Spartan wrestling wins duals at home
By Fred Kroner
Capping a week where it competed in 10 dual meets in a five-day period at four different sites, the St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling team swept meets at home from four opponents on Saturday (Jan. 20).
The Spartans whipped St. Thomas More (66-18), Decatur MacArthur (60-21), Decatur Unity Christian (60-23) and Hoopeston Area (54-25).
Ten different SJ-O competitors posted pins for the day and five squad members registered perfect 4-0 days.
Going unbeaten were Emmitt Holt (106 pounds), Holden Brazelton (132 pounds), Landen Butts (138 pounds), Coy Hayes (150 pounds) and Nathan Daly (!57 pounds).
Brazelton recorded three pins, raising his season’s total for falls to 27. His quickest fall on Saturday was in 38 seconds.
Hayes pinned two opponents. Butts and Daly each had one pin, coming in 1:35 and 2:40, respectively. Hayes’ fastest fall was in 59 seconds.
Hayes was one of five Spartans to secure a sub-one-minute pin.
Compiling 3-1 records for the day for SJ-O were Jackson Walsh (113 pounds), Camden Getty (120 pounds), Thomas Ware (144 pounds), Corbin Smith (175 pounds), Quincy Jones (215 pounds) and Brodie Harms (285 pounds).
Smith finished three of his bouts by pin, the quickest in 1:48. Ware and Harms each registered two pins. Ware ended with the team’s fastest fall of the day, in 21 seconds. Harms’ quickest pin was in 29 seconds.
Walsh (1:13) and Jones (49 seconds) both produced one pin.
Ending the day with 2-2 records were Devan Swisher (165 pounds) and Khaden Hallowell (190 pounds). Swisher’s lone pin occurred in 2:58.
Maddie Wells (126 pounds) earned one win for the day.
Overall, SJ-O grapplers had a cumulative record of 43-13 with 17 pins.
On Thursday (Jan. 18), SJ-O’s wrestlers split its two dual meets at Clinton.
The Spartans defeated Clinton, 48-30, and were edged by El Paso/Gridley, 37-36.
Five Spartans won matches against both opponents: Holt (106 and 113 pounds), Wells (126 pounds), Brazelton (132 pounds), Hayes (150 pounds) and Swisher (165 pounds).
Brazelton notched two pins with his fastest fall in 27 seconds. Hayes also had two pins, with his quickest in 4:48. The fastest of Swisher’s two pins was in 3:14. Holt had a pin in 1:52 and Wells had a pin in 3:28.
Winning one match for the night were Nick Harris (by forfeit at 106 pounds), Butts (by pin in 1:49 at 138 pounds), Alex Vaughn (by 4-0 decision at 144 pounds) and Hallowell (by pin in 3:10 at 190 pounds).
The team’s winningest wrestlers for the season are Brazelton (39-1 record with 24 consecutive wins), Holt (33-1 with 31 wins in a row), Butts (25-15 with wins in 17 of his last 19 matches), Hayes (23-6 with wins in eight of his last nine bouts) and Walsh (23-14 (with win in 12 of his last 14 matches).
Both Getty and Jones will reach the 20-win mark for the season with their next win. Hallowell needs two more victories to hit the 20-win mark.
SJ-O (22-12) returns to action on Wednesday (Jan. 24) at home against Champaign Central in its regular-season finale. For the week ending on Saturday, the Spartans were 7-3 in dual meets.
