The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

The Sisters Outlaws wrestling team exceeded expectations with six state qualifiers advancing from the 4A Special District 4 Wrestling Championships held June 12 at La Grande High School.

The six moving on to state include Hayden Kunz (132), Wyatt Maffey (145), Carson Brown (152), Jared Miller (160), Henry Rard (220), and Hunter Spor (285).

“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids for the way they competed,” said coach Gary Thorson.

The top four wrestlers in each weight class advanced to state.

Maffey came through as the district champion and Rard took the runner-up spot, as the highest placers on the team.

Kunz and Spor each placed third and Brown and Miller placed fourth.

Spor, who entered the meet with a 17-5 record, wrestles in the heavyweight division, which, Thorson explained, includes wrestlers weighing between 221 and 285 pounds.

“Hunter weighs in the low 220s, so he often is giving up a lot of weight and his only loss was a 2-1 decision in the semifinals.”

The District Meet normally runs over two days, but due to COVID-19 restrictions everything happened in just one day, meaning that the State qualifiers competed in five separate matches each.

“These guys had a long day and it just shows how tough they are,” said Thorson. “Many of them have been working since last summer and it really paid off.”

The team placed fourth among the eight represented at Districts.

Jerry Baldock

Wyatt Maffey turned in a first-place performance in the 145-pound weight class in District wrestling competition.

“The team really came together at Districts and bonded even more as a team, which was awesome to see,” said Thorson. “They wrestled at a new level and I think they caught a few teams by surprise. All the hours and hard work they have put in, going all the way back to last summer, paid off for them.”

Now, Thorson wants to see the boys go to the State Meet at Cascade on June 25-26 and keep the momentum going.

“I don’t want them just being glad that they are at the State Meet, I am expecting them to give it their all and see what happens,” he said.

In a separate meet for girls, Daisy Patterson represented Sisters at the 4A Girls Regional Championships in Cottage Grove on June 18 and took seventh place in her weight class.

“Daisy wrestled well,” said Thorson, “and she got to go up against girls from all six of the Oregon classifications who were vying for spots in the Girls State Championships. It was a great opportunity for her and all the girls.”