By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SALEM, Ore.– South Salem’s Diana Burnell has slowly come into her own over the past three years. Overcoming a tibia and collarbone injury her freshman and sophomore year, she qualified for the 5A/6A State Tournament in Portland at 120 pounds.
And though it was a tough way to end her junior year, losing two matches in the tournament, it was a good learning experience for the now-senior has the expectation is now to return once more this year. Locking in and not letting her past injuries hold her back.
“It was nice to make it to State last year. That was fun, that was great, and this year, it’s the expectation. This is the year to lock in. Just making practices matter, last year I kind of crutched on my injuries a little bit. I used it as more of a mental excuse, not consciously but subconsciously. So this year, just bringing it into practice and practicing with a purpose is the goal,” said Burnell. So far this season, I have actually… especially the last two weeks, ever since I realized ‘shoot, I can actually go to State. I can actually compete with some of these girls who are really good.”
Thursday night, Burnell faced a familiar foe in West Salem’s Emily Rayburn in the Central Valley Conference dual at West Salem High School. The two met this past weekend at Tualatin with Burnell taking home the victory.
From that match, however, Burnell took it and improved upon her weaknesses from that match for the rematch Thursday. Correcting not getting trapped in Rayburn’s headlocks as Burnell picked up the pin in the first match that was wrestled of the dual.
“Just continue to find things to work on. Like today, I wrestled Emily last weekend, and she had me in a headlock a few times. So today, my goal was not to get into a headlock and work my shot,” said Burnell.
The Saxons would go on to defeat West Salem 39-30, which featured comeback from behind victories by Taya Stovall at 135 (10-9 decision) and Gywn Salazar at 140 (a third period pin).The Titans saw McKennz Sanchez (145) and Sophia Zuniga (190) and also picked up pin victories in the dual.
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West Salem junior Kit Shinkle took to heart what his sophomore year taught him. That there will always be someone better than you, and you must be able to find ways to keep up with them.
“No matter what you’re doing, always try to get better step-by-step, and that’s the thing I took away from it,” Shinkle said.
A State Qualifier as a sophomore, he’s coming out with a mission to keep up with the field at 215 pounds. His focus, aggression, and determination have been there all season, and Wednesday night was no different for the West Salem grappler. He led 3-0 after one period, 6-0 after, too, and took off from there in the third period for an 11-0 Major Decision in his match with Joseph Casas.
“It’s been huge. The biggest thing I’d like to change is my attitude. I see it when I’m tired or I’m feeling slow, I can’t go compete as well. But when I have that mindset that I’m going to go out and be the aggressor, that’s what makes me more successful, I think,” said Shinkle. “The biggest thing is, mentally preparing myself not the day before but the days before. Getting ready, thinking about what I’m doing and building my confidence and my aggression day-by-day as I work towards State.”
Shinkle’s win was one of several for the Titans on Wednesday. Both West Salem and South Salem traded forfeits at 106 and 113 before Travis Armstrong won the 120-pound match on a 11-2 major decision. South and West traded wins at 126 in favor of the Saxons by way of Cannon Lashmett and 132 in favor of the Titans by way of Dominic Ramirez that put West Salem in the lead. The lead would be short-lived, however, as South Salem picked up victories over the course of the next five matches to open up a 40-16 lead on West Salem before Shinkle’s victory. The Titans Cameron Cabrera closed out the dual with a win.
South Salem won the dual 40-32.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
