Olivia Hernandez keeps climbing to new heights in her young wrestling career.
The Philomath eighth grader qualified earlier this month to represent the United States at the U17 Pan American Championships, scheduled for April 2-4 in Panama City, Panama.
Hernandez won the 46-kilogram weight class at the U17 Pan American Team Trials held in North Liberty, Iowa. She went unscored upon throughout the tournament and capped the day with a 9-0 decision in the finals. She was among the youngest wrestlers to qualify for the squad.
In the championship match, Hernandez defeated Ryleigh Sturgill, a high school junior from Maryville, Tennessee, on a 9-0 decision. To give you an idea about the level of competition, Sturgill was the nation’s top-ranked girl in the weight class and the reigning Fargo champion, which is considered the premier national tournament for high school-age wrestlers.
The achievement marks a step up in competition level for Hernandez, who has built an impressive international résumé in the U15 division. She won gold at the U15 Pan American Championships in both 2024 and 2025. This is her first qualifying effort at the U17 level, which she becomes eligible for this year.
Hernandez is one of 10 females who punched their ticket to Panama, joining teammates who also have Pan American pedigree — including Abigail Peterson, who won the U15 title in 2024, and Hailey Delgado, the 2023 U15 champion.
Hellesto’s strong start
Janice Hellesto made an immediate impact in her first collegiate outdoor meet — and put her name in the George Fox record books in the process.
The Philomath High School graduate, a freshman in the jumps and sprints for the Bruins, competed at the Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker earlier this month and recorded a long jump of 18 feet, 10.75 inches — the second-best mark in program history. The jump won the meet, leads the Northwest Conference and, at the time of the award, ranked as the farthest long jump in NCAA Division III by more than six inches.
Hellesto also clocked a 12.70 in the 100 meters, which ranked third in the NWC and 10th nationally. The performance earned Hellesto Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week honors for the week of March 3-9.
The recognition is a fitting early reward for one of the most decorated prep track athletes in Philomath High history. Coach Joe Fulton puts Hellesto at the top of all the athletes he has coached.
“In my opinion, she tops the three greatest track athletes of earlier years,” Fulton said, citing Cathy McNeely, Brianna Anderson-Gregg and Tassie Norton.
Hellesto accumulated 98.25 individual points at the OSAA state meet over four years — fifth all-time in Class 4A individual scoring history. She collected seven state titles, six runner-up finishes and four school records, and Philomath won the team title all four years she competed.
Hellesto is pursuing a nursing degree at George Fox.
Candanoza at state skiing
Philomath senior Ana Candanoza wrapped up her prep skiing career with a strong showing at the Oregon Alpine Ski Racing State Championships at Mt. Hood Meadows earlier this month.
Candanoza qualified in both disciplines and competed on March 5-6. In the slalom on the Gemini course, she posted times of 44.26 and 41.15 seconds for a combined 1:25.41, finishing 26th. The following day on the Shooting Star Ridge course, she clocked a 1:08.78 on her first giant slalom run and a 1:01.98 on the second for a combined 2:10.76, finishing 43rd.
Both events had fields of 98 competitors.
The results reflect steady development across her career with Philomath’s ski club. As a sophomore at the 2024 championships, also held at Mt. Hood Meadows, Candanoza placed 25th in the slalom. At last year’s meet at Mt. Ashland Ski Area, she finished 27th in slalom and 29th in giant slalom.
(Brad Fuqua is publisher/editor of the Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).