LC’s Noah Buckley sheds 65 pounds to wrestle as heavyweight

Noah Buckley allowed his weight to get away from him during football season.

The 6-foot-4 Lewis and Clark senior weighed 350 pounds by season’s end.

A week after the season, preseason wrestling practices were set to begin. And there was Buckley 65 pounds over the maximum weight allowed for heavyweights.

Buckley sat down with coach Matt Orndorff to decide if losing 65 pounds was doable. Orndorff told Buckley it was a decision he and his parents had to make.

“He thought it was feasible and we wrote out a plan,” Orndorff said.

Buckley missed all but the last week of the regular season. That allowed him 10 weeks to get his weight down to qualify for a tournament in late January. He wrestled in LC’s final dual, giving him five matches – the minimum allowed to be eligible for postseason.

“It was a battle going through it,” Buckley said.

The goal was to lose about six pounds a week while maintaining good nutrition.

Buckley spent the first 45 minutes to an hour running at practice. And he did some running outside practice.

“I cut down on my meal portions and took a smarter approach to eating,” Buckley said.

A year ago, Buckley didn’t have difficulty making weight. This season he had to go through two holidays and avoid bad foods.

“It was pretty tough during the holidays,” he said.

“There were peaks and valleys but for the most part he worked it down,” Orndorff said. “It was never starvation or dehydration.”

Orndorff, heavyweight size himself, practiced often with Buckley. That helped him sweat additional weight off.

“More than anything it was a mental challenge,” Buckley said. “My teammates kept me going and pumped me up. Coach Orndorff was a big help.”

Buckley was the second-best heavyweight in the Greater Spokane League the last two years behind Orndorff’s nephew, Tate Orndorff of University. Orndorff was untouchable at state the last two years, winning back-to-back titles.

So Buckley thought with Orndorff graduated, it would be his turn to challenge for a state title. He placed fourth the last two years and was a state qualifier as a freshman, his first season ever in the sport.

Buckley lost 1-0 to second-ranked Nic Workman of Richland in the regional final Saturday. Workman’s point came on an escape.

The match showed Buckley (13-1) he’s capable of taking gold when state unfolds Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.

“He wrestled a lot like me. We’re both throwers,” Buckley said of Workman.

Workman pinned Buckley in the match to decide third and fourth last year.

“He got me in a bear hug,” Buckley said.

Buckley and Workman are seeded on opposite sides of the bracket so they could see each other in the final if they both advance.

Orndorff likes Buckley’s chances.

“He’s a fierce competitor,” Orndorff said.

If Buckley wins his opening match, he’ll face top-ranked Dallas Goodpaster of Evergreen in the quarterfinals. Goodpaster was a state runner-up at 220 last year.

Buckley weighed himself Sunday and he was 286 – one pound under the 2-pound growth allowance this time of the season.

“I’m in a good spot,” he said.

A state title would be ever so satisfying considering what Buckley has had to do to be eligible this season.

“It would mean years of hard work have paid off,” Buckley said. “To go from wrestling for the first time as a freshman to winning a state title as a senior would be a good feeling.”

Buckley, a two-time all-GSL first team selection at defensive tackle, plans to play in college. Just where remains to be determined.

College recruiters visited LC when Buckley was a sophomore and projected him as an NCAA Division I player. But Buckley wasn’t getting the job done in the classroom.

He’s on pace to graduate but academically will have to enroll at a small college.

“I didn’t apply myself as much as I should have,” Buckley said. “I procrastinated a lot. If I had to do it over again I would have tried better and got my homework done on time.”

Buckley is part Native American. His mom is a social worker with the Spokane Tribe.

He wants to get a college degree in business and come back and be involved with the Spokane Tribe. His ultimate goal is to be a councilman.

Buckley knows he needs to take care of things in school this semester to move on.

He’s thankful that Orndorff took an interest in him as a freshman.

“He saw me walking down the hall and asked me to turn out,” Buckley said. “I come from a basketball family but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to make the team in high school because I wasn’t that good.”

Buckley immediately found out that wrestling has quite a conditioning element.

“There was a lot more running than I thought there’d be,” he said. “I decided to stick with it. I’m glad I did.”