Oregon
Oregon 4A wrestling: Champions, takeaways from district meets
The 4A wrestling district meets took place over the weekend, with the OSAA state championships scheduled for Feb. 26-27 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
Here’s a look at the champions and three takeaways from each of the four district meets. The top four finishers from each district advance to state.
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Special District 1 (at Molalla)
Team champion: Tillamook (376.5 points)
Most automatic qualifiers: Tillamook (15), Molalla (11), Estacada (10)
Individual champions
106 Liam Pyle, jr., Tillamook
113 Braiden Grochowsky, sr., Estacada
120 Cole Stafford, fr., Molalla
126 Kipton Allen, soph., Tillamook
132 Leroy Mixon, jr., Estacada
138 Beau Sandberg, sr., Molalla
144 Beau Smith, jr., Astoria
150 Logan Riga, jr., Estacada
157 Brayden Cooley, jr., Seaside
165 Tyler Kenton, jr., Molalla
175 Turner Jackson, jr., Estacada
190 Charlie Becker, jr., Gladstone
215 Melesio Brito, soph., Astoria
285 Adrian Balli, sr., Astoria
3 notes
Tillamook earns eighth consecutive district title
The Cheesemakers romped to another championship, putting six wrestlers in the finals and advancing 15 to state to outscore runner-up Estacada by 105 points and set themselves up for a run at improving upon back-to-back sixth-place finishes at state. Pyle repeated as 106-pound champion, pinning teammate Javier Vazquez in 74 seconds in the final.
Three-time champions hope to make mark in two weeks
Two wrestlers won their third consecutive district titles, with Sandberg pinning Scappoose’s Lawson Komp 41 seconds into the second round and Cooley earning a 4-0 decision over Tillamook’s Dillon Bennet. Now, each looks to improve upon his 2025 state finish — Sandberg placed fifth at 132 and Cooley sixth at 150.
Estacada’s Grochowsky avenges loss in district final
Grochowsky won a district title as a freshman but lost 12-11 to Seaside’s Henry Rollins in the 113 final last year. This weekend, he got the better of Rollins when the Seagulls junior had to retire because of injury after the second round. Grochowsky’s teammate, Mixon, also won a second title, as did Astoria’s Balli.
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Special District 2 (at Newport)
Team champion: Sweet Home (507 points)
Most qualifiers: Sweet Home (20), Cascade (14), Cottage Grove (7), Philomath (7)
Individual champions
106 Cody Sieminski, fr., Sweet Home
113 Keegan Jefferson, jr., Sweet Home
120 Riley Vaughan, jr., Sweet Home
126 Jesse Landtroop, jr., Sweet Home
132 Jeffery Conklin, jr., Cottage Grove
138 Henry Bankhead, jr., North Marion
144 Leonardo Michel, sr., Stayton
150 Riley Barrett, sr., Philomath
157 Porter Compton, sr., Philomath
165 Hans Kamm, jr., Cascade
175 Luke Rosa, sr., Sweet Home
190 Lake Mulberry, sr., Philomath
215 Matthew Hinkle, sr., Cascade
285 Lynkin Royer, sr., Sweet Home
3 notes
Sweet Home poised to reclaim state championship
A 12th consecutive district championship trophy is nice, but with 2025 champion Crook County now in 5A, the Huskies put themselves in fine position to reclaim the state title in two weeks — they won in 2017 and 2024 and have five runner-up finishes in the past decade. They owned the lower weights, winning every title from 106 to 126 pounds, and Jefferson, Vaughan, Landtroop and Rosa repeated as district champions.
Conklin ends six-year title drought for Cottage Grove
Conklin improved to 46-0 (improving his win streak to 48 after placing third at state as a sophomore) when two-time district champion Tytus Hardee of Sweet Home sustained an injury in the final. Cottage Grove had not had a district finalist since 2023, and Conklin became the program’s first champion since 2020, when Jacob Dunn, Drew Swenson and Cobie Simpson took home titles.
Philomath state champion shrugging off early-season injury
Barrett suffered an ankle injury at Philomath’s season-opening tournament and has been brought back gradually to prevent a recurrence as he tries to become the program’s first three-time state champion. He improved to 18-0 with a 14-0 major decision over Sweet Home’s James Hearick in the district final.
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Special District 3 (at Hidden Valley)
Team champion: Marshfield (299 points)
Most qualifiers: Marshfield (14), Hidden Valley (9), North Bend (9), Mazama (9)
Individual champions
106 Rhoan Rambo, fr., Hidden Valley
113 Garron Castro, sr., Marshfield
120 Ryker Pruett, fr., North Bend
126 Acen Clark, soph., Henley
132 Nicholas Campbell, sr., North Bend
138 Nicco Kovacic, soph., Klamath Union
144 Jackson Swanson, sr., North Bend
150 Levi Padoshek, jr., Mazama
157 John Willett, sr., North Bend
165 Walter Collier, sr., Henley
175 Jyles Peterson, jr., Hidden Valley
190 Brent Kolkow, sr., Hidden Valley
215 Dylan Swanson, sr., North Bend
285 Mitchell Quist, sr., Hidden Valley
3 notes
Depth key to Marshfield’s second consecutive district title
A year ago, Marshfield won eight individual championships en route to its first team title since 2018. This year, the Pirates won only one weight class when Castro took home his third district crown with a third-period technical fall, but their depth (state qualifiers at 12 of 14 weight classes) was enough to stave off Hidden Valley (and the Mustangs’ four district titlists) by 39 points.
Returning champions square off in 285 final
The 285 final featured returning district champions Quist moving up from 215 to challenge Marshfield’s Skyler Folau. Quist, whose only loss this season came in the High Desert Classic final to Burns’ Joe Weil, defeated Folau for the second time this season with a 4-1 decision. It was a closer match than in mid-December, when Quist (third at state a year ago) won an 11-3 major decision in the North Bend Coast Classic quarterfinals.
North Bend’s Swanson, Henley’s Collier also repeat
Two other wrestlers repeated as district champions, with Swanson moving down from 150 (where a possible final against two-time state titlist Riley Barrett awaited) to beat Phoenix’s Caden Cunningham by second-period fall, and Collier moved up from 157 to 165 and earned a second-round pin over Mazama’s Isaac Stacey.
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Special District 4 (at Madras)
Team champion: La Grande (396 points)
Most qualifiers: Pendleton (18), La Grande (16), Madras (9)
Individual champions
106 Darren Gulzow, jr., La Grande
113 Hank Roy, soph., Pendleton
120 Aiden Cox, fr., Pendleton
126 Deegan Nelson, soph., La Grande
132 Bragen Anderson, sr., La Grande
138 Colton Livingston, sr., La Grande
144 Bryler Anderson, soph., La Grande
150 Cole Roy, sr., Pendleton
157 Tommy Belding, sr., La Grande
165 Kainen Zimmerman, sr., Pendleton
175 Vance Nelson, sr., Pendleton
190 Aidan Perkins, sr., Pendleton
215 Dex Dunlap, jr., La Grande
285 Gage Valencia, sr., Ontario
3 notes
La Grande edges Pendleton for first district title since 2022
The departure of three-time reigning champion Crook County to 5A created a wide-open district tournament, where Pendleton enjoyed a 3-2 edge over La Grande in district finals matching the schools’ wrestlers and an 18-16 edge in state qualifiers but still saw the Tigers eke out a 1.5-point victory for their first title since 2022 — the year before the Cowboys dropped to 4A. Belding and Bragen Anderson each won a third district title to lead the charge, and Dunlap repeated as 215 champion.
Two No. 2 seeds help Buckaroos push for team title
The Buckaroos had six district champions, one fewer than La Grande, with Nelson needing just 31 seconds to pin Madras’ Colton Gillespie to earn his third individual crown. They also got wins at 120, where Cox earned a 5-3 decision over La Grande’s top seed Kallen Blakely, and 165, where Zimmerman posted a 14-5 major decision over top seed Noah Collins of La Grande.
Ontario heavyweight denies La Grande-Pendleton title sweep
Ontario will have only four wrestlers make the 375-mile trip from the eastern tip of the state to Memorial Coliseum, but one of them is Valencia, who was the only wrestler not from La Grande or Pendleton to win a title — he earned a second-period technical fall over La Grande’s Darryn Richardson to improve to 31-4.
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For complete coverage of Oregon high school sports, visit OregonLive’s high school sports section throughout the year.
Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
Oregon State’s season came to an end in Eugene on Sunday evening, after a rocky 7th inning doomed them against the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The Beavers put up a valiant effort to try and fight their way back from the loser’s bracket, but they couldn’t accomplish this incredible feat that they pulled off in 2025.
A Bad Start Changed Everything
Winning the first game of a regional is almost a must if you want to advance, and this is where things started to go south.
After a nearly two-week layoff (since they didn’t have a conference tournament), OSU’s bats were rusty against a very solid left-hander in WSU’s Nick Lewis. Though the Beavers were able to put up a run early on, Lewis rolled with the punches and ended up throwing a complete game against the country’s seventh-ranked team. Though their bats came to life the next day, the uphill climb proved to be too much.
Pitching Wasn’t the Issue
Oregon State came into this tournament with the nation’s best ERA, and their starting rotation was exactly as advertised.
After a good outing from Kleinschmit on Friday afternoon, Eric Segura threw a 6.2 inning gem in an elimination game against Yale. True freshman Trey Morris threw 117 pitches in the rout of WSU early Saturday, and Wyatt Queen was excellent against the Ducks off of short rest later that evening.
The Power Just Wasn’t There
In today’s era of baseball where starting pitchers are so talented, it’s crucial to have guys that can get you runs with just one swing of the bat, especially when the man on the hill is striking a lot of people out.
Throughout the entirety of this season, the Beavers have not been a club that hits for much power, and this makes things difficult in the postseason. In four games across the Eugene regional, Oregon State didn’t hit a single ball out of the park. In 2026 they only hit a total of 55 homers, a stark contrast from the 107 of 2025’s Omaha year.
They Ran into a Good Team With a Deep Pitching Staff
In Mark Wasikowski’s tenure with the Ducks, his team’s pitching has often been a crutch that holds them back from big postseason runs. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case this year.
Throughout the regional that they hosted, Oregon starters looked nearly untouchable. Will Sanford struck out 14 batters and didn’t allow a run against Washington State. Yesterday against the Beavers, left-hander Miles Gosztola was phenomenal, bouncing back after allowing a run in the second inning. The Ducks also have great relievers in guys like Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell. With a lot of reliable arms to go to, it would’ve been difficult to beat Oregon twice.
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