Cascade took second and Stayton third in the Feb. 21-22 Class 4A Special District 2 wrestling championships hosted by the Eagles.
Athletes from both schools and Santiam competed after Our Town’s presstime in the state tournament in Portland.
Powerful Sweet Home easily won the district title with 477.5 points. Cascade scored 214 and Stayton 167.
Cascade is taking three district champions to state. Mauro Michel improved to 41-0 this season with a pin against Kyle Watkins of Sweet Home at 113 pounds. Kane Nixon is now 34-4 after downing Brayden Stewart 14-4 for the title at 145. And the Cougars also got a title from 152-pound Noah Thompson, 39-4, who pinned Ethan Spencer of Sweet Home in 43 seconds.
Also placing for the deep Cascade squad were Daniel Moore (3rd at 113), Ben Roth (3rd at 160), Kayden Lindquist (4th at 170), Caymus Roache (5th at 138), Joe Baxter (5th at 145), Waylon Wymore (5th at 170), Gale Ochoa (5th at 195), Rian Gage (5th at 220), Connor Stapleton (6th at 120), Blake Perlicheck (6th at 160), Nathan Law (6th at 285), Tayton Miller (8th at 126) and Mason Webb (8th at 138).
Eli Howard (33-6) was the lone district champion for the host Eagles. Howard pinned Rian Howard of Sweet Home one second before the conclusion of their match at 126 pounds.
Taking second for Stayton was Johnny Sylva, who was pinned 4:34 into his title match against Kenny Storms of Sweet Home.
Also placing for the Eagles were Clint Brownell (3rd at 220), Cody Murphy (4th at 113), Ben Adams (5th at 113), Travis King (5th at 132), Jason Ritchie (5th at 152), Connor Hollenbeck (5th at 160), Owen O’Connor (5th at 182),Wyatt Hooper (6th at 106), Donald Morgan (8th at 126), Gabe Brown (8th at 132) and Eli Brown (8th at 160).
Santiam, meanwhile, finished ninth in the Class 2A-1A Special District 1 meet at Vernonia. The Wolverines scored 71 points and produced two district champions as well as a runner-up.
Tyson Patton (20-7) won the 106 title with a pin 1:57 into his title match with Jacob Whittles of Nestucca. Riley Rothrock (20-5) pinned Deryk Turner of Neah-Kah-Nie 19 seconds into their championship match at 132 pounds.
Brody Davidson took second at 152, losing a wild 19-11 match in the final against Tanner Clark of Siletz Valley/Eddyville Charter.
Also scoring for Santiam was Isaac Turner-Williams (5th at 132).
Swimming: Stayton and Cascade athletes also competed in the state swimming championships at the Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center in Beaverton.
Stayton’s boys, led by Tanner Fixsen, took eighth with 12 points, while the Eagles’ girls, led by Kylie Mannix, were 12th with six points.
Fixsen was second in the 500 free and fourth in the 200 free for the Stayton boys. Fixsen, Grant Vogel, Josh Ptacek and Parker Dirkx swam to sixth place in the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay.
Mannix was fifth in the 500 free and swam a leg on the 400 free relay squad that also included Sydney Maurer, Ashley Rea and Caitlyn Martinak.
Rylee Syverson was the lone placer for Cascade, taking fifth in the girls 200 individual medley.
Follow me on Twitter.com @jameshday.
