By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

ALBANY, Ore.– Cascade’s Krysta Kamstra wasn’t afraid to show her emotions after the senior picked up a second round pin of McKay’s Anabel Rivera in the 115-pound Semi-Final round.  Moments earlier the Cougar wrestler was faced with an 8-4 deficit before clawing her way back to tying the match and eventually picking up the pin to seal not just the victory to the District Finals, but her ticket to the Girls State Wrestling Tournament at Culver High School.  Showing that anything can happen in the strange sport that is wrestling.

“It was really cool, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get that pin and then she just kind of fell over and I went over the top of her  and got it,” Kamstra described.  “It’s hard you know, it’s luck.  Everyone treats it as a strongman game and you don’t want to treat it that way otherwise you’re going to get pinned or gassed out really quickly.  It’s just weird.”

Rivera would fight her way back through the consolation bracket to nab the third-and-final spot out of the OSAA Girls Special District 4 tournament, but for Kamstra, she was going to used that State District Title bout as more practice as she now prepares for the State Tournament that’s ahead of her.

“I’ll probably use it by using the same moves I’ve used here…to never stop pushing through like I did for the last match.  The second you stop is the second you get pinned, so you got to be hard,” Kamstra said.

In the 115 District Title match Kamstra, who came into the tournament ranked third, faced the top seed in Taft’s Ryan Sou.  The match was the longest for the Cascade wrestler of the tournament after picking up two forfeits and 3:57 pin of the Scots Rivera, but it ended as it did in the semi’s for Kamstra.  

A pin, at the 5:31 mark, and her hand being raised as District Champion.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald