■ SPRINGFIELD: The first match of the year for the Millers is at Churchill for the Kenny Cox tournament on Saturday morning. Competing here alongside Springfield and the hosts in Churchill are Elmira, Newport, Sheldon, Siletz Valley, South Eugene, Sutherlin, and Thurston. Here, look for the seniors, Vince Andrews (132) and Haley Siders (120-125). Andrews was one win away from qualifying for state a year ago, and Siders is returning from a broken leg she suffered over Christmas break last season. Both enter the 2025 season with a hunger to finish what they started in ’24.
■THURSTON: The Colts head to Churchill on Saturday for the Kenny Cox Tournament. For Thurston’s two state champion brothers, Michael (120) and Lukas (113) Salas-Sanchez, the match will be their first since competing in Des Moines, Iowa for the Brian Keck Preseason Nationals. These two will be the Colts’ to watch after their highly successful 2024 campaigns.
■ COTTAGE GROVE
■ Boys: The Cottage Grove boys wrestling team competes in the Adrian Irwin Invitational in Bend against Bend, Caldera, Gilchrist, La Pine, McLoughlin, Mountain View, and Summit. This will be the team’s second match of the year after hosting the Three-Way Dual on Wednesday against North Eugene and Pleasant Hill. The one to watch at these tournaments for the Lions will be the two-time regional placer and two-time state placer, Jeffrey Conklin (132-138). Conklin took 3rd place last year and fifth the year before. If this trend continues, the junior could be on his way to a state championship this season.
■ Girls: The team will compete in the Battle for the Capitol at McKay High School on Friday. Here, Cottage Grove will compete alongside Canby, Centennial, Central, Corvallis, Crescent Valley, Franklin, Gervais/St. Paul, Lebanon, McKay, North Marion, North Salem, Parkrose, Philomath, Riverside, West Linn/Wilsonville, Silverton, South Salem, Sprague, St. Helens, Sweet Home, Tillamook, West Albany, West Salem, Westview, Wilsonville, and Woodburn. For the Lions, the senior, Taylor Blank (130), enters this season with a hunger after her 2024 campaign was cut short due to injury.
■ PLEASANT HILL: The Billies will travel to Cascade on Saturday to face off in the Perry Burlison Invitational. Here Pleasant Hill will compete with Cascade, Crescent Valley, Dayton, Elgin, Lowell, Madras, Marshfield, McMinnville, Mountainside, North Marion, Philomath, Siuslaw/Mapleton, Stayton, and Waldport. Watch for the 2024 state champion, junior Jacob Boyles (120). This will be the second match for Boyles and the Billies after competing in the Three-Way Dual at Cottage Grove on Wednesday.
