CHS wrestlers compete at Estacada, finish eighth

Columbia finished eighth in the tourney won by La Grande. The result didn’t surprise Coach Mike Muehlbauer. “We have a good group of returnees,” he said. “I’m expecting a lot out of our kids this year.”

The coaching staff also includes Dave Blevins and Fletcher Andrews.

Also placing for the Bruins were Aaron Johnson, Sawyer Muehlbauer, and senior Calvin Andrews.

Muehlbauer, a 182-pound sophomore, won by fall over Adam Balzer of Colton High in the first round. Warrenton’s James Mickelson, who went on to finish second, won a 21-13 decision over Muehlbauer in the quarterfinals. Muehlbauer then won three straight consolation matches all by fall: he topped Mark Youngberg of Estacada in the consolation first round; beat Demarcus Scott of Madras; and then placed fifth with a win over Cole Rotzien of Sandy.

Andrews went 3-2 in the tourney and placed sixth at 145 pounds. Andrews had a tough draw, matching up with eventual champion Jaxson Leonard of La Grande in the first round. Leonard won by pin, but Andrews won three successive matches in the consolation rounds — all by pin. He beat Evan Ferrar of Sandy, Brody Robb of Washougal, and Levi Dawson of Sandy, before losing by pin to Sandy’s Gage Culp.

Johnson had a tough first-round draw against eventual champion Jake Lawrence of Madras in the first round. Johnson lost that match by fall but the first-year sophomore wrestler won two matches in the consolation rounds: He pinned teammate Wyatt Pulido and then Bailey Wassom of Molalla in the fifth-place match.

Through he did not place, Joshua Steele won his first-round match at 170 pounds with a 15-second pin over Anthony Jantez of Seaside. La Grande’s Jared Isaacson, the eventual third-place finisher, pinned Steele in the quarterfinals before the Bruin wrestler earned an injury default win in the consolation round. Ryan Langston of Washougal won by fall over Steele in the next consolation round.

Columbia’s Manuel Salcedo and Liam Cox each picked up wins at 160 pounds. Cox earned a 14-8 decision over Cole Zigler of Sandy, and Salcedo topped Jonathon Nuno of Corbett, 11-8. Holden Uffelman won a match at 126 pounds, a 7-3 decision over Austin Mattern of Washougal.

Coach Muehlbauer said the Bruins have the potential to send a handful of wrestlers to February’s state tourney. “The numbers (at district) will be up a little from last year, so we’ll be seeing additional competition from many of our conference teams,” he said. “I’m looking forward to competing and showing our competition that we’re here to wrestle and beat you.”