Hurons finish runner up at Bill Barrett Memorial wrestling tournament

by Angie Asam, Staff Writer

The Rogers City (RC) Hurons varsity wrestling team hosted the Bill Barrett Memorial Super Dual tournament on Dec. 29 named for the father of RC wrestling who started the program in 1970 and helped build it to what it is today. The Hurons defeated Cheboygan 54-24 and Alpena 51-24 before losing to Birch Run, a team ranked fifth in Division III 15-52. After the loss the Hurons battled back to win a close contest with St. Ignace 39-36. The Hurons will see the Saints in the conference as well as district tournaments and were able to pull out the narrow victory.

Against the Saints the Hurons made some moves to work for the win as Jack Ryan bumped up to 125 from 119 pounds and got a pin. Earlier in that match freshman 215-pounder Andrew Selke wrested Joe Ostman who is ranked number one at 189 pounds. Although Selke would lose the match 6-2 he kept Ostman to only a decision, a big help for his team. The match came down to the 152-pound contest where RC?s Daniel Marx earned a big pin to give his team the victory.

?It was really easy to give a lesson to the team there, especially the younger kids. Andrew helped his team by not getting pinned, giving up a major decision or a technical fall. Holding him to just three team points for St. Ignace was huge. That is one lesson I am trying to get through to our young wrestlers; you don?t always have to win to contribute to a team victory. Hopefully it will be a lesson that I can show them. Andrew may have lost but he mad

e great strides for his team,? said coach Pat Lamb. The Hurons then defeated Onaway 54-24 to go 4-1 on the day and finish as runner-ups. In the match against Onaway senior co-captain Travis Fleis earned his 100th career victory.

?Travis got his 100th win in a great match against an opponent who has beaten him the last two times they have wrestled. It is always nice to reach a milestone in individual wrestling however, to do it against an opponent that has beaten you a couple of times is major, it was a sweet victory for him. I am really proud of what Travis has accomplished on the mat,? said coach Lamb.

Junior Joe Sobeck (112) and senior Devin Pommerenke were undefeated for the Hurons at 5-0. Going 4-1 were Ryan (119/25), Fleis (125/30), Evan Lamb (130/35), Keegan Urban (140) and Marx (145/52). Noah Sobeck (103), Greg Tulgestke (152/60) and Selke (215) were each 3-2 on the day. The Hurons were in Newberry Wednesday after press time to take on the host Indians and the Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils. Saturday they will be in Escanaba for an individual tournament with quality teams such as Escanaba, Gladstone, St. Ignace and Iron Mountain as well as others.