345 SE 5th, Madras, OR 97741 | 541.475.2275
Host Madras second at wrestling tourney
Flores, Vasquez, Short, Williams win for Buffalos
Madras sophomore Ian Oppenlander, top, prepares to pin his 106-pound opponent from Sisters Jan. 28 during the opening round of the Madras Wrestling Invitational.
For the first time in three years, Madras High School hosted a high school wrestling tournament and the White Buffalos fared well on their home mats, earning second place.
La Pine accumulated 199 total points for first, ahead of Madras (190.5), Gladstone (127.5), Burns (127) and Sisters (29).
"We wrestled really well and a lot of kids won some tough matches," MHS head coach Ron Oliver said. "We had a few schools back out of the tournament at the last minute, but the kids got three matches in and that's what we wanted."
Samuel Flores (113 pounds), Miguel Vasquez (132), Ethan Short (152) and Travis Williams (220) each earned first place in their respective weight classes.
"Ethan beat a kid that had beat him twice this season," Oliver said. "He's coming along and wrestled really well."
For Short and Flores, it was their first ever high shcool weight-bracket tournament titles.
"We've been working really hard with our younger guys to prepare them for regionals," Oliver said. "Give credit to Michael Bauman at 185 pounds, too. As a freshman, he is chugging along for us."
Madras hosts North Marion at 6 p.m. Feb. 2 and wrestles at the Cottage Grove Invitational Saturday, before the Special District 2 regional tournament held in Prineville Feb. 17-18.