SJ-O wrestling ends with 4-1 record at Robinson Duals
By Fred Kroner
Three St. Joseph-Ogden wrestlers won all five of their matches on Saturday (Jan. 6), helping the Spartans to a 4-1 record in the Robinson Duals.
Emmett Holt (106 pounds), Holden Brazelton (132 pounds) and Landen Butts (138 pounds) finished the day with unbeaten records. Coy Hayes (150 pounds) was also undefeated, but only wrestled in three matches.
Holt (21-1 season record) posted two first-period pins and extended his winning streak to 19 matches. His fastest fall was in 1:43.
Brazelton (27-1 record) pinned all five of his opponents and has won 12 consecutive bouts. His quickest fall came in 45 seconds. Brazelton has a team-high 18 pins for the season and 11 of his last 12 matches have ended with him registering pins.
Both Holt and Brazelton were ranked second in Class 2A in the final 2023 rankings produced by Illinois Matmen and released on Dec. 31.
Butts, who has won his last seven matches, recorded two pins for the day. The quickest fall was in 1:31.
Hayes, who has five straight wins, posted a pin in 3:17.
SJ-O defeated Mount Carmel (66-18), Toledo Cumberland (46-32), Paris (51-27) and Robinson (48-24) before losing to Lawrenceville (45-31).
Other Spartans who logged pins at Robinson were Jackson Walsh, 4-1 at 113 pounds with a pin in 3:18, Brandon Goodwin (3-2 at 144 pounds with three pins, including one in 2:43), Logan Xiao (1-0 at 150 pounds with a pin in 5:10), Nathan Daly (1-4 at 157 pounds with a pin in 5:11), Vance McComas (2-3 at 165 pounds with two pins, including one in 1:31), Carson Sarnecki (3-2 at 175 pounds, with his fastest of two falls in 1:44), Khaden Hallowell (3-2 at 190 pounds, with the quickest of his two pins in 14 seconds), Quincy Jones (4-1 at 215 pounds with four pins, with the fastest of his three sub-1-minute falls coming in 23 seconds) and Brodie Harms (1-4 at 285 pounds with his pin occurring in 1:14).
SJ-O also received at least one win from Camden Getty (120 pounds) and Maddie Wells (126 pounds).
Overall, the Spartans compiled a cumulative record of 43-27 for the day with 27 pins.
On Saturday (Dec. 30), Holt was the lone St. Joseph-Ogden wrestler to go undefeated during the two-day Abe’s Rumble dual-meet wrestling tournament in Springfield.
Holt, a 106-pound senior, won all eight of his tournament bouts, including five by pins. His fastest fall was in 25 seconds.
SJ-O was 3-5 in dual meets and placed seventh in the Bronze Division of an event that attracted 60 teams.
The Spartans defeated Mercer County, 51-29, Shelbyville, 48-33, and Hoopeston Area, 60-18, but fell to Anna-Jonesboro, 43-32, Auburn, 42-19, Olympia, 60-24, Tremont, 51-29, and Robinson, 48-34.
Holt was one of 14 SJ-O wrestlers to win at least one match during the event and one of 10 to secure at least one pin.
At 132 pounds, Brazelton was 7-1 with six pins and one technical fall. His quickest fall was in 30 seconds. Brazelton reached the 20-win mark for the season with his last tournament victory.
Devan Swisher was 5-0 at 157 pounds with three pins (including one in 1:13), Walsh was 5-3 at 113 pounds.
Compiling 4-4 tournament records were Getty (120 pounds), Butts (138 pounds) and Hallowell (190 pounds and 215 pounds).
Getty posted two pins (one in 53 seconds), Butts had one pin (in 14 seconds) and Hallowell had three pins (including one in three seconds against Robinson).
If Hallowell’s pin time is verified, it would tie the all-time IHSA record for the fastest fall in state history, regardless of weight class. The previous three-second pin took place exactly nine years to the date of Hallowell’s fall and was posted by Clifton Central’s Kaleb Thompsen in a 220-pound match against a Toledo Cumberland opponent.
Other Spartans with pins at the Springfield tournament were Wells (in 1:02 at 126 pounds), Xiao (in 2 minutes at 150 pounds), Daly (in 4:32 at 150 pounds) and Harms (in 1:13 at 285 pounds).
Other SJ-O grapplers who registered wins during the two-day competition were Goodwin (144 pounds), Thomas Ware (144 pounds) and McComas (165 pounds). Goodwin had a 3-2 tournament record.
Overall, SJ-O wrestlers compiled a 51-53 cumulative record with 24 of the wins by pin.
On Tuesday (Jan. 2), SJ-O whipped Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin, 60-18, in Bismarck.
Posting pins for the Spartans were Holt (120 pounds), Getty (126 pounds), Brazelton (138 pounds), Goodwin (144 pounds), Daly (152 pounds) and Quincy Jones (285).
Jones, Daly and Goodwin all finished off their matches in less than a minute. Holt also recorded a first-period fall.
The Spartans (13-9) return to action on Tuesday (Jan. 9) at home against South Vermillion, Ind.
