MCMINNVILLE, OR — The Linfield University wrestling team capped off the regular season this Wednesday at the Evergreen Space Museum, facing off against Umpqua Community College.
Fans in attendance were treated to an intense dual with planes and jets as a backdrop. The night’s excitement included an upset of the #1 ranked 143-pound wrestler at the junior college level.
On the men’s side, the Riverhawks took the first three matches before senior Jakob Jarvis flipped momentum in the Cats’ favor with a pin over Umpqua’s Benjamin Cooper.
The Mat Cats rallied off of Jarvis’ win, with victories in 3 of the final 4 matches. Highlighted by a dual-winning tech fall win from senior Divenson Willis, the Cats ended the regular season with a 29-25 victory over the Riverhawks.
The women’s dual, while not as close, featured exciting victories from senior Riley Omanaka and sophomore Alice Rickett, who pinned Umpqua’s Tarleen Saroya, the #1 ranked 143-pound wrestler at the junior college level. The women fell to the Riverhawks 24-10.
The Wildcat wrestlers head to Stevens Point, Wisconsin in 2 weeks to compete in the Upper Midwest Regional, where wrestlers will compete for a chance to wrestle in the NCAA National Championship.
