HOOD RIVER — Hood River Valley is poised to improve on last year’s fourth place, Northwest Oregon Conference (NWOC) district wrestling tournament finish when the Eagles compete in this year’s tourney Feb. 14 and 15 at Canby High School.
Coach Tony Rolen’s 2024 HRV team scored 214 points a season ago to finish behind Canby (with 478), Hillsboro, and Centennial. Canby, which placed fifth at state in 2024, is stacked with returning district and state placers, but HRV’s roster for the two-day meet has a good share of them, as well.
Senior Connor Farlow leads the way. He was second at the NWOC district finals in 2024 at 120 pounds. Also back are Leyton Adams, who was third at 132 pounds and has moved up to 138 for most of the season, and Froylan Mendez, who earned a spot in the 2024 state tournament with his fourth-place district finish at 144 pounds.
The top four finishers in each of the 14 weight divisions at the district tourney qualify for the Feb. 28 to March 1 Class 5A state tournament at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Hood River Valley had 13 district placers, and seven wrestlers qualify for state in 2024; 11 of those district placers were underclassmen.
Farlow finished sixth at state as a freshman at 106 pounds, was fourth as a sophomore at 113, and sixth a year ago as a junior at 120.
HRV teammates Joshua McLaughlin and Jesus Ortega-Lara faced each other in the district consolation semifinals in 2024 with a state tourney berth at stake. Ortega-Lara won by fall, and both will be seeking state tourney berths again this season.
Samuel Blosser was fifth at 157 pounds at the 2024 district tourney, and teammate Romeo Castillo finished fifth at 106 pounds. At 157 pounds this season has been Jack McLaughlin, who lost in the 144-pound district consolation semifinals a season ago. Also back is Abelardo Gomes Gordian, who placed fifth in 2024 at 138 pounds. Also among those back with district tourney experience are Isaac Marshall, Gabriel Witt-Inman, Aaron Smith and Aiden Marquez.
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