Another major tournament, another set of productive results for the Wawasee wrestling program.

The Warriors claimed two individual champions and had five others finish runner-up as matters unfolded at Goshen, host of the Northern Lakes Conference Wrestling Championships.

First things first, Mishawaka held off Wawasee with their own set of successes, winning six class titles to build a 243.5-189 advantage over Wawasee in the final team standings. The tournament championship, combined with the 7-0 round robin record, lifted the Cavemen to the undisputed NLC title for the second straight year. Wawasee finishes second based off the tournament placement and its 6-1 round robin mark, the lone blemish to Mishawaka last Wednesday.

Let’s take a look at the championship matches at the NLCs.

106 – Kaleb Salazar vs. Bryce McNees, Warsaw
Salazar, the defending 106 champion, had little trouble claiming his latest accolade by knocking off fellow Kosciusko County foe, Warsaw’s Bryce McNees, by an 8-2 decision. Salazar was quick on his feet, responding from an early McNees takedown with an immediate escape and takedown of his own and never looked back.

“Ever since Al Smith, I’ve been working a lot on neutral and with positioning, just the basics of wrestling,” stated Salazar following the championship match. “The goal is always to win. Go out and wrestle my style. I really wanted a lot of takedowns and cut him, but it didn’t exactly happen that way. But if I go out and wrestle my style, no one can change it.”

113 – Cam Senter vs. Josh Kite, Mishawaka
Senter avenged a loss to Kite on Wednesday in the team dual by winning, 9-2, in the championship round. Senter scored four takedowns and allowed just a pair of escapes to win that first posterboard. Senter knocked off the top seed, Goshen’s Cole Hinkel, for the second time this season in the semis.

“I’ve known Josh my whole life and we always go back-and-forth,” said Senter, still gripping and displaying his champions posterboard 10 minutes after the awards ceremony. “I woke up today and thought what do I have to lose today, just go out and do what I do and wrestle like I know I can.”

132 – Titus Taylor vs. Zar Walker, Mishawaka
In another rematch from Wednesday’s dual, Walker once again was the quicker and better opponent. Walker scored a pair of takedowns to just one escape for Taylor before putting the match away just over a minute in. To get there, Taylor outlasted Plymouth’s Chris Firebaugh, 9-8, in the semis by getting a late stalling call on Firebaugh.

138 – Logan Stuckman vs. Mikey Robles, Mishawaka
Stuckman and Robles battled hard throughout the final, both working a little offense and both having to work hard on defense. Stuckman went from down 3-1 to up 4-3 after an escape and takedown in the third, but Robles got out of the takedown for an escape to force extra time. There, Robles got the takedown to win, 6-4. Stuckman made the final by scoring two pins en route.

145 – Ethan Rodriguez vs. Wesley Smith, Plymouth
These two are likely going to see each other a couple times before the state series is all said and done. In Saturday’s clash, Smith took a 4-0 lead on a first-period takedown and then reversed out of the restart in the third. Smith didn’t allow Rodriguez to mount any offense through the first five minutes, and despite a reversal from Rodriguez, Smith played it smart and stayed put to get the blue ribbon. The match before against Chris Peacock of Mishawaka, Rodriguez was nearly flawless in a 5-0 win.

152 – Hunter Miller vs. Beau Brabender, Mishawaka
In the matchup most anticipated and expected to see in the 152 final, the two state-ranked foes made the center circle with relative ease. It was Brabender, however, who ran most of the offense and controlled most of the tempo in the championship match. Miller scored a pair of escapes in the third period, but it was too little, too late as Brabender took the 7-2 win. Up to the final, Miller had only allowed one escape in the first two matches.

170 – Gavin Malone vs. Isaac Valdez, Mishawaka
The two friends off the mat saw Valdez stack up all of the points early, and then keep Malone at arm’s length for the remainder of the six minutes of the 7-2 win for Valdez. Malone finally got a takedown around the five-minute mark, but Valdez did what Mishawaka does well – staying in control on the bottom – to avoid any further action. Malone otherwise had little trouble making the final, scoring two first-round pins.

Wrapping up the Warriors’ day in Goshen, Donnie Blair was fourth, Cam Zimmerman and Eleazar Vazquez were both fifth, Colten Sutton, Payton Sewell and Derek Morrison were all sixth, and Luke Stuckman tied for seventh.

Final thoughts from head coach Frank Bumgardner: “I really thought our guys wrestled well today, wrestled hard. We definitely need to clean up some specific areas, but all in all, I thought it was a pretty decent day of wrestling for us.”

106

Kaleb Salazar (27-4) placed 1st and scored 24.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Kaleb Salazar (Wawasee) 27-4 won by fall over Jaden Eskew (Plymouth) 2-7 (Fall 0:24)
• Semifinal – Kaleb Salazar (Wawasee) 27-4 won by fall over Brody Blevins (Mishawaka) 5-6 (Fall 2:52)
• 1st Place Match – Kaleb Salazar (Wawasee) 27-4 won by decision over Bryce McNees (Warsaw Community) 20-8 (Dec 8-2)

113

Cameron Senter (23-8) placed 1st and scored 23.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Cameron Senter (Wawasee) 23-8 won by fall over Drake Shilling (Warsaw Community) 7-13 (Fall 0:26)
• Semifinal – Cameron Senter (Wawasee) 23-8 won by major decision over Cole Hinkel (Goshen) 29-4 (MD 11-1)
• 1st Place Match – Cameron Senter (Wawasee) 23-8 won by decision over Joshua Kite (Mishawaka) 24-9 (Dec 9-2)

120

Luke Stuckman (2-6) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Jalen Chappell (Northridge) 26-7 won by fall over Luke Stuckman (Wawasee) 2-6 (Fall 1:11)
• Cons. Round 1 – Emanuel Collazo Macias (Goshen) 18-15 won by decision over Luke Stuckman (Wawasee) 2-6 (Dec 4-3)

126

Colten Sutton (9-10) placed 6th and scored 7.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Colten Sutton (Wawasee) 9-10 won by fall over Isaiah Martinez (Warsaw Community) 22-7 (Fall 4:00)
• Semifinal – Camden Wiese (Goshen) 23-4 won by major decision over Colten Sutton (Wawasee) 9-10 (MD 15-4)
• Cons. Semi – Lynkyn Ratcliff (Northwood) 24-9 won by fall over Colten Sutton (Wawasee) 9-10 (Fall 1:54)
• 5th Place Match – Donovan Cunningham (Concord) 16-13 won by fall over Colten Sutton (Wawasee) 9-10 (Fall 2:28)

132

Titus Taylor (19-7) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Titus Taylor (Wawasee) 19-7 won by fall over Peyton Ulanowitz (Northwood) 0-2 (Fall 2:43)
• Semifinal – Titus Taylor (Wawasee) 19-7 won by decision over Christopher Firebaugh (Plymouth) 26-10 (Dec 9-8)
• 1st Place Match – Eleazar Walker (Mishawaka) 31-1 won by fall over Titus Taylor (Wawasee) 19-7 (Fall 1:02)

138

Logan Stuckman (24-6) placed 2nd and scored 20.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Logan Stuckman (Wawasee) 24-6 won by fall over Tyler Dittman (Northwood) 3-8 (Fall 1:22)
• Semifinal – Logan Stuckman (Wawasee) 24-6 won by fall over Seth Wright (Plymouth) 22-8 (Fall 3:17)
• 1st Place Match – Michael Robles (Mishawaka) 24-10 won in sudden victory – 1 over Logan Stuckman (Wawasee) 24-6 (SV-1 6-4)

145

Ethan Rodriguez (24-7) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Ethan Rodriguez (Wawasee) 24-7 won by fall over Jaxon Meyer (Concord) 2-19 (Fall 2:35)
• Semifinal – Ethan Rodriguez (Wawasee) 24-7 won by decision over Christopher Peacock (Mishawaka) 19-13 (Dec 5-0)
• 1st Place Match – Wesley Smith (Plymouth) 36-1 won by decision over Ethan Rodriguez (Wawasee) 24-7 (Dec 4-2)

152

Hunter Miller (27-4) placed 2nd and scored 19.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Hunter Miller (Wawasee) 27-4 won by fall over Grant Cook (Warsaw Community) 0-2 (Fall 1:20)
• Semifinal – Hunter Miller (Wawasee) 27-4 won by major decision over Joey Mitschelen (Northwood) 24-8 (MD 9-0)
• 1st Place Match – Beau Brabender (Mishawaka) 31-3 won by decision over Hunter Miller (Wawasee) 27-4 (Dec 7-3)

160

Payton Sewell (3-6) placed 6th and scored 6.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Cael Arroyo (Northridge) 18-3 won by fall over Payton Sewell (Wawasee) 3-6 (Fall 3:33)
• Cons. Round 1 – Payton Sewell (Wawasee) 3-6 won by fall over Trent Cripe (Concord) 5-19 (Fall 2:37)
• Cons. Semi – Courtney Rider (Mishawaka) 17-10 won by fall over Payton Sewell (Wawasee) 3-6 (Fall 2:04)
• 5th Place Match – Bryson Brown (Warsaw Community) 16-11 won by major decision over Payton Sewell (Wawasee) 3-6 (MD 10-2)

170

Gavin Malone (27-4) placed 2nd and scored 20.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Gavin Malone (Wawasee) 27-4 won by fall over Liam Smith (Warsaw Community) 1-6 (Fall 0:59)
• Semifinal – Gavin Malone (Wawasee) 27-4 won by fall over Sid Eveler (Northridge) 29-6 (Fall 1:48)
• 1st Place Match – Isaac Valdez (Mishawaka) 24-7 won by decision over Gavin Malone (Wawasee) 27-4 (Dec 7-2)

182

Cameron Zimmerman (20-7) placed 5th and scored 7.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Cameron Zimmerman (Wawasee) 20-7 won by decision over Alex Gard (Northridge) 1-3 (Dec 12-11)
• Semifinal – Laish Detwiler (Goshen) 31-1 won by decision over Cameron Zimmerman (Wawasee) 20-7 (Dec 4-3)
• Cons. Semi – Matthew McCrum (Plymouth) 22-9 won in tie breaker – 1 over Cameron Zimmerman (Wawasee) 20-7 (TB-1 2-1)
• 5th Place Match – Cameron Zimmerman (Wawasee) 20-7 won by decision over Alex Gard (Northridge) 1-3 (Dec 8-4)

195

Donovan Blair (22-10) placed 4th and scored 10.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Donovan Blair (Wawasee) 22-10 won by decision over Brody Streeter (Northridge) 18-14 (Dec 8-6)
• Semifinal – Armen Koltookian (Concord) 23-4 won by fall over Donovan Blair (Wawasee) 22-10 (Fall 5:37)
• Cons. Semi – Donovan Blair (Wawasee) 22-10 won in tie breaker – 1 over Brady King (Northwood) 22-10 (TB-1 4-1)
• 3rd Place Match – Nathaniel Rosas (Warsaw Community) 20-10 won by decision over Donovan Blair (Wawasee) 22-10 (Dec 6-5)

220

Derek Morrison (7-18) placed 6th and scored 7.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Derek Morrison (Wawasee) 7-18 won by fall over Aaron Anglemyer (Goshen) 2-5 (Fall 1:44)
• Semifinal – Zander Paden (Mishawaka) 17-13 won by fall over Derek Morrison (Wawasee) 7-18 (Fall 1:06)
• Cons. Semi – Wes Menzie (Northwood) 9-14 won by fall over Derek Morrison (Wawasee) 7-18 (Fall 0:41)
• 5th Place Match – Logan Whitman (Concord) 13-14 won by fall over Derek Morrison (Wawasee) 7-18 (Fall 2:42)

285

Eleazar Vazquez (13-17) placed 5th and scored 10.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Lance Army (Concord) 22-5 won by fall over Eleazar Vazquez (Wawasee) 13-17 (Fall 3:29)
• Cons. Round 1 – Eleazar Vazquez (Wawasee) 13-17 won by fall over Trevor Wendt (Mishawaka) 4-6 (Fall 2:37)
• Cons. Semi – Axel Olvera (Goshen) 20-13 won by decision over Eleazar Vazquez (Wawasee) 13-17 (Dec 8-1)
• 5th Place Match – Eleazar Vazquez (Wawasee) 13-17 won by fall over Bryson Davis (Northwood) 12-20 (Fall 2:28)