The Men's Wrestling program of Umpqua Community College is excited to announce the addition of seven new wrestlers for the 2017-18 season. The following students will join the program in preparation for the upcoming season:
Grant Laiblin, Harrisburg High School, Harrisburg, Oregon- Laiblin is a 4-time OSAA State Championship qualifier and two-time State Placer (3rd, 5th), a two-time District Champion, a 4th place state finisher in both Greco and Freestyle, USA team member in Greco and Freestyle, 2nd place finisher in Cadet Greco and Freestyle, a Junior National Qualifier and a member of the Oregon Americas Cup Team.
Matt McDowell, Roseburg High School, Roseburg, Oregon- McDowell is a 2-time OSAA State Championship placer (4th, 5th) as well as a 2-time placer in Freestyle (3rd, 4th) and Greco (2nd, 3rd). His Roseburg High School wrestling team has won 9 of the last 11 OSAA 6A State Championships.
Wyatt Kessler- McNary High School, Keizer, Oregon- Kessler is a 2-time OSAA State Championship qualifier and a 2-time Greco Western Regional placer. He is also a 2-time National Team member and a Folk Style placer.
Levi Summers, Stayton High School, Stayton Oregon- Summers is a 3-time OSAA State Championship qualifier and a Regional Champion.
Hayden Juliano- South Salem High School, Salem, Oregon- Juliano is a 4-time varsity letterman and a GVC District placer.
Jake Porter- Sweet Home High School, Sweet Home, Oregon- Porter was the 2017 OSAA 4A State Runner Up. He was also a 3-time OSAA State Championship qualifier, state runner up in Freestyle and Greco roman state, wrestled in Fargo, North Dakota at nationals, and wrestled on both the Switzerland, and Ukrainian cultural exchange teams.
Alex Armstrong- Sweet Home High School, Sweet Home, Oregon- Armstrong wrestled for Coach Temple's alma mater, as well as helped coach in their wrestling program.
Umpqua Men's Wrestling Head Coach Kyle Temple had this to say about his first group of signees, "I am very excited for the inaugural season of RiverHawk Wrestling. This group of wrestlers will be the building blocks of our program and help usher in this new era at UCC. Having Matt McDowell join us from Roseburg is a huge bonus. He is an accomplished high school wrestler from a tremendous program. It is important to find a wrestlers that fit my vision for the program in our historically wrestling rich community. Jake Porter comes from my alma matter and I am super excited to have the opportunity to work with him and build the same recruiting pipeline from Sweet Home that I forged for Southern Oregon University. As a group, these wrestlers represent the type of student-athletes that UCC wants to attract being both accomplished athletes as well as students that have a vision for their education."
Umpqua's Department of Athletics is composed of nine varsity sports teams including three men's teams (basketball, cross country, and wrestling), and four women's teams (basketball, cross country, and volleyball). Umpqua is a member of the Northwest Athletic Conference in all sports except men's and women's wrestling and obstacle course racing. For men's wrestling they belong to the National Junior College Athletic Association and for women's wrestling, the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association. For more information, please visit www.uccriverhawks.com. Follow RiverHawk Athletics at www.facebook.com/Umpqua-RiverHawk-Athletics and also on Twitter @uccriverhawks.
