Clackamas Community College wrestlers won the West Region Championships for the 10th year in a row. Coach Brett Sanchez, Myles Norries, and Steel Starren show off their awards. Photo by Grant Pauli.

The Clackamas Community College wrestling team is in high spirits after winning the West Region Championships for the 10th year in a row. CCC beat North Idaho College, one of their biggest competitors, 108.5-105.5. However, they still have more to prove this season. 

Two weeks after the West Region Championships, the Cougars are heading across the country to Iowa for the National Championships. They are fighting for a national title for the fifth year in a row. 

Steele Starren is a sophomore at CCC, and after the West Region Championships he can now call himself the Most Outstanding Wrestler in the upper weight division.

 “It felt awesome to get this award, but I am focused on winning the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award at Nationals,” Starren said. 

Starren has a chance to place higher than he did at the last National Championships.

 “I placed second in the finals, so I kind of have a chip on my shoulder coming back.” 

Meanwhile, freshman Myles Norris has had a great season with the team so far, but this season did not come without its struggles.

 “I have a lot of days where I start to doubt myself. I fall short of the things I can do, but I am trusting my teammates and trusting my coaches, they believe in me so I should believe in myself,” Norris said. 

Norris is proud of his team for winning the West Region Championships. 

“I’ve never been on an all-around successful team, I have had my own personal successes but doing something as a team together, I’ve never been able to do that,” Norris said. “Proving everyone wrong who doubted us this year and coming on top at Regionals was the coolest thing.” 

For coach Brett Sanchez, the West Region Championships was a huge accomplishment for both the team and himself. Sanchez was named Coach of the Year, and after the championships, he felt a sense of relief.  

“We know we have a good team, but we have had some injuries this season and luck hasn’t been going our way,” Sanchez said.The fact that these guys locked arms with each other and wrestled for each other, it was good to see them come together like that.” 

CCC would make history if the Cougars win the National Championships this year. 

“If we win No. 5 that would be the most consecutive National Championships titles received in the NJCAA [National Junior College Athletic Association] history,” Sanchez said. 

To watch the National Championships live, go to https://www.flowrestling.org/signup?redirect=%2Flive%2F25096-2021-njcaa-wrestling-championship.