By FRED KRONER
Eight Mahomet-Seymour wrestlers won matches on Wednesday (Jan. 24) as the state-ranked Bulldogs topped visiting Normal West, 40-30, and presented head coach Rob Ledin with his 500th career dual-meet win.
In a Senior Night Match, three Bulldog seniors were victorious. Lukas Alstetter won by pin at 106 pounds (in 4:51), DeAndre Huighey outscored his 150-pound opponent, 16-6, and Cale Hillard received a forfeit win at 165 pounds.
Other M-S pinners were Talon Decker (in 1:11 at 138 pounds), Noah Frank (in 39 seconds at 190 pounds) and Brock VanDeveer (in 1:14 at 215 pounds).
Also posting wins for the Bulldogs were Colton McClure (8-4 decision at 120 pounds) and Justus Vrona (10-3 at 126 pounds).
M-S carried a 34-30 lead into the meet’s final match, featuring Frank and Normal West’s Pierce Howard. Frank’s quick pin clinched the victory.
The Bulldogs were ranked eighth in Class 2A in the Jan. 13 state poll.
Individually, five Bulldogs were recognized in the honorable mention category: Vrona (126 pounds), Donovan Lewis (150 pounds), Gage Decker (157 pounds), Tallen Pawlak (175 pounds) and VanDeveer (!90 pounds).
Ledin is in his 28th year as a high school wrestling head coach. In 18 years at M-S, his teams are 351-107, in eight years at Clinton his teams were 131-56 and in two years at Morton, his teams were 18-23. Overall, his dual-meet record is 500-186, a winning percentage of 72.9.
M-S (11-4) will return to action on Thursday (Jan. 25) at home in the Apollo Conference Duals, starting at 4 p.m. in the M-S Fieldhouse.
The Bulldogs will wrestle (in order) Taylorville, Mattoon, Effingham, Mount Zion and Charleston.
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In junior varsity matches, M-S topped Normal West, 28-9.
The Bulldog pinners were Aiden Banister (in 3:27 at 126 pounds), Preston Sriver (in 53 seconds at 144 pounds), Hawke O’Malley (in 45 seconds at 144 pounds) and Austin Crull (in 45 seconds at 285 pounds).
The other M-S winner was Beau Back, with a 15-1 major decision at 144 pounds.
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The M-S girls’ team beat Normal West, 18-0, thanks to pins by Jaycee Fancher (in 2:56 at 125 pounds), Isabelle Leyhe (in 1:06 at 125 pounds) and Grace Ribbe (in 59 seconds at 190 pounds).
