Philomath High senior wrestler Ellie Morton won her weight division and two teammates placed fourth at Friday’s Junction City Girls Invitational.
Morton, competing at 105 pounds, defeated two opponents on her way to first place. She opened with a pin in just 52 seconds over Tillamook’s Nya Gates. In the championship match, Morton worked for an 11-4 decision over Crook County’s Tatianna Herrera.
Senior Acacia Gonzalez-Bush and sophomore Autumn Cluster placed fourth in brackets loaded with competitors.
Gonzalez-Bush, wrestling at 130, battled back from a first-round loss to defeat three straight opponents in the consolation rounds. Two of the three were on quick pins of 55 and 32 seconds, respectively. She advanced to the consolation final with a medical forfeit victory. North Marion’s Yaritza Ordonez won the third-place match.
At 155, Cluster opened with a loss in the first round but regrouped to win back-to-back matches in the consolation bracket. Cluster advanced to the medal match with an 8-3 decision over a Creswell opponent. In the consolation finale, North Marion’s Violeta Sanchez got the win.
St. Helens won the team title at the invite, which featured 19 schools. The Warriors with their limited numbers finished 13th.
Philomath’s boys and girls wrestling teams are scheduled to next compete on Jan. 6 in a duals meet at Sweet Home.
