New Years Prep Roundup: Reading wrestling takes 2nd at Homer Invite
HILLSDALE COUNTY — Happy New Year! Hillsdale County prep sports action had a small start to the 2024 half of the winter sports season. A few events scattered themselves into the first week of January, including a couple wrestling tournaments and basketball events.
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Reading takes runner-up at Jason Caudill Invitational
The Reading wrestling team traveled to the Jason Caudill Invitational in Homer. The Rangers took runner-up at the team tournament. The Rangers defeated Centreville, Eau Claire, Michigan Center and Pennfield in the team tournament. They would eventually lose to Vicksburg for the Invitational crown.
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Against Centerville, Jeremiah Bedford, Caiden Baker, Connar Rudy, Lukas Strine, Isaac Westfall, Dylan McCallister, and Domanick Magowan all received pinfall victories.
Against Eau Claire, Bedford (144) received a major decision win. Strine (190) earned a pinfall victory along with Isaac Westfall (215), Cayleb Vanalst (285), Reid Westfall (106) and Dylan McCallister (113).
Against Michigan Center, Bedford had a major decision win. Gavin Wright (150) won via pinfall. Caiden Baker (157) won via pinfall. Rudy (165) won via pinfall. Strine earned a 6-5 decision win. Isaac Westfall earned a victory. Reid Westfall, McCallister and Cooper all received forfeit wins.
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Against Pennfield, Wright, Sarah Haley (157), Baker, Rudy, Strine, Isaac Westfall, Reid Westfall, Magowan, Jaavid McCarley (138) and Bedford earned wins. McCarley, Magowan, Reid Westfall, Isaac Westfall, Strine, Rudy and Wright all earn pinfall wins.
In the championship match, Rudy earned a pinfall win. Strine earned a TF win: 18-3. Isaac Westfall won via pinfall. Vanalst received a forfeit win. Baker won via major decision: 13-0.
Earlier in the week, the Rangers defeated Maple Valley in their first conference dual since Maple Valley joined the Big 8. Earning wins for the Rangers were Vanalst, Reid Westfall, Bell, Cooper, Aiden Aemisegger, Ethan Nieswender, McCarley, Bedford, Wright, Baker, Sarah Haley and Rudy. The Rangers won by a final score of 67-9. Earning pinfalls were Vanalst, Wright and Rudy.
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Hillsdale wins two team duals in their home invitational
The Hornet wrestling team hosted their annual Hornets for Hospice event on Jan. 6. The Hillsdale varsity wrestling team won two of their four team duals at the tournament. The Hornets lost to Springport and Decatur but beat Niles Brandywine and Quincy.
In their 57-21-point victory over Brandywine, Hornets Stephen Petersen (190), Oliver Heckel (106), Luke Webster (113), Devon Carver (120) and Colton Wolf (126) all received forfeit wins. Talon Hugenall (138) won a 9-6 decision. Brody Arnold (150) won via pinfall. John Petersen (215) and Wyatt Wahtola (285) won via pinfall.
In their 54-22-point victory over Quincy, Heckel, Webster, Miles Brown (144) and Declan Flannery (157) won via forfeit. Ethan Wolf (132) won a 5-1 decision. Logan Bayer (138) won via a 11-4 decision. The Petersen brothers and Wahtola all won via pinfall.
In their loss to Springport, Colton Wolf won a 3-0 decision. His brother Ethan won via pinfall. Bayer won a 4-3 decision. Stephen Petersen won a tech fall while John (wrestling 285) won via pinfall. Gage Rosenberry (215) won via forfeit. Against Decatur, Carver won via pinfall. Ethan Wolf won via pinfall. Both Stephen and John Petersen won via decisions.
Earlier in the week, the Hornets defeated Brandywine at Union City. Earning wins included Heckel, Carver, Colton Wolf, Bayer, Brown, Arnold, Flannery and the Petersen brothers. John Petersen, Declan Flannery and Logan Bayer earned pinfall win. In their loss to Bronson at that same quad meet, Carver earned a win, John Petersen won via pinfall and Wahtola won via pinfall.
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Jonesville wrestling goes 3-2 at Marshall tournament
The Comet varsity wrestling team traveled to Marshall on Jan. 6, leaving with wins over Gull Lake, Haslett and Lansing Everett.
Carson Playford (138), Tyler Milks (144), Jordan VanSickle (175), and Isaac Shively (190) all finished the day 5-0. Evan McColley (215) and Cooper Stevens (285) finished 4-1.
Basketball Results
A few local area teams got back to prep hoops action in week 5. The Pittsford girls basketball team rebounded from double-loss at the Pat Paterson tournament to defeated Britton Deerfield 44-31.
Leading the way for the Wildcats was Ava Mallar with 16 points, Halle Lark with nine points, Riley McCumber with seven points and Kaydence Jones and Laura LeMar with five points each. The Wildcats are now 6-2.
The Will Carleton Academy teams faced Tekonsha in boys-girls doubleheader. The Cougar boys team won 48-29 over Tekonsha. The girls team fell 29-17 to Tekonsha.
The Reading varsity boys basketball team lost to Concord in a 62-16 final. The Reading girls basketball team defeated Quincy 54-40 in a Big 8 battle.
Leading the way for the Rangers was Aubree Ervans, who had a double-double of 24 points, 12 rebounds. She added four assists and two steals. Jenna Londeau had 11 points, including three triples, and had three assists and four steals. Maggie Santure had 12 points, hitting two triples and earning three steals. Blakeleigh Cornstubble had five points, eight rebounds and three steals. The Ranger girls basketball team is now 5-5 overall.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: New Year Prep Roundup: Reading wrestling takes 2nd at Homer Invite
