PORTLAND — State championships are in sight for Central Oregon’s traditional powerhouses, while an upstart program from Bend is not far behind in the title hunt.

After the first day of the wrestling state meet at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Crook County rode nine semifinalists to 111.5 points, giving the Cowboys a 23.5-point lead as they close in on their fifth 4A championship in the past six years. Defending champion Sweet Home, which edged Crook County by half a point last year, is in second with 88 points, and Tillamook is third with 84.5 points.

In 2A/1A, Culver, 10 times the state champ over the past 11 years, advanced nine of its own into the semis, racking up 44.5 points for an early first-place lead. The Bulldogs are in front of Reedsport, which has 20.5 points, and Central Linn is third with 20 points.

Mountain View — which has never placed higher than sixth at state — is making a push in the 5A competition, as five semifinalists helped the Cougars post 77.5 points to head into the final day in fourth place. Dallas leads with 106 points, defending champion Crater has 93, and Thurston has 81 points.

For Mountain View, 126-pound top seed Beau Ohlson advanced to the semifinals with relative ease, recording a first-round fall and a 22-8 quarterfinal win, while second-seeded Blake Ohlson spent all of 2 minutes, 5 seconds on the mat at 145 pounds to record two pins. Also in the semifinals for the Cougars are No. 2 Frankie Lesowske at 170, No. 5 Luke Schulz at 182, and 285-pound No. 3 Reed Sehorn-Hurst, who booked a 3-1 sudden victory in the quarterfinals. Mountain View also boasts four others who are still alive in consolation brackets.

Also in 5A, top-seeded Kagen Lawrence recorded back-to-back wins to move on to the 106 semifinals for Redmond, which is in seventh place with 52.5 points. Also in the 5A semifinals is Bend High’s Haakon Kjellesvik, No. 3 at 182, who posted a 59-second fall in the quarters. Five other Redmond wrestlers are still alive in consolation brackets, as are two Lava Bears.

Of Crook County’s 15 state qualifiers, 11 are still kicking. Highlighting the first day for the Cowboys were 106-pounders Hunter Mode, the No. 1 seed, and Steven Ware, the No. 6, both of whom coasted into the semifinals and are on a collision course for a championship matchup. Fifth-seeded Tannon Joyner recorded two falls lasting a combined 2:12 at 113 pounds, No. 2 Kyle Knudtson spent 2:04 to pick up to pins at 170, while Jaxson Rhoden, No. 5 at 182, and Caleb Parrott, No. 2 at 285, both had two falls. For Madras, Harrison Manu, No. 7 at 195, had back-to-back pins to advance to the 195 semifinals.

In 3A, top seed Derrik Kerr (120), No. 2 Tommy Gallamore (126) and No. 2 Alex Dudley (132) all powered into the semifinals for La Pine, which is seventh with 43 points. Glide is in first place with 71 points, followed by Willamina with 70.5 and Nyssa with 69.

Culver boasts 15 wrestlers who will still be competing during the final day of the state tournament, which will conclude Saturday night. Leading the Bulldogs’ charge are nine semifinalists, including Lorenzo Vasquez at 120, Jorge Olivera at 145 and Victor Torres at 152, all top seeds who won by fall in the quarterfinals on Friday. At 132, Culver’s Cooper Becker upset second-seeded Trace Evans of Enterprise with a pin in the quarters.