Bison wrestlers bull through Durham tests

McCook junior Alec Langan (second from right) won the championship with three strong wins including a 5-1 decision over previously undefeated Sterling Harp from Southeast of Saline, Kan. (just left of Langan) on Saturday.

Courtesy photo

NORTON, Kan. — Saturday was both good and grueling with the McCook High wrestlers outscoring eight but finishing behind eight J.R. Durham Invitational teams.

“It was a grueling day for the wrestling team on Saturday,” coach Nick Umscheid remarked. “This will be a good learning experience for some of our wrestlers for a variety of reasons. It was good to have this experience and competition at this point of the season.”

Junior Alec Langan conquered all challengers while capturing the 195-pound championship.

Langan topped two wrestlers who brought a combined 19-2 record into the matches. His 5-1 victory was the first defeat all season for Sterling Harp from Southeast of Saline.

Bison heavyweight Reid Steinbeck delivered two pins en route to third place overall.

Steinbeck nearly reached higher places until he ran into 13-0 Creighton Johnson from Beloit, Kan.

Senior Landon Towne scored six points with two pins at 152. Towne’s two defeats were against wrestlers who have won 21 of 24 matches so far this season.

Talyn Campbell (126), Nate Renner (138) and Alex Anthony (160) each added four points for McCook.

“We had several wrestlers come one match away from placing in the top four but came up a little short,” Umscheid concluded. “Hopefully, our wrestlers will learn from it and make sure they don’t make the same mistakes again later in the season when it matters the most.”

The Bison will compete next at Saturday’s Decatur Community Invite at Oberlin, Kan.

NORTON, Kan. — Top 10 team scores and results from all the McCook wrestlers who scored points at last weekend’s J.R. Durham Invite. All teams were from Kansas except Bison and Cozad.

Teams: 1. Hoxie 187, 2. Norton 163, 3. Weld 127.5, 4. Beloit 126, 5. Scott City 111, 6. Smith Center 100, 7. Oakley 60, 8. McCook 55, 9. Cozad 45, 10. Decatur Community 43. Rawlins County was 12th among 17 teams with 25 points.

195 pounds: Alec Langan (23-2 record) won the championship and scored 26 points. He pinned J. Nix, SC, in 4:20; pinned S. Blanka, St. Francis (11-3) in 3:00; and won 5-1 over S. Harp, Southeast of Saline (8-1).

285: Reid Steinbeck (12-7) placed third and scored 11 points. He lost 3-1 to G. Bowers, SC (9-5); pinned J. Brown, COZ, in 2:50; pinned M. Lagree, Hays-Thomas More Prep-Marian in :50; was pinned by C. Johnson, BEL (13-0), in 1:09.

152: Landon Towne (16-5) scored six points. He lost 7-4 to N. Kliesen, SC (12-1); pinned R. May, COZ, in 2:27; pinned T. Ryburn, OAk, in 2:25; and was pinned by H. Prochaska, BEL (10-2), in 1:26.

126 — Talyn Campbell (13-10) scored four points. He was pinned by B. Gosch, Lakin, in 1:28; lost 13-11 to A. Wilkinson, SMC; and was pinned by T. Schoenberger, OAK (12-5), in 3:35.

138 — Nate Renner (9-10) scored four points. He pinned S. Rethke, St. Francis, in :24; was pinned by D. Weimer, HOX (7-1) in 5:47; and lost 10-6 to C. Wessel, DC (11-9).

160 — Alex Anthony (13-11) scored four points. He lost 7-6 to K. Woody, RC (13-5); won 5-1 over K. Wheeler, SC (10-8); and lost 8-5 to M. Rodriguez, Southeast of Saline (11-1).