VanDeveer finishes fourth at Red Schmitt Invitational
By Fred Kroner
Junior Brock VanDeveer was the top placer for the Mahomet-Seymour wrestling team on Friday (Dec. 29) at the 62nd Red Schmitt Invitational in Granite City.
The 190-pounder was 2-2 during the final day of the tourney and finished fourth. His Friday pin came in 2:51.
VanDeveer was one of six Bulldogs who ended among the top 10 individually in the 27-school event.
He was joined by Justus Vrona (seventh at 126 pounds), Gideon Hayter (eighth at 106 pounds), Talon Decker (eighth at 138 pounds), Colton McClure (ninth at 120 pounds) and Gage Decker (10th at 157 pounds).
McClure was 3-for-3 in his Friday matches and improved his team-leading win total to 19. He posted a pin in 2:59.
Gage Decker won two of his three bouts on the final day, including a pin in 3:36.
Six M-S grapplers finished between 11th and 18th.
Lukas Alstetter was 11th at 106 pounds and Noah Daniels was 11th at 215 pounds. Alstetter had a pin in 5:53.
The school’s other placers were Kaleb Collins (13th at 144 pounds), A.J. Demos (14th at 175 pounds), DeAndre Hughey (17th at 150 pounds) and Corey Bell (18th at 132 pounds).
Hughey had a 4-1 record at Granite City and Bell was 4-2 during the two-day event. Hughey had a pin in 1:13. Bell recorded a fall in 3:23. Collins recorded the team’s fastest fall, in 36 seconds. Demos secured a pin in 3:21.
During the two-day event, M-S wrestlers ended with a cumulative record of 37-39, with 25 of the wins coming by pin.
In the bracket portion of the tournament on Thursday (Dec. 28), both Talon Decker (138 pounds) and Hughey (150 pounds) won three of their four matches.
Decker produced two pins (the quickest in 1:25) and Hughey had one pin (in 3:31).
Overall, the Bulldog entrants were 20-23 for the first day and secured 16 of the wins by pin.
Also posting two pins were Vrona (the quickest at 1:43 at 126 pounds), Bell (the fastest at 3:20 at 132 pounds), VanDeveer (the fastest at 1:48 at 190 pounds) and Daniels (the quickest at 1:05 at 215 pounds).
M-S grapplers with one pin during the opening round were Hayter (at 3:30 at 106 pounds), Collins (at 2:42 at 144 pounds), Gage Decker (at 5:36 at 157 pounds), Hillard (at 2:35 at 165 pounds) and Demos (at 3:47 at 175 pounds).
The team champion was Hickman Columbia (Mo.) with 208 ½ points. The runner-up was Lafayette (Mo.) with 261 ½ points. M-S took 12th with 120 ½ points.
In all, three states were represented.
M-S (7-4) returns to action on Saturday (Jan. 6) at the Sycamore Invitational.
