By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.– Sam Gagnon was one point away from qualifying from the Girls Wrestling State Meet and joining teammate Reese Lawson in wrestling in Redmond this past Winter.  Driving the now junior to be better now entering this season. Gagnon hit the weights over the off-season and is looking towards working on finishing matches this year, pointing towards the final 30 seconds of a match as something she can work on moving forward.

“It motivated me quite a bit, it was a very tough match but I would never forget the feeling at the end and I think that’s what going to motivate me this whole season,” Gagnon starts/ 
“Remembering how close in having it and something in my training held me back, so I’m going to train harder this year and make sure it doesn’t happen again.  It’s that last thirty seconds where it’s so hard and you’re both exhausted and focusing on the last thirty seconds of my training.  Pushing through and getting so confident in my skills that the last thirty seconds won’t matter.”

Wrestling’s one of those sports in which you just have to find ways to improve and be proactive in the sport to get better.  Lawson did some off-season work, so did Corbyn Taylor.  Taylor, a senior, is coming off a season in which he finished fourth at 170 and qualified for the State Meet.  Though he didn’t compete at the State Meet as a junior due to family reasons, Taylor was hard at work this offseason, working with the Mat Club out at Dallas and improving on his skill going into his final season wrestling with the Titans.

“This year I was a lot more motivated too.  Mat club over the Summer to just continue developing my skills and I’m just really excited to see where it takes me,” Taylor said.  “Just a new coaching style and learning some more moves, it just helped grow my wrestling ability.  I learn a few more moves and a different style of wrestling and it was just fun wrestling with new kids.”

With a young team, most of the incoming freshman having wrestled at Straub and Walker last year as wrestling across the bridge has grown, this season will be a season of growth for West Salem as they turn to their few returners to help lead the way going into the season.  The Titans first tournament will be December 2 at Reynolds for the Reynolds Tournament before heading to North Bend for the North Bend Coast Classic December 9-10.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald