By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club honored McNary’s Marlina Martinez (Girls Wrestling), McKay’s Jasmin Lopez Hernandez (Girls Wrestling), McKay’s Aileen Paniagua (Girls Wrestling), Sprague’s Jonas Camillo (Boys Wrestling), West Salem’s Chica Casas (Girls Basketball), McNary’s Steven Adams (Boys Basketball), Sprague’s Kenya Johnson (Boys Wrestling) McKay’s Sarahi Chavez (Girls Wrestling) and North Salem’s Pricila Soto at this past Friday’s meeting.
Here’s the Press Release:
The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from McNary Girls Wrestling, is Marlina Martinez.
Marlina Martinez is a sophomore for the Celts. Marlina was crowned the OSAA State Champion at 110 pounds this past weekend, recording three pins and a technical fall on her way to the title. She finished the season with a 32-2 record, with no losses coming to anyone from Oregon. Marlina is the 3rd girl McNary wrestling history to win a state championship.
Coach Sam Martin says, “Marlina has an unmatched work ethic; she is extremely goal oriented and has the right mindset to accomplish anything. From the end of the state tournament last year until now she has had her eyes on the prize. This season Marlina stepped in to a leadership role and is a great teammate!”
This is Marlina’s second AOTW honor for girls wrestling.
The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from McKay Girls Wrestling, is Jasmin Lopez Hernandez.
Jasmin is a sophomore for the Scots. She wrestles at 145 pounds. Jasmin improved on her 4th place district finish with a 3rd place finish at the OSAA State Championships. After losing her first match of the tournament, Jasmin took the long road back, with five consecutive pins, to earn the bronze medal.
This is Jasmin’s first AOTW recognition.
The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from McKay Girls Wrestling, is Aileen Paniagua.
Aileen, a sophomore for the Scots, Aileen earned 3rd place at the OSAA State Championships, going 4-1, after finishing as district champion at 105 pounds. She finished the season with a 44-3 record.
This is Aileen’s first AOTW honor.
The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from Sprague Boys Wrestling, is Jonas Camillo.
Jonas is a sophomore for the Olys. Jonas overcame a slow start to the season by finishing the month of February with a 15-1 record. He won a second consecutive district championship and capped the season with a 3rd place finish at the OSAA State Championships.
From Coach AJ Antillon, “Although an underclassmen, Jonas performs like a true veteran who has been there before! Shining brightest when the spotlight is on him…”
This is the first AOTW recognition for Jonas.
The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from West Salem Girls Basketball, is Chica Casas.
Chica, a guard, is a junior for the Titans who finished 7-2 in conference and 13-12 overall. Chica earned all-Central Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was chosen 1st team all-CVC. This season she averaged 9 points, 3½ boards, 3½ assists, 2½ steals, and 3 deflections a game.
Coach Katie Singleton says, “Chica is a great teammate and one of my favorite kids to coach. She is selfless, puts the success of the team above everything, and works tirelessly in practice and in games. It is rare to coach someone that is just as much of a threat on offense as they are on defense. Chica is an incredible all around player that doesn’t stop working. She plays almost the whole game enduring endless pressure as our main point guard while also guarding the opposing team’s best guard. And somehow never seems tired.”
This is Chica’s first AOTW honor.
The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week, from McNary Boys Basketball, is Steven Adams.
Steven, a senior, is a 2-year co-captain who plays guard for the Celts. McNary finished 13-12 on the season and qualified for the playoffs. Steven earned 1st team and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Central Valley Conference. Last Friday in a key win over West Salem he scored 15, grabbed 4 boards, had 5 assists, and 3 steals – all while playing on a sprained ankle. This season Steven broke the 1000-point mark for his career and will leave McNary as the all-time leader in charges taken with 47.
Coach Ryan Kirch on Steven: “Off the floor, Steven excels in the classroom as an honor roll student and is involved with the McNary DECA program. He has volunteered his time throughout his years in countless youth camps and clinics, and has been an outstanding roll model for all the players that will come after him.”
This is Steven’s second AOTW honor for basketball.
The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week and the Olsen Daines Senior Athlete of the Year for Boys Wrestling is Kenya Johnson of Sprague.
Kenya finished the season with a 34 and 6 record. His season included a 4th place finish at the Reser’s Tournament of Champions and the Rose City Championship, 1st place at the Southridge Invitational, 2nd at the Bill Geister Invitational, and 2nd at the Hadden Invitational. He wrapped his season with another district title and by finishing, with five consecutive wins, as the 6A 190-pound state champion.
Coach AJ Antillon says this about Kenya, “Part of the strong group of senior leaders on the wrestling team, Kenya is an elite multiple-sport athlete who has a 3.5 GPA and participates in choir as well…Kenya’s true growth is seen in the way he operates on the mat. A level of calm that permeates throughout the room.”
This is Kenya’s fifth SSBC recognition. He has three times been recognized for football, including as the Senior Offensive Football Athlete of the Year, in addition to twice being honored for boys wrestling, as an AOTW and now as the Senior Athlete of the Year for Boys Wrestling.
The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Les Schwab Athlete of the Week and the Olsen Daines Senior Athlete of the Year for Girls Wrestling is Sarahi Chavez of McKay.
Sarahi is 6A State Champion at 100 pounds. Sarahi is a four-time district champion, a four-time State finalist, and the first two-time State champion in McKay history. Sarahi ran the table last weekend on her way to the title with two pins – the first in 23 seconds – followed by two technical falls. She finished the season with a perfect 35-0 record.
This is Sarahi’s fifth AOTW honor.
The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Olsen Daines Senior Athlete of the Year, from North Salem Girls Wrestling, is Pricila Soto.
Pricila was recognized as an AOTW earlier this season. She is a team captain and the OSAA 6A State Champion at 235. She finished the season 27 and 5. She also won the Battle for the Capital, the Big John Tournament, and regionals. At State Pricila pinned four consecutive opponents on her way to the gold medal.
