Four Bobcats medal at EPPJ

The Summerland Bobcats wrestling team wrapped up a solid performance at the Elgin Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 21, finishing in fifth place overall with a total of 80.5 points. Plainview emerged as the team champions, but Summerland's individual wrestlers gave it their all, with several notable finishes throughout the tournament.

Leading the charge for the Bobcats was Austin Mendoza, who continued his stellar season by securing a first-place finish in the 144-pound weight class. Mendoza, with an impressive 13-5 record, opened the tournament with a dominant fall over Noah Faeh, Nebraska Christian, in just 1:09. He then cruised through his matches, securing tech fall victories in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. In the championship bout, Mendoza faced Logan Spotanski from Arcadia/Loup City and earned a major decision victory, 17-9, to claim the top spot.

At 150 pounds, Ethan Kester (13-2) showed why he's one of the team's top competitors, finishing second in his weight class. After receiving a bye in the opening round, Kester moved through the tournament with a fall over Oliver Daniel, Norfolk Catholic, and a tech fall victory in the semifinals. In the championship match, Kester fought hard but fell short against Gatlin Reimers of Palmer, who won 4-0. Kester earned 19.5 team points with his runner-up finish.

Isaac Mendoza showed resilience throughout his 132-pound bracket, finishing third and scoring 17 team points for the Bobcats. Mendoza (13-4) started with a dominant tech fall over Santiago Gutierrez, Riverside, before another tech fall in the quarterfinals over Tucker Smith, Fullerton. In the semifinals, he was bested by Landon Hansen from Plainview, who won by a 10-0 major decision. However, Mendoza bounced back in the consolation semifinals with a 7-2 decision victory over Ryder Anderson-Ray, Guardian Angels Central Catholic, and in the third-place match, he capped off his day with a fall in a rematch against Smith in 3:29.

Lane Sanne (5-9) put together a strong effort at 113 pounds, earning a fourth-place finish and contributing eight points to the team total. Sanne's tournament started with a tough loss by fall to Abraham Lopez, GACC, but he bounced back with a win by medical forfeit in the consolation round. Unfortunately, in the third-place match, Sanne was pinned by Beau Krause of Plainview, leaving him in fourth.

The 126-pound bracket saw Ayden Bazelman (7-6) and Liam Cleveland (1-4) both competing fiercely, but neither was able to place. Bazelman started strong with a fall in the first round over Levi Rutten, Riverside, but struggled against Zach Frahm, Plainview, who inned the Bobcat wrestler in 2:33. In the second consolation round, Bazelman pinned Angel Ajin, Ainsworth before dropping the third consolation match to Pender's Kolt Smith.

Cleveland also had his moments, including a win by fall in his second match with Rutten of Riverside, after dropping the opening-round match to Frahm, by a 14-4 major decision. In the second consolation round, Mason Sutton, Sandhills/Thedford, claimed an 8-3 decision, eliminating the freshman contender.

Luke Kester (3-5) had a difficult tournament at 120 pounds, with two losses resulting in an early exit. He was pinned in his first-round match by Kalen Weller of Palmer and then forced to forfeit due to injury to Thomas Toline, GACC, earning no team points.

At 165 pounds, Matt Umphress (5-5) faced a similar fate, with a loss to Dominic Johnson, GACC, by a 11-8 decision in the quarterfinals. He rebounded with a pin over Mathanial Mundahl, Twin River, before losing the third consolation round match to Jairo Lazos, Central Valley, in 1:46.

In the 215-pound weight class, Jason Shaver (3-6) faced tough competition but was eliminated early, finishing without placing after a tough 19-13 decision loss in his opener against Parker Aaberg, Fullerton, and a fall in his next match to NC's Tyson Risinger.

With the winter break now underway, the Bobcats will look to build on their momentum and continue to improve as they prepare for the next stretch of the season. The junior varsity team's next competition is Jan. 6 at Wisner-Pilger.