The smell of freshly cleaned mats and the sound of referee whistles means only one thing: Wrestling season is back.

The Grant County Wrestling club welcomed a host of competitors from all across the state for the Grant Country ORWAY Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Boys and girls ranging in ages from 5 to 15 descended on Grant Union Junior/Senior High School in John Day to test their skills in the invitational. The Grant County Wrestling Club wound up with 10 first-place finishers during the first half of the day which saw ages 5 through 10 compete.

Gage Tremblay was the Grant County Wrestling Club’s first tournament winner, placing first at 54-46 pounds among 5- and 6-year-olds. Tremblay finished the tournament with four falls of less than a minute and a 9-0 major decision in his fifth match.

Not to be outdone, Weston Lieuallen also placed first at 54-59 pounds among 7- and 8-year-olds. Lieuallen needed just over a minute and a half to record three falls in the tournament.

The afternoon session featured ages 11-14 and ended with the Grant County Wrestling Club crowning two tournament champions. Samuel Stout finished first among 11- and 12-year-olds at 72-77 pounds.

Stout recorded three falls and a 9-2 major decision at the tournament. Stout’s teammate Jack Knowles was the other first-place finisher for the Grant Country Wrestling Club.

Knowles competed at 136-139 pounds among 11- and 12-year-olds. Knowles won both of his matches by way of forfeit.

Here are the full results for Grant County Wrestling Club members:

5- and 6-year-olds:

33-42 pounds: Gavin Clary 2nd, Knox Watterson 3rd, Dax Watterson 4th

42-44 pounds: Ritter Adair 3rd

42-45 pounds: Brayden Helmrick 4th

48-52 pounds: Korbin Kirby 3rd

54-56 pounds: Gage Tremblay 1st

7- and 8-year-olds:

50-52 pounds- Crew Watterson 3rd

51-56 pounds: Ginny Clary 2nd

54-59 pounds: Weston Lieuallen 1st

62-65 pounds: Gene Fisher 1st

63-66 pounds: Coyle VanCleave 1st

65-68 pounds: Joseph Oakes 4th

67-72 lbs: Michael Thunell 1st

72-78 pounds: Tye Adair-Copenhaver 4th

78-83 pounds: Charles Oakes 3rd

7- and 8-year-old girls:

51-55 pounds: Ginny Clary 1st

77-79 pounds: Charles Oakes 1st

9- and 10-year-olds:

56-59 pounds: Cameron Courtney 1st, Kiann Clement 2nd

63-65 pounds: Kale Tremblay 1st

69-74 pounds: Blake Kimball 3rd

75-81 pounds: Sebastian Davis 3rd

77-83 pounds: Wyatt Lieuallen 2nd

85-89 pounds: Zander Lambeth 3rd

112 pounds: Cody Knowles 1st

9- and 10-year-old girls:

58-62 pounds: Kiann Clement 2nd

11- and 12-year-olds:

72-77 pounds: Samuel Stout 1st, Kayleb Rodgers 2nd, Dane Finlayson 4th, Connor Dunn 5th

83-87 pounds: Tyleece Courtney 4th

87-90 pounds: Lane Bailey 2nd

94-101 pounds: Beau VanCleave 2nd

136-139 pounds: Jack Knowles 1st

13-, 14- and 15-year-olds:

71-80 pounds: Cody Sodorff 2nd