Wrestling: Enterprise boys win title at Dayton

Published 12:15 pm Sunday, January 7, 2024

DAYTON — Taking the mats versus 11 teams, including historical powerhouse 3A Nyssa, the Enterprise boys’ wrestling team grabbed the team championship at the Dayton Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 6 in Dayton.

The Outlaw team scored 165 points, followed by Nyssa’s point total of 148. Elmira placed third followed by Kennedy and Newport.

Enterprise was led by five individuals capturing first-place finishes.

James Royce captured first at 113 pounds after finishing 2-0 for the day.

At 132 pounds, Gunner Sinclair wrestled four matches, winning all, including a championship-round pin over Newport’s Ivan Wagner.

Pearce Schnetzky also had a perfect day, culminating with a pin in the championship match at 150 pounds over Newport’s Giulain Gutierrez.

Perfection continued for Enterprise as Ashtyn Irwin finished 4-0 with a pin over Elmira’s Tanner Christiance for the title.

Gunnar McDowell is now 21-3 on the season as he claimed another title at 215 pounds by pinning Elmira’s Gage Cooper, McDowell’s fourth win of the tournament.

Luke Patterson (120 pounds) and Tegan Evans (157 pounds) both placed second at the tournament.

The competition will increase for the Outlaws as the team is in Redmond on Jan. 16 for two days at the Oregon Wrestling Classic.

April wins title for Outlaws DAYTON — The Outlaws’ Talluah April returned to Enterprise a champion after girls’ wrestling action was completed at the Dayton Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 6.

After picking up a bye for the first round in the 120-pound class, April pinned Dayton’s Kendra Fuller at the 1-minute, 14-second mark of the match. Her next match also ended in a pin for the title as April took care of Nyssa’s Ameely Ponce at the 3:14 mark.

Enterprise’s second wrestler at the tournament, Kaylee Eaves, placed third in the 113-pound division after wrestling to a 0-2 record for the day.

The Outlaws finished 10th in the team scoring.

The next scheduled appearance for the Enterprise girls is Feb. 3, taking part in the Stokes Landing Girls Invitational in Irrigon.

Joseph girls take 12thJOSEPH — Scoring 12 points for one day of action, the Joseph’s girls’ wrestling team placed 12th in the team standings as the JO-HI Tournament came to a close on Saturday, Jan. 6 in the Eagle gym.

Gwendalyn Bastedt placed fourth in the 136-147 class for the highest Eagle placement. After falling in the quarterfinals to Crane’s April Lopez, Bastedt fought her way back through the consolation bracket before falling in the battle for third place to Lopez again, this time by pin.

In the 98-106 division, Lachian Thompson finished fifth while Sarah Musia placed eighth in the 116-127 class.

Riverside was crowned team champions after compiling 93 points with Culver placing second. Union, the Idaho team Clearwater Valley and Elgin rounded out the top five team scores.

With just two wrestlers taking the mat in their home gym, the Joseph boys wrestling team placed 14th in the team standings at the recent Cosgrove-Echeler (JO-HI) tournament on Saturday, Jan. 6.

Facing a number of larger teams, the Joseph boys ended with six points.

For the Eagles, Jayden McNall, wrestling at 132 pounds, finished the tournament 2-2.

At 138 pounds, Dylan Rogers wrestled to a 1-2 showing.

The boys take the weekend off before traveling to Washington for Battle of the Basin on Friday, Jan. 19.

The Eagle girls next take to the mat on Jan. 27, competing at the Bank of Eastern Oregon Girls Tournament in Heppner.