Crestwood grapplers second at NEIC Tourney, crown four champions

 

WAVERLY - The Crestwood wrestling team competed extremely well at the Northeast Iowa Conference Tournament Saturday in Waverly as the Cadets finished strong by taking second overall with 218.5 points and crowning four individual champions.
New Hampton-Turkey Valley won the team title with 231 points and had five individual champions. The Cadets (218.5) finished one point ahead of third place Waverly-SR (217.5).
Individual NEIC champions for Crestwood included: No. 2-ranked Kaden Anderlik (120 pounds), Chris Guest (152), No. 10 Colter Bye (160), and No. 9 Jacob Knutson (285). 
Four Cadets finished second including: Nathaniel Bigalk (106), Matthew Slifka (113), No. 4 Ryan Steffen (145), and Judd Grover (182). Hunter Fousek (126) and Stone Peckham (220) both finished third. Hunter Bye (132) and Jared Knutson (195) both placed fourth.
“We had a good showing at the tournament,” Cadet Coach Keith Slifka said. “I knew it would be three teams (Crestwood, W-SR and NH-TV) fighting for the team title. Waverly had won the tournament (for 13 straight years), it was the goal of the other six teams to try to dethrone Waverly.
“New Hampton-Turkey Valley, who is ranked No. 1, was the better team overall (at the tourney). It was nice that we could place ahead of Waverly, who is ranked No. 8. I was very pleased to see us get eight guys in the finals. Anytime you can put that many guys in the finals, that speaks well of your team,” Slifka said.
The coach noted he was happy to see four Cadets earn individual titles.
“I was really pleased to see us get four champions,” Slifka said. “Kaden Anderlik (120) won his third conference championship, and Chris Guest (152) got his first NEIC title. Colter Bye also wrestled well to take first, and Jacob Knutson won his second conference title. To win a conferenence championship is quite a feat (for anyone).
“At 106, Nathaniel Bigalk has been up-and-down this year, but he got in the finals and took second, which was big for us. I was really pleased to see him make it to the finals.
“Matthew Slifka (113) got to the finals for the first time, which was good to see. Kaden Anderlik (120) was a little bit under the weather, but he wrestled very strong. He gutted it out and was able to beat Dylan Albrecht (of WSR) to win the title.
“At 126, Hunter Fousek took third. He got beat in the semis, but he came back to get two pins and score a lot of points for us. I told our guys that it would take everyone scoring points (to place high) because it was a close race the whole day. Hunter Bye was fourth at 132, and he did a nice job for us to score some points.
“Ryan Steffen (145) wrestled Michael Blockhus in the finals, and we knew it would be a tough match. I know Ryan would have liked to have won a conference title, but he wrestled well overall.
“Chris Guest (152) had a nice major decision win in the semis, and he won in sudden victory to win the title match against a good Charles City kid (Dylan Koresh). Chris is wrestling well, and we’re hoping he has a good post-season.
“At 160, Colter Bye has been wrestling very well for us. He is a strong wrestler, and he keeps getting stronger. He worked a lot over the summer to get to where he is right now. We tell all the kids that it’s what you do during the off-season that makes champions during the season.
“Trey Burnikel was in a tough weight class (170), and he was going up against a lot of upperclassmen. Trey is only a freshman, but he’ll get better.  At 195, Judd Grover has shown some improvement. I’m real happy with the way Judd has been wrestling.
“At 220 Stone Peckham almost made it into the finals, but he still had a good tournament. After he lost in the semis, he came back with two pins to place third. Jacob Knutson wrestled well at 285 to place first.
“I think our kids are peaking at the right time of the season. After the conference tournament, I think we’ve shown that we’re a team not to be overlooked,” Slifka said.
The Cadets will compete at the Class 2A Sectional Tourney on Feb. 3 at noon at Luther College in Decorah. 
Team standings: 1. NH-TV 231; 2. Crestwood 218.5; 3. Waverly-SR 217.5; 4. Decorah 149; 5. Charles City 109; 6. Waukon 80; 7. Oelwein 55.
106: Nathaniel Bigalk 2nd
Quarterfinal - Nathaniel Bigalk (CW) received a bye; Semifinal - Bigalk (CW) won by dec over Marcus Gibbs (Wak) (7-2); 1st Place - Johnny Dreckman (NHTV) won by fall over Bigalk (CW) (0:30).
113: Matthew Slifka 2nd 
Quarter - Matthew Slifka (CW) won by tech fall over Dakota Howe (Wak) TF-1.5 3:36 (17-2); Semi - Slifka (CW) won by fall over Carsen Jeanes (Oel) (0:30); 1st Place - Kyzer Engen (Dec) won by fall over Slifka (CW) (5:47).
120: Kaden Anderlik 1st
Quarter - Kaden Anderlik (CW) received a bye;  Semi - Anderlik (CW) won by fall over Corban Rowley (Dec) (3:37); 1st Place - Anderlik (CW) won by dec over Dylan Albrecht (WSR) (8-2).
126: Hunter Fousek 3rd
Quarter - Hunter Fousek (CW) won by fall over Brayden Anderson (NHTV) (5:26); Semi - Evan Yant (WSR) won by fall over Fousek (CW) (3:47);  Cons. Semi - Fousek (CW) won by fall over Blake Smith (Oel) (2:40); 3rd Place - Fousek (CW) won by fall over Tyler Block (Wak) (0:47).
132: Hunter Bye 4th
Quarter - Hunter Bye (CW) won by maj dec over Lance Egan (Wak) (MD 12-1); Semi - Jackson Rolfs (Dec) won by maj dec over Bye (CW) (MD 9-0); Cons. Semi - Bye (CW) won by fall over Andrew Roete (Oel) (1:51); 3rd Place - Andrew Schwab (WSR) won by dec  over Bye (CW) (9-4).
138: Clay Schemmel 5th
Quarter - Brendan Lovstuen (Dec) won by maj dec over Clay Schemmel (CW) (MD 9-0); Cons. Rnd 1 - Schemmel (CW) received a bye; Cons. Semi - Miles Hansmeier (Wak) won by fall over Schemmel (CW) (Fall 3:20); 5th Place - Schemmel (CW) received a bye.
145: Ryan Steffen 2nd
Quarter - Ryan Steffen (CW) received a bye; Semi - Steffen (CW) won by dec over Dalton Woodyard (WSR) (Dec 8-1); 1st Place - Michael Blockhus (NHTV) won by maj dec over Steffen (CW) (MD 22-9).
152: Chris Guest 1st
Quarter - Chris Guest (CW) received a bye; Semi - Guest (CW) won by maj dec over Clayton Taylor (NHTV) (MD 17-7); 1st Place - Guest (CW) won in sudden victory - 1 over Dylan Koresh (CC) (SV-1 10-8).
160: Colter Bye 1st 
Quarter - Colter Bye (CW) received a bye; Semi - Bye (CW) won by fall over Elliott Sinnwell (CC) (1:45); 1st Place - Bye (CW) won by dec over Bryson Hervol (WSR) (3-1).
170: Treyton Burnikel 
Quarter - Tristan Hansmeier (Wak) won by fall over Treyton Burnikel (CW) (1:34); Cons. Rnd 1 - Gavin Wedemeier (WSR) won by dec over Treyton Burnikel (CW) (2-1).
182: Judd Grover 2nd
Quarter - Judd Grover (CW) won by maj dec over Landon Berns (Wak) (MD 10-0); Semi - Grover (CW) won by dec over Sam Niichel (CC) (5-2); 1st Place - Evan Rosonke (NHTV) won by fall over Grover (CW) (1:37).
195: Jared Knutson 4th
Quarter - Jared Knutson (CW) received a bye;  Semi - Andy Lillegraven (Dec) won by maj dec over Knutson (CW) (MD 9-1); Cons. Semi - Knutson (CW) received a bye; 3rd Place - Max Schwickerath (NHTV) won by dec over Knutson (CW) (9-6).
220: Stone Peckham 3rd
Quarter - Stone Peckham (CW) received a bye;  Semi - Josh Halligan (CC) won by dec over Peckham (CW) (9-7); Cons. Semi - Peckham (CW) won by fall over Caden Keck (Dec) (0:33); 3rd Place - Peckham (CW) won by fall over Luke Walker (WSR) (5:48).
285: Jacob Knutson 1st
Quarter - Jacob Knutson (CW) received a bye;  Semi - Knutson (CW) won by fall over Tom Clark (NHTV) (0:30); 1st Place - Knutson (CW) won by dec over Andrew Snyder (WSR) (5-1).
 

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