Team also takes second place at Onaga tournament
Staff writer
Marion wrestlers defeated Remington and Eureka Thursday at a home double dual, and claimed second place as a team Friday at a tournament in Onaga.
At Thursday’s double dual, Marion defeated Remington 60-12 and Eureka 51-9 largely due to points scored from pins as well as points gained from open weight classes opponents had in rosters.
Although Marion gave up 12 points to Remington due to open weight classes of their own at 138 lbs. and 152 lbs., Marion won every weight class in which they had a wrestler.
Wrestlers A.J. Cogdill, Remington Putter, Zac Lewman, and John Nordquist all pinned their opponents in the first periods of their matches, while Jarrett Johnson and Dylan Cochran defeated their respective opponents 6-5 and 3-1 after three periods.
“Cogdill is getting a lot of matches at 106 lbs. and Johnson had some good wins,” coach Chad Adkins said. “Johnson weighs about 102 lbs. but we wrestled him at 113 lbs., and the Remington kid he wrestled normally weighs about 116 lbs.”
In their second dual, Marion scored 30 points on open weight classes in Eureka’s roster.
Johnson and Adam Janzen each pinned their opponents in second period, while Ezra Darnall pinned his in the first period, and Luke Steele won his match 7-1.
Cochran was pinned in the first period of his Eureka match and Putter lost by a narrow margin of 10-7 against Chuck Schmidt, a wrestler who is ranked fifth in state.
Adkins said that during the match, Putter learned to defend against a ‘short fireman’s’ takedown that Schmidt tried to use a lot.
Adkins was also proud of Steele for scoring a win against an opponent he had not wrestled before, a win that will give Steele better seeding in the regional tournament at the end of February.
Seniors wrestlers Cochran, Lewman, Nick Meyer, Nordquist, Steele, as well as wrestling manager Rachel Neil and their parents also were recognized at Thursday night’s event.
At Onaga, Marion finished the tournament in second place, runner up to Burlington.
Johnson and Steele both took first in their weight classes, each with a tournament record of 5-0, while Bryce Shultz, Lewman, Norquist, Kyle Palic, and Cochran all came in second place, each going 4-1 at the tournament.
Cogdill, Darnall, Putter, and Zac Dvorak each logged a 3-2 record at Onaga.
Marion’s next action is Saturday at Chase County.