It wasn’t a bad takeaway for Wawasee with two podium placers at the two-day Al Smith Invite.

Seniors Donnie Blair and Kaleb Salazar were on different tracks to start their day, Blair in the championship bracket of the 45th annual showcase while Salazar was working from the consolation bracket.

At 190 pounds, Blair opened in the semis against Lowell’s Ken Bisping, who used a late takedown in the second period to cling to a 2-1 lead on the Warrior. Working off bottom to start the third, Bisping found enough wiggle in Blair’s hold to get a reversal to take a three-point lead, which a late takedown was icing as a gassed Blair could just stare at The Cave roof on a 6-1 decision to Bisping.

Blair would wind up fifth overall after splitting his final two contests. A reversal by Crown Point’s Austin Reading lifted the Bulldog to a 3-2 win over Blair, but Blair would gain a tad bit of redemption with a solid 7-1 win over Bellmont’s Cole Mendez, three takedowns and an escape doing the trick for Blair’s second win over the Brave this season.

Bisping would lose an entertaining 6-4 grinder to Zionsville’s Luke Penola in the 190 championship.

At 113 pounds, Salazar started his day on fire, needing just one takedown to work over Portage’s Owen Bunton for a pin at 54 seconds. Just 36 seconds into his second match against Mount Vernon’s Connor Bayliss, Salazar was in control with a takedown, but having the entire second period on bottom, Salazar couldn’t get an escape or reversal out of the deal, and led just 1-0 with Bayliss choosing neutral.

As Bayliss kept opening up a bloody nose, he may have found a second wind in the matter because he scored a takedown, then after Salazar escaped the hold, Bayliss managed to pull another takedown seconds before the buzzer to rally for a 4-3 win. Bayliss would finish third in the tournament after the dust settled.

Salazar would close with a rematch of the quarters, taking on Garrett’s Abrum Swathwood, who knocked Salazar into the consolation bracket with a 4-2 decision on Friday. Swathwood made it stand up with a 17-4 major decision over Salazar on Saturday, sending the Warrior to sixth place overall.

Crown Point sensation Gavin Lewis claimed the 113 bracket with a 3-1 win over Penn’s Brady Harper.