Shank, Kaufman, Cross seize titles

By Cort Reynolds

COLUMBUS GROVE__The Bluffton High School wrestling team captured the championship at the eight-team Northwest Conference meet hosted by Columbus Grove on Saturday, February 14.

The Pirate matmen tallied 204 points to repeat as champs and out-distance second-place Crestview (189). Perennial power Allen East finished a solid third with 180.5 points. LCC came in fourth with 163.

Ten Pirate grapplers finished in the top four of their weight class, including three individual champions who went undefeated.

Pirate sophomore Ronald Kaufman (120), and juniors Branden Cross (126) and Mason Shank (285) won their respective weight class crowns. All three repeated as NWC champions. 

Kaufman justified his number one seeding by winning the 120 lbs. division title. He posted a 3-0 record to win the four-man bracket. He won the 106 lbs. title last year.

Junior top seed Branden Cross posted a 4-0 mark to win the five-man 126 lbs. division with two pins and a technical fall win, plus a 4-0 decision. Cross was the NWC 120 lbs. champ last season.

Top-seeded Bluffton junior heavyweight Mason Shank finished 5-0 in the 285 lbs. bracket with three pin victories and a pair of default wins. His three pins averaged 1:25 in time. Shank was the heavyweight champ last year in the league.

Pirate sophomore Jesus Rivera posted a 3-1 record with three pins to finish a strong second in the 175 lbs. class. 

Sophomore Hephaestion Weyer fashioned a 3-1 record with two pins and TF to finish second in the five-man 138 lbs. division.  

Freshman Hunter Beasley went 2-2 with a pair of pins in the 144 lbs. bracket to finish third.

Pirate sophomore Andrew Brodman went 2-2 in the 132 lbs. bracket with one pin to come in third. 

Freshman Brody Schneck had one pin victory to take fourth in the eight-man 215 lbs. division. 

Freshman Parker Kimmell recorded one pin at 157 lbs. to end up fourth.

Senior Micah Rehm finished fourth in the 150 lbs. class.

Bluffton has won five NWC wrestling titles, second only to AE (11).

NWC Placers:
106: 1x2 Placers
1st Dylan Cress 9, Crestview
2nd Alexzander Ricker 9, Spencerville

113: 1x4 Placers
1st Colt Larrison 10, Allen East
2nd Griffin Zarse 10, Columbus Grove
3rd Grant Grubb 10, Crestview
4th Austin McCain 9, Lima C.C.

120: 1x4 Placers
1st Ronald Kaufman 10, Bluffton
2nd Langston McClain 9, Allen East
3rd Emma Tobias 9, Crestview
4th Jacob Palte 10, Columbus Grove

126: 1x5 Placers
1st Branden Cross 11, Bluffton
2nd Robert Tyas 11, Crestview
3rd Kyllan Martin 10, Lima C.C.
4th Zaine Schroeder 10, Columbus Grove
5th Conner Sunderland 9, Spencerville

132: 1x5 Placers
1st Kellen Wireman 10, Allen East
2nd J.J. Declercq 11, Lima C.C.
3rd Andrew Brodman 10, Bluffton
4th Calen Oen 9, Spencerville
5th Isaac Barto 10, Columbus Grove

138: 1x5 Placers
1st Antwain Adams 12, Lima C.C.
2nd Hephaestion Weyer 10, Bluffton
3rd Logan Miller 12, Del. Jefferson
4th Temoai Tabuaka 12, Spencerville
5th Emmett Behrens 10, Lincolnview

144: 1x5 Placers
1st Jordan Neal 11, Lima C.C.
2nd Steven Emerick 10, Allen East
3rd Hunter Beasley 9, Bluffton
4th Violet Dirr 12, Crestview
5th Yaddo Von 11, Lincolnview

150: 1x4 Placers
1st Austin McMichael 12, Spencerville
2nd Stuart Clum 9, Allen East
3rd Eli Case 12, Del. Jefferson
4th Micah Rehm 12, Bluffton

157: 1x5 Placers
1st Luke Sawmiller 10, Crestview
2nd Leyton Parent 12, Del. Jefferson
3rd Collin Sautter 12, Columbus Grove
4th Parker Kimmel 9, Bluffton
5th Landon Wilson 9, Lima C.C.

165: 1x4 Placers
1st Keaton Jacobs 10, Spencerville
2nd Joe Gerardot 10, Crestview
3rd Zaide Miller 9, Del. Jefferson
4th Ethan Renner 10, Lincolnview

175: 1x5 Placers
1st Miles McDorman 11, Allen East
2nd Jesus Rivera 10, Bluffton
3rd Conner Heistan 10, Spencerville
4th Corbett Roth 9, Crestview
5th Preston Jeffers 9, Lima C.C.

190: 1x4 Placers
1st Carter Lester 10, Lima C.C.
2nd Royce Kill 12, Spencerville
3rd Baylee Maag 9, Columbus Grove
4th Gary Kill 10, Allen East

215: 2x4 Placers
1st Daniel Clark 10, Lincolnview, Fall 0:46
2nd Ben Hawkins 10, Allen East
3rd Bentlee Feasel 10, Crestview, Fall 2:14
4th Brody Schneck 9, Bluffton
5th Kaden Little 10, Columbus Grove, Fall 2:22
6th Hunter Lane 9, Del. Jefferson

285: 1x6 Placers
1st Mason Shank 11, Bluffton
2nd Hudson Buuck 9, Crestview
3rd Bradley Wright 12, Lincolnview
4th Murat Akkoc 12, Lima C.C.
5th Shawn Hauter 10, Del. Jefferson
6th Henry Wiss 11, Spencerville

NWC Tournament Team scores: