In ancient Rome, a Centurion was a military leader who commanded a group of 100 soldiers. While that title doesn’t directly apply to HHS seniors Teagan Trenda and Liam McKee, it isn’t entirely irrelevant. This season, Trenda and McKee have both eclipsed 100 career wins as HHS wrestlers, they command respect in both practice and matches, and they are warriors on the mat.
Teagan Trenda
Trenda has followed a stellar fall soccer season that took her and her teammates to the state semi-finals by reaching an amazing milestone this wrestling season: She has amassed 111 victories in four seasons and lost only one match to a Greater St. Helens 2A opponent this season.
Her reputation as a fierce and skilled competitor, Trenda says, is due in part to her family and coaches. Her father, Tyler, is an assistant coach in the HHS Wrestling program and her younger brother, Colin, is also a HHS wrestler. Trenda says both motivate her daily and continually push her to higher levels of performance...and her coaches pick up where “Team Trenda” leaves off. “I owe a lot of my success to my coaches,” said Trenda. “They have done so much for me as a person and athlete. They have pushed me and made me comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Trenda is definitely comfortable on the mat, regardless of where it is. She is successful at home, away, in dual meets, tournaments, and in the post-season. Trenda has qualified for the State Wrestling Tournament three straight years, finishing 4th last year.
What lessons has she learned through sports? Trenda says that sports have shaped her character as a person, student, and athlete. In particular, she’s developed dedication, confidence, and a competitive mentality through practice. “My approach [to practice] is that no one is going to outwork me,” said Trenda. “I do extra conditioning and go to optional practices because I know that it’s going to give me an edge over my competition. When I step on the mat, I want to feel prepared and control the tone of the match with my energy and make [my opponent] respond and adjust,” she added.
Trenda also pointed to the social benefits of sports, saying that regardless of whether it’s a team or individual sport, they’re all team sports to her because of the relationships she forms with her teammates and the team identity she shares with them. “I’ve made a lot of friends through wrestling and this team is like my family now,” said Trenda.
If you’re interested in watching Hockinson High’s “Centurion” you can follow Trenda at the Clark County Wrestling Tournament this weekend at Hudson’s Bay High School, the Battle at the Bridge next weekend at Hockinson High School, and the District Wrestling Tournament on Feb. 14, also at Hudson’s Bay. If you do, you will witness history in making. After all, Trenda has earned the distinction as the first female wrestler to represent HHS at the State Tournament as well as the first to win a Pac Coast Championship.
Regardless of how she finishes this season, Trenda says she is proud that she helped to establish Girls Wrestling at Hockinson High School. “When I started my freshman year, there were three other girls on the team. Now there are sixteen,” she said.
What does the future hold after wrestling season? Trenda says that she is going to take off the spring season and begin to plan for college, where she hopes to prepare herself for a career in law enforcement. She isn’t sure if she will have to use her wrestling skills as a police officer, but criminals beware…there is no doubt she will always be ready.
Liam McKee
With 25 wins in the 144 lb. class this season, McKee has tallied a total of 107 career victories as a HHS wrestler. Because McKee has been wrestling competitively since the 4th Grade, it’s anyone’s guess how many lifetime victories he has accumulated. But it’s safe to say: A lot.
McKee credits a “team” of mentors and supporters with his success in the sport, but at the top of the list is his older brother, Jake, a 2025 HHS graduate who was also a standout wrestler. Until this season, said Liam, “[Jake] was my practice partner every day. I learned so much from him about skills, attitude, and preparation.” Fortunately for Liam, his brother lives locally and continues to support him at his matches. “To help me get ready for the District Tournament, for the past few days he’s started up as my practice partner again,” McKee added.
McKee is also grateful to have had a series of great coaches in youth wrestling as well as at HMS and HHS. “[My youth coaches] are the ones who got me excited about wrestling and Brandon [Redeau] has finished it off,” said McKee.
When asked about which victory out of the 111 stands out the most, McKee pinpointed his championship at the 2022 Clark County Wrestling Tournament Winning Clark County where he wrestled at 106 lbs. According to McKee, “the competition was fierce” and it was a victory that affirmed that he could compete with the best high school wrestlers in the area, regardless of school classification.
In the years since, McKee has also shown that he is a top student. He’s maintained a 3.8 GPA while taking such rigorous classes as Advanced Placement (AP) US History, Pre Calculus, and currently AP Literature. McKee has also completed a number of the school’s College in the Classroom courses. His success as a scholar-athlete comes as no surprise to Head HHS Wrestling Coach Brandon Redeau, “Liam is a very cerebral wrestler. Very methodical. As you can see, he’s also very effective and successful.”
Redeau also sees McKee’s thoughtfulness play out as a role model for other wrestlers. “He is not the loudest wrestler in the room. He has a quiet and reserved style. But I am telling you he is a strong, character-forward leader who leads by example,” said Redeau. He continued: “What’s obvious to his teammates and coaches is Liam’s inner strength and persistence. He squeezes the most out of practice, leads by example, and he is tough. He has battled through a lot of injuries this season.”
As McKee prepares for his final District Wrestling Tournament (hosted by HHS) and hopefully his final State Mat Classic, he is also reflecting on his journey in the sport and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Regarding the importance of discipline and goal setting, McKee says that he has come to realize that “you can achieve a lot more than you think you can. It all starts with identifying your goal.” His current goal? Placing among the Top 8 at this year’s State Wrestling Tournament. McKee has also come to appreciate the school and community he represents when he puts on a HHS singlet and steps onto the mat. “I’ve grown up in Hockinson. I’ve been in Hockinson schools since Kindergarten. I enjoy [HHS’s] school spirit and “Hawk Pride” is part of who I am as a wrestler,” said McKee.
Currently, McKee’s plans for next year do not include collegiate wrestling. His sights are set on attending Colorado Christian University and becoming a Physical Therapist. But as a high-level athlete, he does not expect to be far from competition. Whether that will be as a fan or a competitor remains to be seen…