As we enter February, winter sports move closer to the district championships and playoffs, and eventually the state championships. Here’s a look at how Cleveland’s winter sports teams have been doing as of press time (Feb. 5).
Boys basketball currently holds a 9-8 record. Right now they are ranked No. 24 in Oregon, and third in PIL. Their next game is against Roosevelt, who are currently ranked No. 3 in Oregon and top the PIL standings. The Warriors won big league matchups against Lincoln and Jefferson, who they are competing against in the playoff race. Senior captain Jackson Owens has been the standout for Cleveland, averaging 25.1 ppg, second in Oregon. Senior captains Josh Huss and Will Susak have also been key contributors, as well as juniors Brady Ryan and Finn Cooper.
Girls basketball is ranked No. 17 in Oregon and fourth in PIL with a record of 10-7. The Warriors played in multiple tournaments during December, making the trip to Washington to play against Steilacoom and Stadium High School. The Warriors won both games. Cleveland then played in the POA Holiday Classic at Lincoln, where they ended the tournament with a close victory over Crescent Valley. Senior Malia Waiwaiole was named to the All-Tournament team. In PIL play, Cleveland is 5-3, coming off a recent 45-30 victory over Grant. Their next matches are at Roosevelt and McDaniel, followed by a home game against Lincoln. The team has been led by a key core of seniors, such as Malia and Kama Waiwaiole, Mason Bregoli, and Addy Huss, as well as junior Bijou O’Connor.
The swim team has competed in three PIL meets so far this season. Their most recent meet was on Feb. 2 at Dishman Pool, where they competed against swimmers from Benson, Lincoln, Franklin and Roosevelt. The Warriors had multiple first place finishes at the meet. In the boys’ 200 yard medley relay, the team of senior Lucas Geren and sophomores Brent Welch, Eugene Fedutinov and Simon Vanderwal won with a time of 1:49:85. That team also won the boys 400 yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:44:58, and Welch won the boys 500 yard freestyle in a landslide, winning by over 30 seconds. The girls 400 yard freestyle relay team of senior Kaylee Ho, junior Hazel Alperin, and sophomores Ia Stanhope and Gaby Wagner took first place with a time of 4:50:77. Additionally, Kaylee Ho won the girls 200 yard individual medley, and Eugene Fedutinov won the boys 50 yard freestyle and the boys 100 yard breaststroke.
Both the boys and girls wrestling teams have had standout performers this winter. For the boys team, the top performers include senior Connor Smeller (19-3), senior Adrian Anaya (19-9), and junior Max Copus (27-7). The girls team, which is competing separately for the first time, has been led by junior Izzy Herring. Herring has a 26-3 record, and is currently ranked no. 1 in the girls 170 pound weight class.
