PORTLAND, Ore. – For the first time in the school’s history, Illinois Valley High School has taken home a wrestling state championship.
The Illinois Valley Wrestling Team left Portland this weekend victorious after breaking the Culver Bulldogs’ long winning streak.
Wrestling coach Jesse Clark said this was the school’s first-time taking home a state championship for *any sport, and he’s super proud of his team’s performance.
Most of the kids on the team have been wrestling for most of their lives, and winning the state title made it all pay off.
“It feels great, that’s what we’ve been working for, for the longest time so it feels good to finally have it,” said Ryan Griffin, 152lbs, State Champion.
“It was an amazing senior year to have all my brothers here, to have all my brothers here, these are the people I’ve been wrestling with since I was six years old, all the coaches and everybody made it amazing,” said Ryon Martinho, 138lbs, State Champion.
Illinois Valley Wrestling also had four individual state champions.
Coach Clark also won coach of the year, in part due to his dedication to the team, and driving to cave junction from Medford every day.
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