LIMA – Covington traveled to Lima Central Catholic to participate in their competitive Thunderbird Invitational this weekend, taking 12th place out of 42 teams. The Buccs entered eight wrestlers into the tournament and finished with five top-8 place-winners.
Carson Taylor led the way with a runner-up finish at 106 lbs. Taylor pinned Preble-Shawnee’s Beau Garnett and Swanton’s Gabe Stevens, and picked up a 19-4 technical fall victory over Madeira’s Blake Opichka, before dropping a 10-1 decision to Troy Christian’s Kyle Schroer in the finals.
Jericho Quinter placed 3rd at 126 lbs. Quinter earned a pin over Coldwater’s Brady Hamilton, and a 17-2 technical fall victory over Crestview’s Gage Bowman, before falling to Troy Christian’s Jason Shaffer in the semifinals. Quinter rebounded with a pin over Waynedale’s Ashton Kauf in the consolation semi-final and a 3-1 victory over Delta’s Evan Hanefeld in his final bout.
Michael Hagan took 5th place at 120 lbs. Hagan earned pins over West-Liberty Salem’s Jake Lauck and Carlisle’s Kyler Walsh, before falling to Miami East’s Cooper Shore in the semifinals, and dropping a 3-2 decision to Otsego’s Trevor Wilcox in the consolation semifinals. Hagan then won his finals bout with a pin over Preble-Shawnee’s Nolan Earles.
Chase Vanderhorst finished in 6th place at 132 lbs. Vanderhorst earned pins over Swanton’s Walker Klingler and Miami East’s Gunner Weldy, before earning a 12-3 major decision over Delta’s Landon Lintermoot where he sustained an injury. He then injury defaulted out of the tournament before his semifinal match which dropped him to 6th place.
Caleb Ryman finished in 7th place at 138 lbs. for the Buccs. Ryman earned a 10-3 decision over New London’s Nico Richards, before dropping a 6-4 decision to Otsego’s Caeden Henderson. He then earned an 8-2 decision over Delphos St. John’s Riley Mueller, and a pin over Ashtabula St. Johns Cody Fuentes, before guaranteeing placement with a 6-3 decision over Miami East’s Layton Hughes. Ryman then fell to Lakota’s Grant Bomer in the consolation quarterfinals, but rebounded to win his final bout with a 3-1 decision over Otsego’s Caeden Henderson, who he lost to on the first day of the tournament.
Mason Epperson (157) went 2-2 for Covington, while Aveyen Meek finished 1-2, narrowly losing in the second consolation round by 1 point to a wrestler who ended up finishing in 6th place. Luke Brown (144) also wrestled well for the Buccs.
