Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School has 20 wrestlers compete at the annual Carson Middle School Qualifier Tournament Saturday. Of those 20, all but two placed in the top four of their respective weight classes.
Carson Valley Middle School, on the other hand, sent only seven wrestlers to the tournament, but all seven made their way into the finals.
For Pau-Wa-Lu, seventh-grader Asher Moody (110 pounds) and eighth-grader Michael Sepulveda (115) each remained undefeated on the year, claiming first place in their brackets. Moody improved to 13-0 with 10 pins on the year and Sepulveda improved to 20-0 with 18 pins.
Zach Falanga (heavyweight) took second place for the Panthers while David Lagaspi (120) and Ryan Paiz (135) each took third place. Dillon Hekhuis (80) and Grant Mason (165) each took fourth place. The Panthers' Josh Lee improved to 8-8 on the year with two pins as well.
At the seventh-grade level for Carson Valley, 80-pounder Robert Grant breezed into the finals and took second place after dropping a match to a tough wrestler from Eagle Valley.
Sixth-grader Logan Ames stepped up at 75 pounds and nabbed a takedown and near fall to command the tourney title match from start to finish. At 105 pounds, Daniel Lundergreen earned his spot in the finals after a close 4-2 semifinal victory, scoring on two perfectly-executed leg attacks. He took home a silver medal.
At the eighth-grade level, Jordan Hintze and Kevin Quenga joined Sepulveda in taking home gold medals for Pau-Wa-Lu.
Luke Prinz (95), Mark Pieters (100) and Rob Schwoerer (135) each took home silver medals and Cody Hekhuis (90), Chris Karsemeyer (95) and Harlan Paiz (130) each took third place in their brackets.
Kole Lynch (120), Tyler Hyman (115) and Shawn Wight (105) each took fourth place. Derek Super (130) dropped to 15-6 on the year in the tournament but has recorded pins im 12 of his 15 wins.
For CVMS, Wes Franklin and Ames battled it out for the gold in the 105-pound bracket with Franklin handing Ames his first loss of the season.
Nick Prudhomme scored a decisive pin at 140 pounds for the gold medal and Taylor Woodman walked into the finals at 160 pounds and launch an over/under aerial assault for a fast first-period fall, giving Carson Valley four golds and three silvers on the day.
Both teams will compete at Yerington Middle School in the Tah-Neva finals Saturday with wrestling beginning at 9 a.m.
