Bobcats split matches at triangular

The Summerland boys wrestling team delivered a hard-fought performance at the Summerland Triangular on Jan. 16, earning a narrow victory over Norfolk Catholic before falling to Creighton in a dramatic finale.

The Bobcats secured a 35-31 win over Norfolk Catholic, thanks to several standout performances:

Steven Mast (138): Pinned Tanner Risinger in 1:28.

Austin Mendoza (144): Earned a 20-5 technical fall over Oliver Daniel.

Ethan Kester (150): Stuck Kaden Nutzman in just 53 seconds.

Jason Shaver (190): Pinned Miles Ramaker in 4:55.

Isaac Mendoza (132) and Lane Sanne (113): Both won by forfeit.

Norfolk Catholic gained crucial points in other matches, including an 8-0 major decision by Edwin Alarcon over Jacob Schlecht (215), but Summerland's depth and timely wins clinched the dual.

The nightcap came down to the final bout, with Creighton edging Summerland 37-35. Isaac Mendoza (132) dropped a 17-5 major decision to Robinson LaDeaux, sealing the victory for Creighton.

Key performances for the Bobcats included:

Jason Shaver (190): Dominated DJ Abbott with a 16-1 technical fall.

Austin Mendoza (144), Ethan Kester (150), Lane Sanne (113), Liam Cleveland (120), and Ayden Bazelman (126): All won by forfeit.

Creighton countered with pivotal victories, including Ethan Kuhlman's 8-5 sudden victory over Steven Mast and Lakin Stange's pin of Jacob Schlecht (215).

Summerland head coach Dan Roeber reflected on the busy stretch for his team:

"It had been a busy 10 days for the Bobcat wrestling teams, and the next couple of weeks will be just as packed. There are still things we need to work on, but we are getting ready for the end of the year. Wrestlers are putting in the work that's needed, and we are looking to get healthy and be ready for district competition."

Roeber emphasized the importance of each match as an opportunity for growth: "We may not have won all the matches, but we wanted to use every match to work on things we have been trying to address in practice. I felt like we got a lot of that in those matches."