Mahomet-Seymour wrestling repeats as team champions in the Tyler Cox Memorial Duals
By Fred Kroner
Despite missing two wrestlers who were ill, Mahomet-Seymour repeated as team champions in the Tyler Cox Memorial Duals at Chatham Glenwood on Saturday (Dec. 17).
The Bulldogs won all four dual meets, including a triumph over the host Titans in the championship match, 42-28, that avenged an early-season loss to Glenwood, 38-24.
In its other matches on Saturday, M-S topped Petersburg Porta, 63-15, Seneca, 62-6, and Rock Island, 42-24.
M-S had a cumulative 39-13 individual record for the day, with 19 of the wins by pin and 12 of those ending in the first period.
Bulldogs who were 4-0 for the day were Tallen Pawlak (145 pounds), Brennan Houser (182 pounds), Mateo Casillas (195 pounds) and Camden Harms (285 pounds).
Pawlak produced a pin in 36 seconds. Houser earned two technical falls and a pin in 1:20. Casillas secured two first-period falls. Harms pinned his first three foes, extending his streak to 12 consecutive wins by pin before posting a 12-9 triumph against Glenwood.
Bulldogs who were 3-1 on Saturday were Colton McClure (106 pounds), Caden Hatton (113 pounds), Justus Vrona (120 pounds), Donovan Lewis (138 pounds), Theo Ratliff (152 pounds), Gage Decker (160 pounds) and Colton Crowley (220 pounds).
McClure posted a pin in 1:50. Hatton had two pins, including the team’s quickest of the day in 14 seconds. Vrona finished off two opponents with pins. Lewis and Ratliff each registered one first-period fall. Decker had two pins and Crowley had one, coming in 1:36.
Ratliff became the 23rd Bulldog to win a varsity match this season.
One Bulldog was 2-2 for the day: Reese Wilson (126 pounds). Wilson pinned two opponents and has earned pins in all nine of his wins this season.
M-S (14-1) returns to action on Thursday (Dec. 29) in the Granite City Invitational.
—
The junior varsity Bulldogs placed second in the Falcon Invitational, in Gibson City.
M-S had 15 top-four placers, including champions Lukas Alstetter (106 pounds) and Deandre Hughey (160 pounds).
Alstetter was 3-0 for the day with three pins, including one in 29 seconds. Hughey was also 3-0 and posted one pin.
Finishing second for the Bulldogs’ JV team were Tyler Golden (138 pounds), Hayden Hart (182 pounds), Zach Hammond (220 pounds) and Noah Daniels (285 pounds).
Golden, Hart and Hammond were all 2-1 for the day, each winning twice by pin. Golden had a 38-second fall. Hart had two first-period falls and Hammond secured a pin in 49 seconds. Daniels was 1-1 for the day, with one pin.
M-S’ third-place winners were Auggie Gaudio (106 pounds), Grant Munds (132 pounds), Kaleb Collins (138 pounds) and Kaleb Roberts (145 pounds).
Gaudio was 3-1 with three pins. Munds was 4-1 with two pins, including one in 32 seconds. Collins was 3-1 with two pins, one occurring in 23 seconds. Roberts was 3-1 with three falls.
Rounding out the Bulldogs’ placers were five athletes who took fourth: Preston Sriver (120 pounds), Conner Bennett (126 pounds), Hughey Allen (145 pounds), A.J. Demos (152 pounds) and Noah Frank (182 pounds).
Sriver was 3-2 and had one pin and bagged it in 47 seconds. Bennett was 3-2 and had two pins. Allen was 3-2 and produced three pins, two in less than a minute. Demos was 4-2 with four pins and none took longer than 1 minute and 15 seconds. Frank was 3-2 with three pins.
Two M-S non-placers recorded at least one pin: Adam Dobrucki (two first-period pins at 132 pounds) and Baolou Wang (one first-period fall at 160 pounds).
Two other teammates won a match at the Falcon Invitational: Jack Jessup (138 pounds) and Collin Hughes (170 pounds).
In the team standings, M-S (94 points) placed second to Plano (105 points). In third place was Normal Community with 46 points. The Bulldogs’ JV squad will return to action on Thursday (Dec. 22) in a tournament at Bradley-Bourbonnais.
