Bulldogs find themselves dominating the Top 10 at Bloomington Invitational

By Fred Kroner

Mahomet-Seymour’s Junior High wrestling team opened its season on Saturday (Jan. 7) with 13 squad members placing among the top eight at the Bloomington Invitational.

Of the 32 Bulldog wrestlers who competed, 24 won at least one match and 20 generated at least one pin.

Two M-S athletes advanced into championship matches.

Marco Casillas (145 pounds) pinned all four of his opponents while winning his weight class.

At 126 pounds, Talon Decker was the runner-up. He pinned three foes to reach the finals, where he dropped an 11-7 decision.

Two Bulldogs finished in third place: Grant Morphew (75 pounds) and Garrett Waisath (105 pounds). Morphew recorded three pins. His lone loss was a 10-5 decision in the semifinals.

Waisath also collected three pins. His semifinal loss was by a 16-0 margin.

Finishing in fourth place for the Bulldogs was Joe Vrona (95 pounds). He was 3-2 at the tournament, totaling three pins. His loss in the third-place bout was by a 10-9 decision.

Three M-S grapplers took fifth place: Liam Noonan (100 pounds), Beau Back (119 pounds) and Braeden Eades (185 pounds).

Noonan was 3-1 at Bloomington and totaled one pin. Back was 4-1 and registered three pins. Eades was 3-1 with all of his wins by pin.

M-S’ lone sixth-place finish was Nino Cabarello (155 pounds). He was 3-2 with two wins by fall.

The Bulldogs’ other placers wound up in eighth place: Noah Meints (80 pounds), Tate Kimball (105 pounds), Colin Hammerschmidt (126 pounds) and Chris Dill (135 pounds).

Meints and Kimball each won two matches by pin. Hammerschmidt and Dill each recorded one pin.

The Bulldog non-placers who secured at least one pin were Caleb Scott (95 pounds), Dominic Gaudio (100 pounds), Cody Moen (112 pounds), Anshaun White (112 pounds), Jaycee Fancher (126 pounds) and Isaiah Brotherton (135 pounds).

Other Bulldogs who earned at least one win at Bloomington were Myles Hartzler (70 pounds), Alex Johnson (80 pounds), Niko Truax (90 pounds) and Gabe Maya (185 pounds).

M-S will return to action on Wednesday (Jan. 11) at Lincoln in a meet that also includes Normal Kingsley.