Hood River senior Lauraine Smith added a runner-up finish at the OSAA Class 6A/5A girls state championships to her extensive wrestling resume last weekend.
Smith, who had pinned her way to a regional wrestling championship three weeks ago, finished second at 155 pounds at state. The Portland tournament was delayed by a Wednesday, Feb. 22 snowstorm, which necessitated a rare Sunday finish for boys competitors. The tournament was supposed to start with Class 2A/1A boys schools on Thursday, and then blend in the larger school tourneys on Friday. Small schools were scheduled to conclude Friday night, and the large schools Saturday.
This year for the first time, the state’s Class 6A and 5A girls wrestlers competed in a separate championship tourney; the Class 4A/3A/2A/1A girls wrestlers also had a state tournament.
Smith won her first two matches at state, before losing in the final to 2022 USA World Team member Destiny Rodriguez of West Linn by fall. Rodriguez, who will compete next season at McKendree University, was 71-0 in her high school career and won four OSAA state titles.
Smith, who finished her senior season with a 30-5 record, was injured and not able to compete at state a season ago. She was second as a sophomore and fourth as a freshman.
Smith scored 18.0 of Hood River’s 21 team points. She won by fall in the first round of her opening match against Aubrey Murphy of West Albany. Smith then pinned Isabella Jaime of North Medford at 1:04 of their semifinal match.
HRV’s other team points came from Natalia Solorio Campos, who won one of three matches at 190 pounds. Solorio Campos lost in the first round to Ali Martinez of McNary High. The Eagle wrestler rebounded in the consolation round with a pin of Meleane Liu of Southridge High. In the consolation semifinals, Sarah Witts of Bend pinned Solorio Campos at 2:04 of their match. Martinez went on to win the title at 190 and Witt placed third, attesting to Solorio Campos’ competition.
Hood River girls finished 19th as a team among 44 schools; North Medford won the 6A/5A girls team title.
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