Mahomet-Seymour wrestling qualifies for State Elite 8
By Fred Kroner
For the fourth time in the past five years, the Mahomet-Seymour wrestling team has qualified for the Elite Eight in the Class 2A team-dual series.
The Bulldogs upended Lincoln, 50-18, on Tuesday (Feb. 20) in the sectional finals at Taylorville.
M-S won 10 of 14 matches and held a 6-2 edge in pins.
The bout which officially clinched the team’s advancement to state was at 126 pounds, where Justus Vrona’s 6-1 decision gave the Bulldogs an insurmountable 41-12 lead with four matches remaining.
The meet started – by blind draw – at 157 pounds where individual state-qualifier Gage Decker posted a pin in 3:36 to lift M-S into a lead it never lost (though there was one tie).
Other Bulldogs with pins were Gideon Hayer (in 4:40 at 106 pounds), Lukas Alstetter (in 4:56 at 113 pounds), Colton McClure (in 3:25 at 120 pounds), DeAngelo Hughey (in 3:25 at 150 pounds) and Cale Hillard (in 5:08 at 175 pounds).
Hillard’s triumph put him into the 20-win club for the season.
Other Bulldogs who won their matches were Talon Decker (5-2 at 138 pounds), Brock VanDeveer (9-1 at 190 pounds) and Noah Daniels (8-0 at 215 pounds).
M-S (17-4) returns to action in the state quarterfinals against Chicago Brother Rice on Friday (Feb. 23) at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington. With a win, the Bulldogs would be guaranteed a top-four finish at state and two more matches on Saturday (Feb. 24).
Coach Rob Ledin’s Bulldogs were ranked eighth in the final Class 2A state poll.
Mahomet-Seymour Boys’ Track and Field
Mahomet-Seymour sprinter Jayvon Irwin won the 60-meter dash and placed second in the 200 meters on Tuesday (Feb. 20) in a nine-school, non-scored indoor track and field meet at Mount Zion.
Irwin’s time in the 60 meters was 7.33 seconds. He ran 24.26 in the 200 meters.
In the 1,600 meters, the top three finishers and four of the top six were wearing M-S uniforms.
Ethan Ramirez was the winner, clocking 4:44.12. He was followed by Henry McMurry (4:48.60) and Lukas Nykaza (4:51.33). In sixth was Kaleb Kasper (4:55.42).
The Bulldogs fared well in the pole vault where winner Ty Clark cleared 4.36 meters. Third-place finisher Jackson Davic cleared 3.23 meters and fourth-place Seth Christianson went over 3.05 meters.
M-S hurdler Jaxon Themanson ran fifth in the 60-meter event (11.76 seconds). Ollie Smith was sixth in the shot Put (10.65 meters).
Mahomet-Seymour Boys’ Basketball
Mahomet-Seymour’s boys’ basketball season ended on Wednesday (Feb. 21) exactly the way it started on Monday (Nov. 20) – with a loss to Champaign Centennial.
The Wednesday rematch was in the semifinals of the Decatur Eisenhower Class 3A IHSA Regional Tournament and the Chargers prevailed, 66-26.
In the season-opener, Centennial defeated M-S by 24 points.
In the regional encounter Jackson Bohm led the Bulldogs with 12 points. He also cleared five rebounds and blocked two shots.
Timothy Anderson and Finn Anderson each notched one three-point shot to account for all of their points. Adding two points apiece for the Bulldogs were Lucas Dyer, Landyn Hannah, Cade Starrick and Henry Wagner.
M-S did not attempt a free throw in the game.
The Chargers (19-10) captured a 23-6 lead after one quarter and held a 42-17 bulge at halftime. Dyer grabbed a team-leading six rebounds to go with a team-high four assists.
M-S ends the year with a 12-16 overall record.
Bohm led the team in scoring in 19 games. Hannah was the leader five times. Finishing as the leader in two games apiece were Dyer, Starrick and Miles Woolsey.
The team’s top scorers were Bohm (13.4), Hannah (9.8) and Dyer (7.4).
Hannah made the most three-pointers (45) and was followed by Starrick (37), Bohm (26), Dyer (20), Randolph (18), Woolsey (17) and Braden Pagel (10).
The most accurate Bulldog free throw shooters were Dyer (76.4 percent), Bohm (75.0 percent), Hannah (73.0 percent) and Pagel (66.7 percent).
Bohm produced eight 20-point games with a high of 25 against Mattoon. Hannah landed two 20-point games, including 22 against Washington.
