LAS VEGAS – Roseburg High School senior Hunter Sparks qualified for the Fargo National Championship this summer by winning the Junior 126 pound title in the Marines Western Regional Greco-Roman wrestling tournament over the weekend in Las Vegas.
Sparks also qualified for nationals by placing fourth at 126 pounds in the Junior freestyle competition. He will wrestle for Team Oregon at nationals, which are held in Fargo, North Dakota July 12-20.
The Roseburg senior won four of his five Greco matches by either fall or technical fall. Sparks won the title due to an injury default by Alaska’s Jacob Shack. In the freestyle competition, Sparks reached the semifinals before losing by fall against Christopher Kelly from Arizona. Sparks bounced back with a win in the consolation semifinals, but had to pull out due to injury in the championship bout.
Sparks was joined in the Junior Greco and Freestyle competitions by Devin Folk from Roseburg High School. Folk also wrestled in the Folkstyle competition, but did not place in the top four in any tournament. Other Roseburg wrestlers on hand were Cadets Riley Rose, Archer Bergeron, and Tristin David.