurston came away with a huge victory in the Classic, finishing with a 38-37 win over perennial powerhouse Crook County in the championship match.
- In a crowded 4A classification, it was La Grande taking home the 2022 Oregon Classic championship. The Tigers took down Sweet Home 46-31 in the championship dual.
- In a battle between two of the top teams in 3A, it was La Pine coming out with the win over Harrisburg. The Hawks finished Harrisburg 43-30.
- Illinois Valley put up a fight in the 2A/1A championship dual, but Culver was undeniable against the Cougars, winning 54-24.
- In the girls’ dual meet tournament, it was Thurston showing everyone that it is the team to beat in the state. The Colts went undefeated in pool play, and rolled against Taft and McKay in the championship bracket. Thurston eventually beat Sweet Home 36-24 in the championship dual.
-- Nik Streng, nstreng@oregonian.com, @NikStreng