Baker/Powder Valley Girls Finish 7th at Harrisburg; Seven Qualify

Baker/Powder Valley scored 52.5 team points to place seventh of 19 teams at the Harrisburg All Girls tournament, a solid showing that tested depth and set the stage for a strong district weekend. Days after Harrisburg, the Bulldogs climbed to second in Special District 1 at Scappoose with 168 points, earning seven of eight wrestlers spots at the state tournament Feb. 23-25 at Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

At Harrisburg, several Bulldogs brought home top-four finishes. Austin Hilton placed third at 100 pounds and was credited with 16 team points. Hailey Duke placed third at 115 and accounted for 16 team points with a run that included multiple falls: Quarterfinal – Hailey Duke (Baker) 15-7 won by fall over Makylie Broomand (Sutherlin) 13-13 (Fall 1:10); Semifinal – Vanessa Keller (Oakridge) 34-4 won by fall over Hailey Duke (Baker) 15-7 (Fall 0:40); Cons. Semi – Hailey Duke (Baker) 15-7 won by fall over Susan Simpson (Camas Valley) 5-14 (Fall 2:00); 3rd Place Match – Hailey Duke (Baker) 15-7 won by decision over Olivia Noll (Harrisburg) 33-11 (Dec 5-3). Sophia Ward finished fourth, and Taryn Niday is listed under a 120 header as 5th with 10.5 team points.

Kylie Martin wrestled at 120 pounds at Harrisburg and logged the following bracket lines: Champ. Round 1 – Kylie Martin (Baker) 12-11 won by fall over Acacia Barrett (Sutherlin) 14-13 (Fall 3:48); Quarterfinal – Mindy Blomstrom (Toledo) 22-2 won by tech fall over Kylie Martin (Baker) 12-11 (TF-1.5 4:12 (16-1)); Cons. Round 2 – Kylie Martin (Baker) 12-11 won by fall over Nevaeh Owen (Rainier) 12-19 (Fall 2:28); Cons. Semi – Lily Diaz (Central Linn) 12-5 won by fall over Kylie Martin (Baker) 12-11 (Fall 0:59). The Harrisburg meet showcased individual resilience and match experience that would carry into districts.

At Special District 1 in Scappoose, Baker/Powder Valley pushed La Grande hard in the team race; La Grande finished with 264 points, Baker/Powder Valley 168 and Scappoose 141. Oakley Anderson and Marli Lind emerged as district champions. Oakley Anderson defeated Estacada's Rowena Yandell in overtime in the semifinal and pinned Cambria Funk of St. Helens late in the third round of the championship match. Marli Lind won her final in an ultimate tiebreaker against La Grande's Kaitlin Brock. Madi Meyer, Lilly Collins and Kaci Anderson each placed second; Julianna Sandberg finished third and McKay Anderson fourth. Kylie Martin placed eighth at district and scored eight team points, with district match lines showing a first-round fall over Quintessa Lopes (Tillamook) and a quarterfinal loss by fall to Florecita Villagomez (La Grande).

Coach Josh Anderson, named district coach of the year in his first season guiding the Bulldogs, underscored that the results reflect a wider community effort: "It's not just me, it's the whole bunch of people who helped these girls, for one on wrestling and two, just believing in themselves," he said, "Kari (Anderson) does all the behind the scenes paperwork, we call her our 'scholastic coach,' she keeps the girls on their grades, tutors in math, and even does their hair. Jeris (Stephens), Nick (Blair) and Kyle (Hamann) helped, and we've had guest coaches from the community, from EOU, it's not just me."

The Bulldogs’ earlier-season title at the Charlie Anthony Memorial Tournament in Ontario also signaled depth; Baker/Powder Valley won that event with 32 points, with individual champions Neva Lynch (120), Lilly Collins (135) and Kate Norton (190).

For Baker County families, seven qualifiers headed to Portland means travel and school coordination in late February, and it highlights the payoff when local volunteers and scholastic support meet youth athletics. The Bulldogs leave for the Memorial Coliseum with experience from Harrisburg and momentum from districts, and the community's continued backing will shape how far Baker/Powder Valley can go at state.