Vandal wrestlers win Civic Memorial Tournament for first time since 2008

Nine of Vandalia’s 13 wrestlers placed in the top three – including one individual champion – as the Vandals edged East St. Louis by the slimmest of margins to win last Saturday’s 35th annual Civic Memorial Holiday Tournament.

Junior Jake Stewart remained undefeated on the season, taking the championship at 182 pounds, and the Vandals got a tournament-winning pin from sophomore Kendrick Woolsey in the third-place match at 285 pounds to beat East St. Louis, 239-238.5, giving the Vandalia its first title there since 2008.

“It came down to the last weight class,” said coach Jason Clay. “Their heavyweight was in the championship match and he got beat, while Kendrick came through to get a pin in the third-place match.”

“Kendrick is capable of a lot, and that’s the thing we are trying to get him to understand,” he said. “The one match he lost, he was right in it with a chance to win, and once he realizes what he is capable of, he is going to be one of our guys to do a lot.”

Second-place finishers for the Vandals were: junior Dalton Blankenship (145), and seniors Tyler Dagen (152), C.J. Runkel (160) and Seth Purcell (170). Along with Woolsey, sophomores Chaston Womack (113) and Bobby Bradley (195), and junior Ryne Lipsey (120) finished third.

Combined, those nine accounted for 16 of the team’s 17 pins during the tournament, which was missing some of its usual teams due to the snowy weather.

Stewart had two of those, needing just two matches to win his weight class from the bottom of the bracket.

He received a pair of byes before beating Civic Memorial’s Tyler Tharp in 3:19 in the semifinals and taking down Mattoon’s Chase Rogers in 2:31 for the title.

At 3-0, he is the only Vandal yet to lose this season.

“He is a guy who took big strides last year, and now he is physically stronger,” Clay said. “He is up a couple of weight classes because of that, and he does things the right way.”

East St. Louis filled 13 weight classes like the Vandals, but came away with four individual champions.

The Vandals, however, had two more pins, and two more top five finishers to earn the title.

“We got points out pretty much all of our guys,” Clay said. “We had guys come through and win third-place and fifth-place matches, with several pins.

“Those pins are big, because that’s bonus points every time.”

Vandalia opens the home season on Thursday, with a match against Hillsboro at 6 p.m., and will host LeRoy, Oakwood and Herrin on Saturday in a quad meet at 10 a.m.

“We always want to wrestle at home for our good crowds,” Clay said.

Saturday, Dec. 7
at CM Tournament
Team scores
1. Vandalia. 239
2. East St Louis 238.5
3. Mattoon 232
4. Jerseyville 194
5. Jacksonville 150.5

Individual results
106 – Trevor Philpot
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Lost to Drew Sobol (EAWR) by fall in 0:48
•Fifth-place bout: Def. Hayden Price (JCHS), 12-0.

113 – Chaston Womack
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Def. Austin Davy (J-Ville) by fall at 0:24
•Semifinals: Lost to Christopher Tucker (ESTL), 6-3
•Third-place bout: Def. Jacob Mitchell (High.), 10-0

120 – Ryne Lipsey
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Def. Dylan Doerr (Carlyle) by fall at 0:47
•Semifinals: Lost to Drake Boverie (CM) by fall at 3:51
•Third-place bout: Def. Cody Cissell (Wat.) by fall at 2:53

126 – Luke Tessman
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Def. Michael McGill (High.), 4-1
•Semifinals: Lost to Tyler Dunn (ESTL) by fall at 3:54
•Third-place bout: Lost to Christian Schaub (CM), 12-2

132 – Adam Palmer
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Lost to Trent Tucker (JCHS) by fall at 5:37
•Consolation semis: Def. Tanner Leith (Carl.), 14-5
•Fifth-place bout: Def. Mike Hall (EAWR) by fall at 4:54

145 – Dalton Blankenship
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Def. Da’Vonta Slaughter (ESTL) by fall at 4:24
•Semifinals: Def. Mason Lee (High.) by fall at 3:31
•Championship bout: Lost to Gage Overton (CM) by fall at 0:57

152 – Tyler Dagen
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Def. Jacob Atkinson (Matt.) by fall at 0:27
•Semifinals: Def. Brayton Williams (CM), 12-10
•Championship bout: Lost to SirRomeo Howard (ESTL), 13-3

160 – C.J. Runkel
•First round: Def. Lucas Hager (Wat.) by fall at 2:15
•Second round: Def. Brody Kirsch (High.) by injury default at 0:29
•Semifinals: Def. Alex Wahl (JCHS) by fall at 2:20
•Championship bout: Lost to Grant Carmody (J-Ville), 8-6

170 – Seth Purcell
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Def. Kerstan Panzau (Wat.) by fall at 1:33
•Semifinals: Def. Ben Zuccarelli (High.) by fall at 5:00
•Championship bout: Lost to Mitchel Godden (Matt.), 13-8

182 – Jake Stewart
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Bye
•Semifinals: Def. Tyler Tharp (CM) by fall at 3:19
•Championship bout: Def. Chase Rogers (Matt.) by fall at 2:31

195 – Bobby Bradley
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Def. Dezmon Fisher by fall at 3:35
•Semifinals: Lost to Zach Stout (J-Ville) by fall at 5:44
•Third-place bout: Def. Joe Snover (Wat.) by fall at 1:04

220 – Kolten Etcheson
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Lost to Jordan Stagner (CM) by fall at 2:35
•Consolation semifinals: Lost to Jordan McQuaid (JCHS) by fall at 1:18
•Seventh-place bout: Bye

285 – Kendrick Woolsey
•First round: Bye
•Second round: Def. Nick Howell (JCHS) by fall at 1:30
•Semifinals: Lost to Antonio James (ESTL) by fall at 1:43
•Third-place bout: Def. Daniel Ruiz (Matt.) by fall at 0:29

***

Last Friday, the Illinois High School Association announced the assignments for this season’s regional wrestling tournaments.

At Vandalia, the Vandals will be joined by Mater Dei, Carmi-White County, Fairfield, Lawrenceville, Mt. Carmel, Olney and Robinson.

A regional win would be the 20th straight for Vandalia.

The top team will advance to the Litchfield Sectional, and leading individuals will head to Robinson for the individual sectional.

***

After injuries derailed each of the past two seasons for junior Blake Cripe, it was hoped that this would be the year he could establish himself as a state-level high school wrestler.

Unfortunately, he only got a couple of practices into this season before his body failed him again.

Cripe suffered a torn labrum, and will miss the entire season.

“He had a torn labrum in his other shoulder and had it repaired the week of Thanksgiving,” Clay said. “He can’t catch a break, and it’s disappointing for him, because he was looking tough in the first couple practices.”

Cripe injured his opposite shoulder last season after starting the year 13-3.