These Student-Athletes are Breaking Records and Exceeding Expectations in the Oregon Sports Awards Winter Season
In the dead of winter, these athletes maintained their hot streak
This winter, Sport Oregon is celebrating the very best of high school athletics with the Oregon Sport Awards. These student athletes hail from all over the state and have been excelling in the pool, on the court and on the mat.
The Oregon Sports Awards, sponsored by Pacific Seafood and Pacific Office Automation, recognizes the top high school athletes from across the state.
Throughout the season, The Oregonian/OregonLive journalists keep score on which student athletes are outshining the rest in their chosen sport. After reviewing all the plays, studying all the matches and taking a pulse on who is leading the pack, these are the top athletes in the 2023/2024 winter season in swimming, wrestling and basketball.
Bend’s Kamryn Meskill, right, gives a high five to another swimmer after their race at the OSAA Class 5A swimming state championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center in Beaverton. (Photo: Howard Lao | The Oregonian/OregonLive)
GIRLS SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
The very best in girls swimming this winter is Bend High School junior Kamryn Meskill.
Meskill and the Bend Lava Bears have won five titles within the last nine years, including taking home the Oregon Class 5A trophy this year.
For Meskill, the key to the Lava Bears’ success came down to the chemistry they’ve developed over years competing together.
“We’ve been training together for a really long time,” said Meskill. “When you work so hard every day and you see the sacrifices that each other puts in to accomplish the goals that they want, you not only don’t want to let yourself down, but you don’t want to let your teammates down.”
Meskill now owns Oregon’s Class 5A record in the 50-yard free — an event she has won three state championships in.
When asked about the pressure of the race, she remarks that she doesn't allow nerves to get to her, stating that the race simply is too fast to waste time on worrying.
Nelson’s Mason Cooper, right, stands on the podium with his medal at the OSAA Class 6A swimming state championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center in Beaverton. (Photo: Tim Healy | The Oregonian/OregonLive)
BOYS SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
The biggest name in Oregon boys swimming this year was Mason Hopper of Nelson High School.
After opening its doors just three years ago, Nelson High School in Happy Valley is new to OSAA Class 6A. Winning the 100-yard butterfly swimming state championship, Hopper was the first student in the school's history to take home a state championship.
Now, two years later, Hopper leaves his senior season as a six-time state champion.
“Honestly, I just came in to have some fun,” Hopper said. “I knew that we didn’t have the best chance at winning the team state title, but I just wanted to come to this meet with my friends and just have a lot of fun.”
What sets Hopper apart from other students? Coach Sam Nelson chimed in by saying, “he’s more focused and determined than a lot of the swimmers that we have. I do feel, talent wise, that we have swimmers that could be like at Mason’s level right now, but they don’t put in the extra yards that they need to or do those extra dry lands that Mason does and that’s what really sets him apart.”
While Hopper’s time as an OSAA swimmer has come to an end, he has a bright future ahead of him as an Arizona Wildcat swimmer.
Vale’s Ava Collins gets her hand raised after winning the OSAA Class 4A/3A/2A/1A girls wrestling state championship at 140 pounds on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. (Photo: Ali Gradischer | The Oregonian/OregonLive)
GIRLS WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
This year, Vale High School senior Ava Collins took her competition to the mat and has been voted girls wrestler of the year.
An experienced athlete not only as a wrestler, Collins grew up riding horses and regularly competing in rodeo competitions. Her coach Dirk Cleaver states that her time on the farm sets her apart from other competitors.
“She’s using muscles that a lot of the girls have never figured out how to use like in the cities,” Cleaver said. “They don’t know how to pick up the hay bale and move it.”
Collins has ended her senior wrestling season with a second Class 4A/3A/2A/1A wrestling state title, taking the title over longtime opponent, Hannah Hernandez from Ontario High School.
After winning her second wrestling state championship at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Collins returned to Vale and began to pack up for a rodeo competition in Utah.
Collins states that working with horses has taught her patience, the skill of tracking movement and the ability to be quick on her feet. All these skills contributed to her ultimate success.
Newberg’s Isaac Hampton, right, wrestles against Clackamas’ Jeremiah Wachsmuth in the 126-pound championship match. (Photo: Tim Healy | The Oregonian/OregonLive)
BOYS WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Newberg High School’s Isaac Hampton has been named boys wrestler of the year.
A student of the game, Hampton has been taking his talents to the mat since he was a young child. Fast forward to 2024 and Hampton has honed his skills and has come away with three individual state titles and three team state titles.
Coach Neil Russo has been alongside Hampton his entire wrestling journey.
“Isaac has fun wrestling: he loves coming into the room. You know, he does everything we ask him to do and more, but I think probably his favorite thing is to just go in, grab somebody and roll around and play with wrestling and figure things out on his own,” Russo said. “I would love to take credit for Isaac’s success. But that is certainly not the case. He owns what he does. And obviously we have instilled some fundamentals in him. But he has built that and I think the biggest part is his joy for the sport.”
Spending most of his life wrestling, it’s not easy to rattle Hampton.
A senior in 2024, Hampton is headed to the United States Naval Academy and will be on the Midshipmen’s wrestling team.
Clackamas’ Jazzy Davidson (33) drives in for a contested jumper during the Cavaliers’ state quarterfinals game against Jesuit on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Chiles Center. (Photo: Tim Healy | The Oregonian/OregonLive)
GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Clackamas High School superstar Jazzy Davidson has been named girls basketball player of the year.
The junior has had her fair share of accolades over the first three years of her high school basketball career — she’s topped ESPN’s list of girls high school players in her year in addition to being crowned a three-time Gatorade Player of the Year.
Davidson is somewhat of a local celebrity but has insisted on using that spotlight to help her community.
“She’s used some of her limelight to help others and inspire kids,” said coach Korey Landolt. “She’s really involved with some of the kids that show up to some of our games. They just love her and they want her autograph or pictures with her. She’s like a little Clackamas celebrity for sure.”
In her junior season, Davidson led Class 6A scorers with an average of 26.4 points per game alongside her 7.7 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 2.6 assists.
At 6’1”, Davidson is hard to contend with on both ends of the floor and has been a formidable opponent for not just local teams, but national as well.
Davidson is on pace to be an all-time Class 6A leading scorer and crowds will be cheering her on the whole way.
Summit’s Pearson Carmichael celebrates with the OSAA Class 5A state championship trophy after the Storm beat Wilsonville in the finals on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at Linfield University. (Photo: JJ Anderson | The Oregonian/OregonLive)
BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Summit High School’s Pearson Carmichael has been named boys basketball player of the year.
Carmichael has been called the “complete package” when it comes to his skills as a shooting guard. Standing at 6’7”, Carmichael is said to be a nightmare for opposing offenses. Mix his dominant height with 27.5 points per game and you’ve got quite the threat on the court.
Carmichael has set his sights on Boise State for this upcoming fall, and he seems ready for the challenge.
“I think he will fit seamlessly into that high level of basketball because of his skill, his size and his competitive nature,” said coach Jon Frazier. “For us, at the high school level, we’re able to move him all over the place.”
Coming into the 2023 – 2024 season, few teams had as much pressure on them as Summit did. Coming off back-to-back state championship losses with a large senior class, the Storm needed to get the job done this season.
And they sure did. With 27 points and 7 boards from Carmichael, the Storm triumphed over the Wilsonville Wildcats, ending Carmichael’s high school career on an incredible note.
Read more about Carmichael’s journey to the hoop here.
Sport Oregon and the Oregonian Media Group are proud to celebrate the season’s top high school athletes for the 2023-24 Oregon Sports Awards, presented by Pacific Seafood and Pacific Office Automation.
ABOUT THE OREGON SPORTS AWARDS
In 1948, the Oregon Sports Writers and Sportscasters’ Association hosted the first-ever Bill Hayward Banquet of Champions. The event began as a sit-down affair, honoring past and present Oregon sports greats.
Later, in 1986, the event was rebranded and renamed the Oregonian Banquet of Champions. In 2001, the event became the Oregon Sports Awards, presented by Nike.
In 2021-22, the Oregon Sports Awards began following a seasonal schedule with fall, winter, and spring awards given after each season, finishing in an end-of-year Celebration of Champions, recognizing every winner in every sport and overall Athlete of the Year Awards. This shift allowed the Oregon Sports Awards to shine the spotlight on the student-athletes when their season has recently completed while celebrating all winners equally including collegiate, professional and team awards.
Past award winners have included the likes of Terry Baker, Dick Fosbury, Steve Prefontaine, Joni Huntley, Neil Lomax, Danny Ainge, Dan O’Brien, Gary Payton, Tiffeny Milbrett, Joey Harrington, Nick Symmonds, Jordan Kent, Kevin Love, Liz Brenner, Megan Rapinoe, Ashton Eaton and Marcus Mariota.
ABOUT PACIFIC SEAFOOD
Founded in 1941, Pacific Seafood remains a family-owned and operated company dedicated to providing the healthiest protein on the planet. Pacific Seafood manages all parts of the supply chain from harvesting/fishing, processing, and distribution to provide customers with freshest, highest-quality, sustainable products. Pacific Seafood is headquartered in Clackamas, Oregon. Find products at your local grocery retailer or order direct from our dock to your doorstep at PacificSeafood.com/Shop.
ABOUT PACIFIC OFFICE AUTOMATION
Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Pacific Office Automation is the largest independent office technology provider in the nation. Since 1976, We’ve built our business on lasting strategic partnerships. We team up with our clients to review, evaluate and make recommendations to their unique situation. POA boasts a 47-year growth streak in the face of financial recession and global pandemic, which we credit primarily to the hard work and dedication of our talented team, the reinvestment of our growth into the development of new personnel, and the continued support we receive from our manufacturer partners and the state-of-the-art technology they provide. Our motto is Problem Solved. we believe the best solution to a problem is a proactive approach to preventing them.
ABOUT SPORT OREGON
Sport Oregon understands that the impact of sports is undeniable. It's economic. It's social. It's emotional. A dedicated, thriving sports tourism environment is crucial to the wellbeing of our state. Sport Oregon has an unapologetic love for Oregon, and wants to share it with the world. The natural scenery is our playground, and the vibrant hospitality community is eager and ready to host you, your events, your teams, your fans and your families.