Kester, Thiele top the leaderboard at Wolfpack Wrestling Invite

Summerland boys' wrestling team scored 102 points, Saturday, en route to a third-place finish at the Elgin Public-Pope John Wrestling Tourney.

The Bobcats finished with five medalists, including two champions.

Ethan Kester earned gold in the 138 division. Kester worked through the bracket, earning pins against Connor Thomson, Summerland, in 5:20 and Emmerson Earl, Palmer, in 5:44. In the championship match, Kester earned an 8-2 decision over Trevor Carraher, Riverside.

Jesse Thiele, wrestling in the 144-pound class, brought home the gold medal. Following a bye, Thiele pinned Jonah Ash, Norfolk Catholic, in 1:25 and pinned Brodrick Crippen, Pender, in 2:58. In the championship match, Thiele won by tech fall, 20-5, over Owen Larsen, Pender.

Austin Mendoza earned a third-place medal in the 132 class. Following a bye, Mendoza made quick work with Pender's Liam Paeper, pinning him in :21. Mendoza lost by fall, in 2:35, to Noah Brichacek, Guardian Angels Central Catholic. In the consolation semifinal, Mendoza pinned Ryker Koenig, Archbishop Bergan, in 1:52 and, in the third-place match, pinned Grady Drueke, EPPJ, in :48.

Logan Kester finished third in the 150-pound division. Following a bye, Kester won by tech fall, 16-0, over Ben Oligmueller, GACC. He lost by fall, in 3:29, to Gatlin Reimers, Palmer, in the semifinal. In the consolation semifinal, Kester pinned Russell Norton, Sandhills/Thedford, in 2:09. The win set up a third-place match with Tristan Steffen. Kester pinned the GACC wrestler in 4:59.

AJ Hobbs finished fourth in the 165-pound class. In round one, Hobbs pinned Plainview's Jaeger Frahm, in 1:46. In the semifinal, Josh Mace, Archbishop Bergan, pinned Hobbs in :59. Hobbs earned a 10-5 decision over Boyd Frazey, Pender, in the consolation semifinal and due to injury, lost by medical forfeit to GACC's Evan Schuetze in the third-place match.

Ayden Bazelman finished fifth in the 113-pound division. He opened competition with loss to Kalen Weller, Palmer, by fall in :34. In round two, Zach Held, Twin River, pinned Bazelman in 1:06. Christopher Allen, Arcadia/Loup City, pinned the Bobcat freshman, in 1:35. Bazelman pinned Jensen Kumm, Plainview, in 1:30 in the fourth round and lost by fall, in :58, to Zach Frahm, Plainview in round five.

After falling to Kester, Thomson claimed a 6-4 decision over Logan Spotanski, ALC, before falling, in 1:51, to Trevor Steffen, GACC.

Matt Umphress opened competition in the 157-pound class with a win by fall, in 1:31, over Pender's Ryan Linkous. He lost a 13-2 major decision to Tye Dozler, Riverside. In the consolation semifinal, Umphress lost by medical forfeit to James Reiser, S/T.

Jason Shaver dropped a first-round match, by fall, in 1:56, to Grayson Petersen, Plainview in the first round. He moved to the consolation bracket, where he was eliminated after dropping an 11-2 major decision to Erik Samuelson, Palmer.

Plainview claimed the team title, with 125 points and Guardian Angels Central Catholic finished second with 111, in the 14-team field.