Girls jam at the Golden Yam wrestling tourney

The Outlaws girls wrestlers continued their strong season with a second place finish at the 16-team Golden Yam Challenge hosted by Yamhill-Carlton High School on Saturday, January 25. 

Tanner Gibney and Brooklyn Cooper finished the tourney at the top of the podium in their respective weight classes to lead the Outlaws, which missed the team title by just two points 93-91 to Willamina. 

Gibney picked up a pin in her first match of the day over Madeline Allen of Yamhill-Carlton at the 3:52 mark and finished up with a quick win over Adeline Walters of North Marion (1:07). 

Cooper, 17-7 going into the tournament, got three wins, two by quick pins and one by forfeit. She took just 41 seconds to dispatch Madison Brooks of Yamhill-Carlton and then won her final match in just 29 seconds over Ester Pastrana of North Marion. 

Sofia Clark and Kisten Elbek each placed second place in their weight class. Clark, a first year wrestler grappled for 3:31 before pinning Aubrey Mortimer of Yamhill-Carlton, them pinned Mia Lehmore, also of Y-C in 1:13, but fell to Shayna Manzano of Phoenix at the 3:34 mark in her third match. 

Elbek took down Abigail Roush in just 15 seconds in her first match and won by major decision 18 to 4 in her second round over Emma Brunner of Willamina. Sadie Risseeuw of Willamina got the best of Elbek in the championship match by fall (1:04). Elbek’s season record now stands at 23-7. 

Other scorers for the Outlaws included McKenzie Frutos (third), Sierra Jaschke (third), and Goose Henderson (fifth). 

The wrestling team will travel to the Tod Surman Invitational at West Albany High School Saturday February 1.