Celts go airborne as a mat match ends well at the district tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. McNary’s girls wrestling team qualified six individuals for state competition after the district match on Saturday, Feb. 22. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)
McNary’s girls wrestling team qualified six for state competition after the district match on Saturday with two Celts winning championships.
The Celts finished third in the Central Valley Conference after district competition wrapped up on Saturday, Feb. 22. McNary hosted the tournament. The Celts finished with 193.5 points, behind McKay with 197.5 and Dallas with 296.5.
Sophomore Marlina Martinez won the district championship at 110 pounds, pushing her varsity record to 24-2. Junior McKenna Unger won the district title at 140 pounds, pushing her varsity record to 31-4.
Finishing third in the district were Jessica Cottings (105), Solé Bartlemay (115), Cadence Fineran (130) and Izzy Hublitz took fourth at 100.
Those wrestlers all advance to the state meet, scheduled to start Friday, Feb. 28, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland and continuing on Saturday, March 1.
Other top finishers at the district meet were Kailyn Bollman-Lechner (105) and Jazlyn Camacho (235) at fifth and Gabby Cortez (125) at sixth.
“Izzy Hublitz had probably the most exciting victory of day. She earned her spot at the state tournament in what is called the ‘true 4th’ match,” Martin explained. “A true fourth occurs when the fourth-place finisher has not wrestled the fifth-place finisher earlier in the tournament. Izzy finished in fifth but had not yet wrestled the fourth-place wrestler from Sprague.”
Hublitz built a lead but then fell behind 13-9.
“With about 20 seconds left, Izzy got a reversal to bring the match to 13-11, and ended up pinning the Sprague wrestler with three seconds remaining in the match to earn her spot at the state tournament,” Martin said.
“It was awesome to be able to showcase the great girls wrestling that is going on in the valley. It flies a little under the radar, but the Willamette Valley has become quite a hotbed of girls wrestling,” said McNary Coach Sam Martin. “We had 18 wrestlers entered in the tournament, nine of them finished in the top six.”
The boys team a week earlier finished second in the conference and sends 10 wrestlers to the state tournament.
BOYS BASKETBALL:
The Celts beat North Salem 64-48 on Tuesday, Feb. 18, and then best West Salem 58-48 on Friday, Feb. 21.
McNary hosts the final game of the regular season when South Salem comes to town for a match on Friday, Feb. 28.
The Celts go into the game with a 4-7 Central Valley Conference record and 13-10 overall.
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
The Lady Celts got a big nonleague win on Wednesday, Feb. 19, beating Sunset 74-43.
They lost 78-58 to West Salem on Friday, Feb. 21.
McNary was to face Westview on Tuesday, Feb. 25, with results too late for publication and then host South Salem in the last game of the regular season on Friday, Feb. 28.
The Celts are 1-7 in league play and 5-18 overall.
McNary’s Izzy Hublitz works to pin her opponent at the district meet in Keizer on Saturday, Feb. 22. She finished fourth in the 110-pound division. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)Kailyn Bollman-Lechner drives on an opponent during competition at the district tournament Saturday, Feb. 22. McNary’s girls wrestling team qualified six individuals for state competition after the district match on Saturday, Feb. 22. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)Sole Bartlemay of McNary drives her opponent in a match at the district tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. She finished third in the 115-pound division and advances to state competition. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)McNary’s Cadence Fineran controls her opponent in a match at the district girls wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. She was among six from the team who qualified for state competition. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)McNary’s Cadence Fineran controls her opponent in a match at the district girls wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. She was among six from the team who qualified for state competition. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)McNary’s Marlina Martinez is congratulated at the district tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. She won the district title in the 110-pound class. McNary’s girls wrestling team qualified six individuals for state competition. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes) McNary’s Izzy Hublitz keeps an opponent pinned at the district meet in Keizer on Saturday, Feb. 22. She finished fourth in the 110-pound division. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)Assistant wrestling coach Mike Unger offers direction to a Celt wrestler from matside at the district girls wrestling meet on Saturday, Feb. 22. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)Sole Bartlemay of McNary takes the win after a match at the district tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. She finished third in the 115-pound division and advances to state competition. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)McNary’s Cadence Fineran lifts an opponent in a match at the district girls wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. She was among six from the team who qualified for state competition. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)McKenna Unger talks to her dad after her win at the district meet, Feb. 22. She took the district title at 140 pounds and advances to state competition. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)McKenna Unger takes her stance in the finals at the district tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. McNary’s girls wrestling team qualified six individuals for state competition. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)McKenna Unger gets prepared mentally before her district title win in the 140-pound weight class at the district match on Saturday, Feb. 22. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)McNary’s Marlina Martinez takes charge in the finals at the district tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. She won the district title in the 110-pound class. McNary’s girls wrestling team qualified six individuals for state competition. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)Kailyn Bollman-Lechner listens to a coach’s instructions during competition at the district tournament Saturday, Feb. 22. McNary’s girls wrestling team qualified six individuals for state competition after the district match on Saturday, Feb. 22. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes) McNary’s Izzy Hublitz (left) is intent on her opponent during a match at the district tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. McNary’s girls wrestling team qualified six individuals for state competition. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)Cadence Fineran wins a match at the district tournament on Saturday, Feb. 22. McNary’s girls wrestling team qualified six individuals for state competition after the district match on Saturday, Feb. 22. (STEVE SCHNURBUSCH/For Keizertimes)
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