The Baker/Powder Valley girls wrestling team finished fifth at the Safeway Girls Bucket Classic tournament Dec. 8-9, 2023, at La Grande High School. Front, Rachel Shaw. Back, left to right, Korra Randall, Lilly Collins, Kylie Martin, Neva Lynch, Marli Lind, Marrissa Weston, Oakley Anderson.

LA GRANDE — The Baker/Powder Valley girls wrestling team finished fifth at the Safeway Girls Buckle Classic tournament Friday, Dec. 8 and Saturday, Dec. 9 at Eastern Oregon University.

Baker’s Oakley Anderson won the individual title at 170 pounds.

Marli Lind was second at 155. Lilly Collins was third at 140, Kylie Martin fifth at 115 and Neva Lynch sixth at 100/105.

Ten girls competed, and five placed in their weight division.

“We competed really well with some very big teams,” coach Josh Anderson said.

Among the tournament highlights was Collins finding what Anderson called an “unknown, hidden gear and shocking us all with a blast double right off the whistle taking her opponent directly to the mat and pinning her in 23 seconds.”

That was in Collins’ match against Aileen Martinez of Scappoose in a consolation third round match. In her next match Collins again won quickly, pinning Caroline Hardesty of Estacada in 38 seconds.

Collins won the third-place match with another pin, over Weiser’s Tori Brown in 1:41.

Lind pinned her first two opponents to advance to the championship match against Hannah Hernandez of Ontario.

Hernandez won by decision, 4-1.

“Marli Lind fought a hard battle in her finals match and we are proud of how much she has grown as a wrestler,” Anderson said. “She is going to have a great year.”

Lind placed second at the state meet last season.

Oakley Anderson, a state champion last season, competed for the first time this season and she won three straight matches to claim the tournament title.

She pinned Jessica Polkinghorn of White Salmon, Washington, in 1:44 in the championship match.

“This was Oakley’s first tournament of the year and she started off the tournament a little bit hesitant on the mat the first day, but by the finals match she had regained her confidence, wrestled smart and came up with the win,” coach Anderson said.

“All of the girls are doing well and we are so proud of them for coming to practice every day, working hard and then putting their skills to the test at these tournaments,” he said.

The Bulldogs will compete in a tournament at Twin Falls, Idaho, on Friday, Dec. 15 and Saturday, Dec. 16.

Safeway Girls Buckle Classic 100-105 pounds Neva Lynch, 6th, 11 team points

• Champ. Round 1: Beat McKennah Dempsey, Union, by fall, 1:10

• Quarterfinal: Lost to Brooklyn Johnson, Eagle, 10-8

• Cons. Round 3: Beat Corianna Parsons, Weiser, by fall, 1:03

• Cons. Semi: Lost to Emma Burtch, Union, by fall, 3:04

• 5th Place Match: Lost to Rhiley Lees, La Grande, by fall, 1:05

115 Kylie Martin, 5th, 13 team points

• Quarterfinal: Los to Florecita Villagomez, La Grande, by fall, 1:57

• Cons. Round 2: Beat Kylie Dutra, Lake City, by injury forfeit

• Cons. Round 3: Beat Laramie Kiser, Grant Union, by fall, 3:45

• Cons. Semi: Lost to Avrey Robinson, La Grande, by fall, 3:08

• 5th Place Match: Beat Margherita Marzioni, Barlow, by fall, 3:32

115 Tessa Garrick

• Champ. Round 1: Lost to Zoey Beam, Grant Union, by fall, 39 seconds

• Cons. Round 2: Lost to Halie Scroggins, Oregon City, by fall, 3:40

120 Karleigh Endersby

• Champ. Round 1: Lost to Lyndie Isaacson, La Grande, by fall, 13 seconds

• Cons. Round 1: Lost to Amia Hessong, Scappoose, by fall, 3:47

140 Lilly Collins, 3rd, 22 team points

• Champ. Round 1: Beat Sophia Christie, Estacada, by fall, 1:32

• Quarterfinal: Lost to Brooke Ostendorf, Eatonville, by fall, 3:17

• Cons. Round 3: Beat Aileen Martinez, Scappoose, by fall, 23 seconds

• Cons. Semi: Beat Caroline Hardesty, Estacada, by fall, 38 seconds

• 3rd Place Match: Beat Tori Brown, Weiser, by fall, 1:41

1

55 Daecee Darnell

• Champ. Round 1: Lost to Kaitlin Brock, La Grande, by fall, 38 seconds

• Cons. Round 2: Lost to Olivia Howell, Barlow, by fall, 2:00

155 Marli Lind, 2nd, 22 team points

• Quarterfinal: Beat Kaylyani Estimo, Madras, by fall, 1:17

• Semifinal: Beat Georgie Ellicott, Oregon City, by fall, 51 seconds

• 1st Place Match: Lost to Hannah Hernandez, Ontario, 4-1

170 Marrissa Weston

• Champ. Round 1: Lost to Kallin Burgess, La Grande, by fall, 1:05

• Cons. Round 2: Lost to Paige Cantwell, Eagle, by medical forfeit

170 Alsitie Elizondo

• Quarterfinal: Lost to Gavin Brown, Rocky Mountain, by fall, 1:41

• Cons. Round 3: Lost to Aliya Lenox, La Grande, by fall, 53 seconds

170 Oakley Anderson, 1st, 26 team points

• Quarterfinal: Beat Aliya Lenox, La Grande, by fall, 2:45

• Semifinal: Beat Gavin Brown, Rocky Mountain, 8-6

• 1st Place Match: Beat Jessica Polkinghorn, White Salmon, by fall, 1:44