PORTLAND — After sweeping first at the Boys 3A-Special District 3 Championship last weekend, and finishing fourth in the state, earning a state champion since 2019, and the most wrestlers ever placed at state, it is official – the Pleasant Hill wrestling program has a pulse.
The Pleasant Hill Billies boys wrestled in the Class 3A state competition Thursday and Friday, and won fourth with 115 points, winning their first take-home trophy ever. Banks took third (116), Harrisburg second (191) and Burns third (234).
Bryson Boyles (113), Billies first champion in six years, defeated unseeded teammate Rangle Marquess by a 3-1 decision for the title. He also jumped the podium this year after placing fifth as a freshman last year. Boone Marquess (144) also jumped the podium this year with a third-place finish after placing sixth last year. Following were Jack Quinones (106) in sixth place, Dean Scott (106) in fourth, and Vedder Anderson (157) in third.
Head coach Dahn Nikitins attributed the team’s recent success to the hard work and the guidance of coaches Jacob Boyles and Joe Hardy. He said the program is hungry for the future and their upcoming ambitions.
“We had two goals this year: win our district and get a plaque at state,” Nikitins said. “They fulfilled those two goals. So that just took a lot of hard work. And everybody had these goals. If you were on a podium last year, get higher. If you weren’t on a podium, get on the podium. We’ve got some young ones coming in, and they’re working hard. We’re fourth but looking for bigger, better stuff next year.”
Creswell’s Chantell Noffsinger
Creswell saw its first girls state wrestling champion and its first overall state champion since 2017.
Senior Chantell Noffsinger pinned La Grande’s Paige Allen in 3:27 to win her own crown in the 145 weight class. She was seen crying tears of joy with her teammates’ streaked faces while waiting for the award ceremony at the podium.
“I am so ecstatic right now,” Noffsinger said when she walked off the podium. “I’m on cloud nine. I’m still processing the fact that I just got first. I knew I could do it, but just now that it’s happened, it’s unreal.”
Head coach Jeff Cardwell said Noffsinger overcame a tough freshman year marked by injury and personal issues to place third in her sophomore year. Her hard work and commitment have made her a respected teammate and leader. the coach said.
“When I first met her, I said, ‘Are you a freshman flake?’” Cardwell said.” And that kind of challenged her to think ‘Oh, I need to change my way.’ So her grades have changed. Her life changed. I mean, besides being a great wrestler, she’s a great person. So there’s nobody, no one more deserving.”
Cardwell said the leadership and experience of veterans like Lyosha Mitchell (126), who was a state runner-up, and Noffsinger is crucial for the team’s success, as it helps new wrestlers navigate the pressure and excitement of the tournament.
“Those two have been just a great example,” Cardwell said. “They were the only two that haven’t missed a practice all year, whether a weight training, or run, and they’re always there, and they’re not loud, they just lead by example.
With a foundation laid down by senior leaders Mitchell and Noffsinger, Cardwell believes the Creswell wrestling program is starting to thrive, with record-breaking state qualifiers this season.
“We had seven kids qualify for the state tournament,” Cardwell said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve done that. In my first couple of years, we’ve been qualifying two boys and two girls. This year, it was five boys and two girls – a significant increase. So we’re excited about the future, and we’ve just got to keep working on to take the next step. to have multiple state placers and kids who are excited about doing the right thing in life, in school, and in wrestling.”
Cottage Grove state placers
After seven Lions qualified for state, two walked out of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Friday as placers.
Jeffery Conklin (132) grabbed third over North Marion’s Henry Bankhead in the third-place match and ended his season 49-9. He was pulled into the third-place bracket after his loss to state champ Dillan Davis of Sweet Home in the quarters.
Allison Palluck (120), Cottage Grove’s only girls state qualifier, ended her senior season fourth with a 19-4 record. A 2023 state champion at 115 pounds, Palluck missed last year’s state tournament due to a knee injury suffered in practice. Palluck went undefeated en route to the state title in her 2023 season and was 21-4 in the 2024 season before the injury.
