Pierce Pins Their Way Through O’Neill Invite
By Brody Knox
On Saturday, the Pierce Bluejays travelled to O’Neill for the O’Neill Invite and came home with team runner-up honors.
Pierce had 11 wrestlers place in the top eight.
Starting off at 113, William Korth received a bye, but fell to Andre Jordan from Norfolk and Colin McCoy from Chadron.
At 120, Kolten Wragge placed first and scored 28 team points. Ko. Wragge received a bye in the first championship round. In the second, he pinned Tyler Furstenau of Neligh-Oakdale. In the third match, Ko. Wragge pinned James Wells of Battle Creek. In the first place match, Ko. Wragge won by a 10-8 decision over Francisco Juan Lucas of Madison, putting him in first.
At 126, in the first match, Karsen Wragge won by pinning Ashton Imus of Boone Central. In his second match, Ka. Wragge lost to fellow Bluejay Keegan Holan by decision, 8-1, while in his third match, Ka. Wragge won by a 9-5 decision over Bentley Stuhr of Boone Central. In his last match, unfortunately, Ka. Wragge lost by a major decision, 15-7, over Reece Schmidt of Crofton-Bloomfield.
Also in 126, Keegan Holan placed eighth after he won his first match by decision over fellow Bluejay, Ka. Wragge, 8-1. In the second match, Holan lost by fall to Ryan Hoehne of Battle Creek. In the third match, Holan won by a 9-7 decision over Jonny Hinkel of Madison, while in the fourth match, HOlan lost to Tyson Blakeman of Neligh-Oakdale by decision, 5-2.
Draydin Gossman (132) placed second and scored 22 team points. In his first match, Gossman won by pin over James Ayers of Valentine with a time of 21 seconds. In his second match, Gossman pinned Ramon Villalobos of Madison, while in his third match, Gossman won by decision, 7-0, over Tyan Thompson of Battle Creek. During the first place match, Jehki Williams of Valentine defeated Gossman in sudden victory, 9-6.
In 138, Blaine Anson wrestled Owen Engel of Chamberlain in his first match and fell late in the third period. In the second match, Anson received a bye, while in the third match, Leon Slowik of Wilber-Clatonia won by fall over Anson. In the fourth match, Anson pinned Talon Kurtz of O’Neill.
Wrestling at 144, Cooper Hansen fell to Kason Kemp of Battle Creek. In the second match, Hansen pinned Sebastian Gomez of O’Neill. In the third match, Adan Hoff of Madison won by tech fall over Hansen, 17-0. Finally in the fourth match, Hansen pinned Otto Klein of Neligh-Oakdale.
Baiden Neuhalfen (144) pinned Jacob Bowers of Norfolk Catholic in the first round. In the second match, Ethan Hawkins of West Holt won by fall over Neuhalfen. Then in the third match, Cash Culliton of Crofton-Bloomfield won by major decision, 11-1, over Neuhalfen.
In the 150 weight class, Cole DeBoer placed fourth and scored 16.5 team points. In the first match, DeBoer won by tech fall over Brody Rickard of O’Neill, 18-3, while in the second match, DeBoer won again, but by pinning Matthew Lien of Chadron. In a championship front match, DeBoer pinned Isaac Mendoza of Summerland late in the third period, but during the fourth match, Landenn Jenkins of Ralston won by fall over DeBoer. For the third place match, Brylee Brennan of Chamberlain won by major decision, 9-1, over DeBoer.
Wrestling at 157, Brenden Bolling placed first and scored 29 team points. In the first match, he pinned Cael Gansebom of Battle Creek, while in the second match, he won by tech fall over Ian Yates of O’Neill, 19-4. In the third match, Bolling pinned Barrett Koehler of Battle Creek. In the first place match, Bolling won by technical fall, 17-2, over Jamison Slaymaker of West Holt.
In 165, Cayden Cox won by pin over Marquile Foster of Norfolk. In the second match, Max Bruce of Crofton-Bloomfield won by fall over Cox. In the third match, Cox won by major decision, 17-6, over Devan White Feather of Todd County, while in the fourth match, Ty Roesler of Wilber-Clatonia won by fall over Cox.
Also in 165, Kaiden Ronnfeldt placed eighth and scored eight team points. In his first match, Ronnfeldt pinned Angelo Ventura of Norfolk. In the second match, he won by another pin over Gavin Guthrie of Ralston, while in the third match, Daron Dozler of Boone Central won by tech fall over Ronnfeldt, 20-5. In the fourth match, Ronnfeldt won by a 3-2 decision over Jerrod Larsen of Chamberlain, while in the fifth match, Max Bruce of Crofton-Bloomfield won by an 11-8 decision over Ronnfeldt.
Burkley Collison (175) scored six team points. In the first match, Braden Wright of Chadron won by fall over Collison. In the second match, Collison won by pin over Jordan Brave of Todd County. For the third, Collison received a bye. In the fourth match, Collison pinned Oliver Matteo of Norfolk in the third period.
Also at 175, Ethan Claussen won by pin over J. Brave of Todd County for the first match. In the second match, Daren Vodicka of David City won by fall over Claussen, while in the third match, Braden Wright of Chadron won by fall over Claussen.
Wrestling in 190, Charlie Ottis lost by fall to Kyron Monroe of Norfolk in the first match. In the second match, Westin Witte of Valentine won by fall over Ottis, while in the third match, Ottis pinned Raul Acosta-Butanda of Neligh-Oakdale. In the fourth match, Ottis won by medical forfeit over Hunter Frederick of Chamberlain.
Also in 190, Kyle Kuehler placed first and scored 29 team points. In the first match, Kyle Kuehler won by pin over Drakelan Attikai of Chamberlain. In the second match, Kuehler won again by pin over Evan Shoemaker of O`Neill. In the third match, Kuehler pinned Dominick Ogden of West Holt, while in the first place match, Kuehler won by major decision, 18-9, over Jesse Divis of David City.
In 215, Christian Nordby placed second and scored 24 team points. In the first match, Nordby won by pin over fellow Bluejay, Xavier Miller. In the second match, Nordby won again by pin over Jet Welsh of O`Neill with a time of 23 seconds. In the third match, Nordby won by pin over Chisum Blum of Chamberlain. During the fourth match for first place, Grady Welke of O`Neill won by decision, 13-11, over Nordby.
Also in 215, Xavier Miller placed sixth. In the first match, Miller pinned Jemal Boneshirt of Todd County with a time of 16 seconds. In the second match, Nordby, a fellow Bluejay, won by fall over Miller. In the third match, Miller won by pin over Beau Duhachek of West Holt with a time of 21 seconds. In the fourth match, Miller again won by pin over Anthony James of Crofton-Bloomfield, while in the fifth match, Miller won by pin over Carver Rahn ofTodd County. For the fifth-place match, Leo Golembiewski of Chadron won by fall over Miller.
In the heavyweight division, Quintin Flesner placed eighth. In the first match, Flesner received a bye, while in the second, Connor Heiderman of Battle Creek won by fall over Flesner. In the third match, Flesner pinned Aaron Alvarez of Norfolk. In the fourth match, Flesner won again by pin over Cash Jockens of West Holt. In the fifth match, Ethan McDaniel of Ralston won by fall over Flesner.
Also in the heavyweight division, Boston Krueger placed second and scored 22 team points. In the first match, Krueger won by pin over Austin Gulbrandson of Boone Central in 11 seconds. In the second match, Krueger pinned Ethan McDaniel of Ralston. In his third match, Krueger won by a 2-1 decision over Carter Brave of Todd County. For the first place match, Brody Jakubowski of O`Neill won by fall over Boston Krueger.
As a team the Bluejays finished second to Battle Creek, falling short of first by just four points, 196.5 to 192.5.
