McCook wrestlers rule first tourney of season

McCook’s Carson Richards was on top throughout Friday’s Southern Valley Invitational as he scored five pins with four taking more than 47 seconds.

Diane Stamm/For The Gazette

STAMFORD, Neb. — Every day really should be like Friday following McCook’s dominant wrestling performance at the Southern Valley Invitational.

The Bison scored 34 pins, piled up 242 points and blasted past 17 teams to take home that first team title of 2018-19.

“I’m pretty sure that is some kind of record for us,” coach Nick Umscheid declared about the 34 Bison pins in one tournament.

Junior Carson Richards’ five pins powered the Bison while winning his 120-pound title with a team-high 34 tourney points.

Richards finished foes in 18, 37, 43, and 47 seconds with only Axtell’s Jacob Fox lasting more than minute at 1:39.

Sophomore teammate Talyn Campbell nearly matched Richards’ pace, pinning his first four foes including three in 36 seconds or less.

Campbell wrestled a full three-period title match, outscoring Southern Valley’s Trevor Brown 17-11 for the 126-pound crown.

Both Campbell and Richards finished 6-0 through the season’s first week.

Junior Landon Towne scored four pins at 152 leading to his 11-6 finals win over 11-6 final decision against Alma’s Ayden Molzahn.

Sophomore Alec Langan (182) pinned his first three opponents en route to 30 points and another Bison championship.

“We got on a roll early and just kept it going until the end,” Umsheid observed.

However, other Bison were plenty powerful like Trever Felber’s four-pin s urge to the 132-pound finals. Felber reached the title round to place second overall.

Consolation champs Jared Cole (195) and Hunter Cunningham (heavyweight) were also strong in McCook’s first tournament of the season. Cunningham delivered four more pins finishing with his 1:22 win over Alma’s Jonah Felix.

Cole started three-for-three pins and finished fourth overall, losing a tough finale to talented Chase County wrestler Evan Fisher.

Senior Kody Hahn pinned his last two foes to clinch fifth place at 170.

Don’t forget Julian Stiver’s three pins to start competition at 113. He earned fourth place with 16 team points.

The Bison competed in Monday’s Holdrege Invite and details will appear on Tuesday.

STAMFORD, Neb. — The top teams and area individual placers at Friday’s Southern Valley Wrestling Invitational:

Top 10 teams of 18: 1. McCook 242.5, 2. Centura 153, 3. Chase County 147.5, 4. Arapahoe 142.5, 5. South Central 122, 6. Sutherland 116, 7. Southern Valley 103, 8. Alma 101, 9. Axtell 99, 10. Loomis-Bertrand 90. Mecidine Valley finished 11 with 84 points and Hitchcock County was 16th with 49.

106 pounds: Tristan White, ARAP, placed second with three pins. He lost a 9-1 title match to unbeaten freshman Samuel Foster of Sutherland. Other top six placers: 5. Chet Fisher, SV.

113: Champion — Isaac Goshert, ARAP, which he clinched with a 3:43 pin of Trevin Edwards, LOOM-BERT. Other top six placers: 4. Julian Stiver, MC; 6. Kaleb Christofferson, HITCH.

120: Champion — Carson Richards, McCook. He clinched first with an :18 pin of Jacob Hilmer, LOOM-BERT. Other top six placers: Alex Gomez, Chase.

126: Champion — Talyn Campbell, McCook. He clinched first with a 17-11 win over revor Brown, SV. Other top six placers: 2. Brown, SV; 6. Hunter Miner, Wauneta-Palisade.

132: Trevor Felber, MC, placed second. He lost a 4-2 final decision to unbeaten Dustin Klinsport, Axtell. Other top six placers; 4. Kenyan Biesecker, Chase; 5. Seth Hare, HITCH.

145: Logan Mendenhall, Chase, placed fourth. Other top six placers: 5. Shawn Anderson, SV; 6. John Lee, ARAP.

152: Champion — Landon Towne, McCook. He clinched the title with an 11-6 win over Ayden Molzahn, Alma. Other top area six placers: None.

160: Jonah Shimmin of Arapahoe placed sixth.

182: Champion: Alec Langan, McCook. Langan’s 9-4 win over Dylan Russell, Alma; clinched the title and raised Langan’s record to 6-0. Other top six placers: 3. James Hargett, SV.

195: Champion: Austin Wolfe, Medicine Valley; who finished his title when he pinned Chase Haussermann of Franklin in 2:48. Other top six area placers: 3. Evan Fisher, Chase; 4. Jared Cole, McCook.

285: Champion: Remington Hodges, Hitchcock County. He pinned Chase County’s Travis Rowley in 2:39 to decide the heavyweight title.

Other top six area placers: 3. Hunter Cunningham; 5. Levi Kerner, ARAP; 6. Cole Hamilton, Wauneta-Palisade. Cunningham capped his day with a 1:22 pin of Alma’s Jonah Felix.