It was a busy and successful weekend on the mats for local wrestling programs, with strong finishes from Indian Lake, Benjamin Logan, Bellefontaine, and several middle school teams across multiple tournaments.
Jimmy Mac Invitational – Bellefontaine Boys Wrestling
Bellefontaine’s boys wrestling team opened the season Saturday by hosting the Jimmy Mac Invitational, finishing 6th out of 12 teams, with six wrestlers placing inside the top six.
Bellefontaine Individual Placers:
132 – Ricky Smiley: 2nd (4–1, 2 pins)
144 – Nicholas Beair: 3rd (3–1, 2 pins)
138 – Maddox Keith: 4th (4–1, 2 pins)
126 – Braidyn Coulson: 5th (4–1, 3 pins)
157 – Andrew Larison: 6th (2–3, 1 pin)
165 – Hunter Werling: 6th (2–3, 1 pin)
Other Bellefontaine Results:
144 – Isaiah Roberts: 1–3 (1 pin)
165 – Ru Lyburtus: 1–2 (1 pin)
175 – Noah King: 1–2
BHS head coach Aaron LaBatt was pleased with the early-season effort.
“We felt the guys came ready to compete. We made aggressive mistakes and that’s okay. It was a solid start to the season and we have plenty to work on.”
LaBatt also highlighted several individual performances.
“I felt Ricky wrestled the best he has in a long time. I hope he builds on this. Nicholas came out focused and had a nice day, and Maddox showcased his offense nicely. Braidyn wrestled the best he ever has and performed better than a fifth-place finish. His only loss of the day was by a takedown. I hope he is encouraged by Saturday and continues to grow.”
Bellefontaine Middle School Wrestling – Mike Bible Invitational
Bellefontaine’s boys middle school wrestling team hosted the Mike Bible Invitational on Friday, with the Chiefs placing five wrestlers inside the top six.
Bellefontaine MS Placers:
122 – Dean Buffkin: 2nd (3–1)
205 – Issac Merrin: 2nd (2–1)
92 – Daniel Campbell: 4th (2–3)
142 – Bentley Ferrara: 4th (2–3)
172 – Tyler Wright: 5th (2–3)
134 – Elliot Lawrence: 0–3
Coldwater Invitational – Boys Wrestling
Indian Lake – 3rd Place (178.5 points)
The Indian Lake boys wrestling team turned in an impressive performance at the Coldwater Cavalier Tournament on Saturday, December 13, finishing third overall in a 22-team field. Indianapolis Cathedral claimed the team title, followed by Woodmore in second.
The Lakers had nine wrestlers place, highlighted by heavyweight Christopher Timms, who went a perfect 5–0 to capture a tournament championship.
Indian Lake Placers:
HWT – Christopher Timms: 1st (5–0)
106 – Cash Scott: 3rd (3–2)
120 – Keyshawn Blackwell: 3rd (4–1)
144 – J.J. Shirk: 3rd (5–1)
138 – Jordan Henderson: 4th (4–2)
126 – Brayden Riffell: 5th (5–1)
138 – Wyatt Beair: 6th (3–2)
113 – Gabe McDermitt: 7th (2–3)
175 – Wendell Hurless: 7th (4–2)
Indian Lake will return to action Tuesday night at Sidney for a tri-meet with Sidney and Wapakoneta beginning at 6:00 p.m.
Benjamin Logan – 4th Place (169 points)
Benjamin Logan finished fourth overall at Coldwater and crowned two individual champions.
Benjamin Logan Placers:
144 – Owen Weaks: 1st (5–0)
175 – Ethan Carpenter: 1st (6–0)
138 – Cooper Buck: 3rd (5–1)
165 – Emerson Carpenter: 3rd (4–1)
132 – Jeremiah Park: 5th (4–1)
190 – Levi Achor: 4th (3–2)
126 – Seabass Stokes: 2–2
150 – Eli Carpenter: 0–3
157 – Bode Clapsaddle: 0–4
Benjamin Logan Middle School Wrestling – North Union Tournament
The Benjamin Logan Middle School wrestling team placed 4th out of 16 schools at the North Union tournament.
Benjamin Logan MS Placers:
Carter Crumm: 1st
Luke Cronkelton: 2nd
Owen Marshall: 2nd
Kaleb Linkinhoker: 2nd
Marshall Elliott: 3rd
Scottie Stevenson: 4th
Bryson Greiner: 4th
Cayde Buck: 5th
Obi Fahle: 5th
Will Case: 5th
Quinn Kuba: 5th
Jayden Crain: 6th
The Raiders return to action Saturday, December 20, at Graham’s Best of the Midwest Tournament.
West Liberty-Salem Boys Wrestling – Elgin Comet Christmas Classic
The West Liberty-Salem boys wrestling team turned in a strong showing at the Elgin Comet Christmas Classic, finishing 5th out of 17 teams with nine of eleven wrestlers placing inside the top six.
Wyatt Shoemaker went 2–3 with a pin to place 6th at 113 pounds. At 120 pounds, Aiyden Moxley finished as runner-up after going 3–2 with two pins. Lucas Merriman also earned a second-place finish at 126 pounds, posting a 3–1 record with three pins, while Adam Griffith competed at the same weight and went 1–2.
Madden Kilgore battled through a large bracket at 132 pounds, finishing 5th after going 4–1 with two pins and two technical falls. Kyler Langhardt impressed at 138 pounds, going 4–1 with a pin and a decisive 13–2 semifinal win over a state qualifier to take 2nd place.
Derek Wall went 1–2 at 150 pounds, while Silas Krabill earned a second-place finish at 165 pounds with a 4–1 record that included three pins and a technical fall. Robert Park placed 6th at 175 pounds after going 2–2 with two major decisions.
At heavyweight, both Tigers delivered standout performances. Sam Bradford went 4–1 with four pins to place 2nd, while Maverick Reames also went 4–1 with four pins to earn 3rd place.
Overall, the Tigers competed well from top to bottom, gaining valuable early-season experience. West Liberty-Salem returns to action next week at home for the Rumble in the Jungle. Go Tigers!
Northwestern Dreamcatcher Tournament – Girls Wrestling
Indian Lake
The Indian Lake girls wrestling team finished 2nd out of 19 teams at the Northwestern Dreamcatcher Tournament.
Indian Lake Girls Placers:
145 – Annie Rapp: 1st (3–0)
135 – Addyson Roby: 2nd (3–1)
110 – Lexi Lamb: 3rd (4–1)
120 – Myiah Ankrom: 3rd (3–1)
130 – Diem Martin: 3rd (3–1)
170 – Kiylee Haude: 3rd (4–1)
105 – Kora Fulkerson: 4th (2–2)
140 – Izzi Mackesy: 4th (2–2)
West Liberty-Salem
The West Liberty-Salem girls wrestling team competed at the Dreamcatcher Invitational at Northwestern High School, placing 10th out of 24 teams.
The Tigers were led by a championship performance from Jenna Cline, who captured the 105-pound title by going 2–0 with two pins.
West Liberty-Salem Individual Results:
- 105 – Jenna Cline: 1st place (2–0, 2 pins)
- 110 – Chloe Griffith: Runner-up (2–1, 2 pins)
- 120 – Shelby Vincent: 2–2 (2 pins)
- 115 – Hayes Wise: 0–2 (first career tournament)
West Liberty-Salem will return to the mat at home on Sunday, December 21, hosting the Tigress “Rumble in the Jungle.”
