The Grant County Wrestling Club’s Kayleb Rodgers looks for a shot on a wrestler from the Minuteman Wrestling Club during the ORWAY Invitational tournament on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, at Grant Union High School.

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