Bruns, Hansen, Annis, Underhill, Littlejohn capture regional crowns
By Ken Waltz |
WALDOBORO — Perhaps since they experienced, in a rarity, their Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championship meet canceled due to inclement weather a week ago, Midcoast high school wrestlers decided to take that pent up energy and turn it into strong finishes — and state-qualifying performances — at the Eastern Class B championships on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Medomak Valley High School.
Usually Camden Hills and Belfast challenge for the regional title and both the Windjammers and Lions did that again this year, but two squads from outside the Midcoast secured the top two spots in the regional event.
The team scores were: Ellsworth 166, Foxcroft Academy of Dover-Foxcroft 155, Belfast 150, Camden Hills 130, Medomak Valley 68, Caribou 44, Mount Desert Island 40, Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield 33, Oceanside 24, John Bapst of Bangor 4 and Hermon no score.
However, while no local team won the coveted plaque, area individuals did earn top places and qualifying spots to the state Class B championships, which will be Saturday, Feb. 14 at Fryeburg Academy.
On Saturday, Belfast's Brendan Bruns (106 pounds) and Jared Hansen (285), along with Camden Hills Zac Annis (113), John Underhill (138) and Kaylo Littlejohn (195 pounds), won their respective weight classes to bring home individual championships.
Photos from this event will appear later with this story.
The top four in each weight class at the regional meet qualify for the states. Thus, Belfast qualified 10 mat athletes, Camden Hills nine, Medomak Valley four and Oceanside three to next week's prestigious state meet.
Midcoast grapplers who qualified for the states, with their regional performances listed, were:
Belfast — Brendan Bruns (1st at 106), Jared Hansen (1st at 285), Chase Curry (2nd at 120), Brandon Waterman (2nd at 138), Matthew Smith (2nd at 170), Jared Vaughn (2nd at 195), Austin Merando (3rd at 113), Austin Sprague (3rd at 182), Travis Tran (3rd at 220) and Jacob Racioppi (4th at 145).
Camen Hills — Zac Annis (1st at 113), John Underhill (1st at 138), Kaylo Littlejohn (1st at 195), Hilary Merrifield (2nd at 106), Jared Gilbert (2nd at 220), Taylor Crosby (3rd at 145), Eli Smith (4th at 160), Adrian Joy (4th at 170) and Wyatt Parra (4th at 182).
Medomak Valley — Riley McCollett (2nd at 145), Deagen Poland (3rd at 126), Steven Thompson (3rd at 132) and Owen Gilbert (3rd at 285).
Oceanside — Shannon Ripley (4th at 126), Dallas Ball (4th 152) and Thomas Curtis (4th at 285).
The individual results for each of the Midcoast teams were:
106 pounds — Brendan Bruns, Bel, pinned Anthony Moss, MCI, at 3:15; pinned Evan Michaud, Car, at 2:37; and beat Hilary Merrifield, CH, 6-0, in the championship final.
Hilary Merrifield, CH, received a bye; beat Jacob Emery, JB, 5-4; and was pinned by Brendan Bruns, Bel, 6-0, in the championship final.
113 pounds — Zac Annis, CH, received a bye; won by major decision over Austin Merando, Bel, 11-3; and won by major decision over Abraham Malloy, MDI, 18-7, in the championship final.
Austin Merando, Bel, received a bye; lost by major decision to Zac Annis, CH, 11-3; received a bye; and pinned Esau Olson, FA, at 0:38 in the consolation final.
120 pounds — Chase Curry, Bel, pinned Rayanne Leach, Med, at 2:44; pinned Jayred Robishaw, Ocean, at 3:18; and lost by major decision to Antonio Ayala, FA, 16-3, in the championship final.
Jayred Robishaw, Ocean, received a bye; was pinned by Chase Curry, Bel, at 3:18; and lost to Chris Waltrous, MCI, 8-6.
Rayanne Leach, Med, was pinned by Chase Curry, Bel, at 2:44; received a bye; and was pinned by Noah Robidoux, Ells, at 3:48.
126 pounds — Deagen Poland, Med, pinned Shannon Ripley, Ocean, at 3:57; was pinned by Eli Olson, FA, at 1:13; pinned Dakota Hustus, Bel, at 1:33; and pinned Shannon Ripley, Ocean, at 1:44 in the consolation final.
Shannon Ripley, Ocean, was pinned by Deagen Poland, Med, at 3:57; received a bye; beat Kaden Harrison-Billiat, CH, 7-2; and was pinned by Deagan Poland, Med, at 1:44 in the consolation final.
Kaden Harrison-Billiat, CH, pinned Dakota Hustus, Bel, at 2:32; was pinned by Robert Banner, Ells, at 1:10; and lost to Shannon Ripley, Ocean, 7-2.
Dakota Hustus, Bel, was pinned by Kaden Harrison-Billiat, CH, at 2:32; received a bye; and was pinned by Deagen Poland, Med, at 1:33.
132 pounds — Steven Thompson, Med, received a bye; lost to Dylan Dahlberg, MCI, 13-6; pinned Dakota Coleman, Bel, at 3:24; and won by default over Connor Johnson, FA, in the consolation final.
Dakota Coleman, Bel, was pinned by Peyton Cole, Ells, at 0:54; received a bye; and was pinned by Steven Thompson, Med, at 3:24;
Gabriel Salo, CH, was pinned by Dylan Dahlberg, MCI, at 1:07; received a bye; and was pinned by Connor Johnson, FA, at 4:57.
138 pounds — John Underhill, CH, pinned Jayda Bailey, Her, at 0:32; beat Jack Weeks, Ells, 8-2; and pinned Brandon Waterman, Bel, at 3:39 in the championship final.
Brandon Waterman, Bel, pinned Timothy Jerome, Med, at 3:38; pinned Randy Nelson, FA, at 2:58; and was pinned by John Underhill, CH, at 3:39 in the championship final.
Timothy Jerome, Med, was pinned by Brandon Waterman, Bel, at 3:38; won by major decision over Anthony Moore, Ocean, 18-9; and was pinned by Jack Weeks, Ells, at 5:21.
Anthony Moore, Ocean, lost to Randy Nelson, FA, 8-3; and lost by major decision to Timothy Jerome, Med, 18-9.
145 pounds — Riley McCollett, Med, won by major decision over David Young, Ocean, 16-3; beat Jacob Racioppi, Bel, 7-4; and was pinned by Dagan Berenyi, Ells, at 2:50 in the championship final.
Taylor Crosby, CH, received a bye; was pinned by Dagan Berenyi, Ells, at 3:19; won by major decision over David Young, Ocean, 19-2; and won by major decision over Jacob Racioppi, Bel, 11-2 in the consolation final.
Jacob Racioppi, Bel, received a bye; lost to Riley McCollett, Med, 7-4; won by major decision over Isaac Whittemore, FA, 16-5; and lost by major decision to Taylor Crosby, CH, 11-2 in the consolation final.
David Young, Ocean, lost by major decision to Riley McCollett, Med, 16-3; received a bye; and lost by major decision to Taylor Crosby, CH, 19-2.
152 pounds — Dallas Ball, Ocean, pinned Giovani Golgano, Bel, at 1:57; lost by major decision to Brooks Law, FA, at 2:29; pinned Quinn Ashmore, Med, at 2:33; and was pinned by Axios Gerakaris, Car, at 1:45 in the consolation final.
Quinn Ashmore, Med, was pinned by Axios Gerakaris, Car, at 3:11; pinned Tanner Bickford, MDI, at 1:41; and was pinned by Dallas Ball, Ocean, at 2:33.
Giovani Golgano, Bel, was pinned by Dallas Ball, Ocean, at 1:57; and lost to Alex Vokey, CH, 9-4.
Alex Vokey, CH, was pinned by Brooks Law, FA, at 2:29; beat Giovani Golgano, Bel, 9-4; and was pinned by Axios Gerakaris, Car, at 0:49.
160 pounds — Eli Smith, CH, lost by major decision to Trent Goodman, Ells, 8-0; received a bye; pinned Andrew Cronk, Med, at 0:47; and lost by default to Eric Simon, Car, in the consolation final.
Andrew Cronk, Med, pinned Damian Benner, Ocean, at 1:35; was pinned by Wilder Young, MDI, at 2:56; and was pinned by Eli Smith, CH, at 0:47.
David Warren, Bel, was pinned by Wilder Young, MDI, at 1:34; pinned Damian Benner, Ocean, at 2:51; and was pinned by Eric Simon, Car, at 2:44.
Damian Benner, Ocean, was pinned by Andrew Cronk, Med, at 1:35; and was pinned by David Warren, Bel, at 2:51.
170 pounds — Matthew Smith, Bel, received a bye; pinned Adrian Joy, CH, at 2:42; and was pinned by Billy Brock, FA, at 1:44 in the championship final.
Adrian Joy, CH, received a bye; was pinned by Matthew Smith, Bel, at 2:42; received a bye; and lost to Tyler Hardwick, Ells, 7-1, in the consolation final.
182 pounds — Austin Sprague, Bel, pinned Alex McLaughlin, Ocean, at 4:58; lost to Jeff Weeks, Ells, 4-2; won by default over Silas VanDine, MDI; and beat Wyatt Parra, CH, 4-2, in the consolation final.
Wyatt Parra, CH, received a bye; lost by major decision to Brandon Brock, FA, 11-1; pinned Alex McLaughlin, Ocean, at 1:38; and lost to Austin Sprague, Bel, 4-2, in the consolation final.
Alex McLaughlin, Ocean, was pinned by Austin Sprague, Bel, at 4:58; received a bye; and was pinned by Wyatt Parra, CH, at 1:38.
195 pounds — Kaylo Littlejohn, CH, received a bye; pinned Jared Vaughn, Bel, at 3:18; and pinned Dustin DeMerchant, Car, at 0:55 in the championship final.
Jared Vaughn, Bel, pinned Jared Brown, Ells, at 4:40; was pinned by Kaylo Littlejohn, CH, at 3:18; received a bye; and beat Jared Brown, Ells, 11-4, in the consolation final.
Reagan Billinglsey, Ocean, received a bye; was pinned by Dustin DeMerchant, Car, at 5:47; and lost by major decision to Jared Brown, Ells, 9-0.
220 pounds — Jared Gilbert, CH, received a bye; pinned Seth Wilcox, MCI, at 3:45; and lost by disqualification to Michael Pendriss, FA, in the championship final.
Travis Tran, Bel, pinned Alex Rackliffe, Ocean, at 2:15; lost by major decision to Michael Pendriss, FA, 13-0; received bye; and pinned Seth Wilcox, MCI, 8-6, in the consolation final.
Alex Rackliffe, Ocean, was pinned by Travis Tran, Bel, at 2:15; received a bye; and was pinned by Seth Wilcox, MCI, at 3:14.
285 pounds — Jared Hansen, Bel, pinned Kristian Wehrfritz, MDI, at 0:07; pinned Owen Gilbert, Med, at 1:59; and beat Connor Holmes, FA, 5-2, in the championship final.
Owen Gilbert, Med, pinned Thomas Curtis, Ocean, at 3:39; was pinned by Jared Hansen, Bel, at 1:59; pinned Jarred Jordan, Car, at 0:10; and pinned Thomas Curtis, Ocean, at 2:14 in the consolation final.
Thomas Curtis, Ocean, was pinned by Owen Gilbert, Med, at 3:39; pinned Kristian Wehrfritz, MDI, at 0:18; beat Bryan Clement, CH, 5-3; and was pinned by Owen Gilbert, Med, at 2:14 in the consolation final.
Bryan Clement, pinned Jarred Jordan, Car, at 0:31; lost to Connor Holmes, FA, 4-1; and lost to Thomas Curtis, Ocean, 5-3.