By winning three Four Rivers Conference dual wrestling meets during the week, Pacific has set its sights on a showdown with Union for the league championship.
The Indians notched FRC dual wins Tuesday at St. Clair 51-27 and Thursday at Owensville over the Dutchmen 47-28 and St. James, 44-25.
Pacific visits Union Thursday, Jan. 31, in a battle of two unbeaten teams in the FRC that will decide the conference championship.
“It will be a close meet that will come down to two or three swing matches,” said Pacific Head Coach Rob Schimsa. “If we wrestle the way we’re capable, we have a good chance to be conference champions. I’m sure Union feels the same way.”
Pacific defeated Union in a dual meet at the Hillsboro Tournament during December.
Austin Repp (170), a junior, reached 100 pins for his career during the St. James meet. He’s Pacific’s all-time leader in that category. He now has 134 career wins.
St. Clair
Pacific won five of the eight contested matches and nine overall in a 51-27 victory Tuesday at St. Clair High School.
“I was pleased with how we wrestled,” said Schimsa. “Everyone wrestled and competed hard.”
St. Clair took three contested matches and five overall.
“I was pretty pleased with our overall performance,” said St. Clair Head Coach Brent Yule. “Hat’s off to Pacific. They have a really tough team. Coach Schimsa does a real nice job with his guys and they are always ready to wrestle.”
Pacific’s winners in contested matches were:
• Josh Franek (106) pinned Kris Heembrock in 3:50;
• Zain Mathena (113) pinned Ethan Koenig in 52 seconds;
• Joe Rind (120) pinned Chris Algiere in 5:41;
• Dalton Voyles (152) pinned Austin Nappier in 1:36; and
• Curtis Paglusch (160) won a 7-5 decision over Hayden Norton.
Winning by forfeit for the Indians were Jeff Miller (138), Joon Kim (145), Repp (170) and Andrew Cooper (182).
“Mathena quietly is having a very good year. He’s ranked now, so people will be looking for him,” Schimsa said. “We’re solid down low with Franek, Mathena and Rind right off the bat. We’re also solid in the middle weight classes.”
St. Clair’s winners in contested matches were:
• Chase Cohen (126) pinned Matthew Schimsa in 3:52;
• Austin Koenig (132) won a 12-6 decision over Lane Smith; and
• Colton Huddleston (285) pinned Tim Toney in 29 seconds.
Winning by forfeit for the Bulldogs were Skyler Hutchison (195) and Matt Gordon (220).
“Chase Cohen wrestled well. He has really bought in to our program philosophy and style and it has shown. He has progressed and improved so much from last year and earlier this year,” Yule said. “Austin Koenig and Hayden Norton also wrestled tough.”
Owensville
Pacific claimed eight of the 11 contest matches in the win Thursday over Owensville.
Pacific’s winners were:
• Franek (106) pinned Brent Korman in 1:54;
• Mathena (113) pinned Casey Allen in 23 seconds;
• Rind (120) won by a 10-8 decision over Wyatt Harrell;
• Miller (132) won by a 12-1 major decision over Matthew Polmann;
• Kim (145) pinned Jonathan Marquez in 1:34;
• Voyles (152) pinned Conrad Bombach in 3:04
• Repp (170) pinned Christopher Dolles in 1:52; and
• Cooper (182) won by a 15-5 major decision over Nicholas Plocinski.
Toney (285) won by forfeit.
Owensville’s winners were:
• Kiowa Wright (126) pinned Schimsa in 5:01;
• Dalton Chapman (138) pinned Devin Somers in 59 seconds; and
• Cody Dolles (160) won by a 12-3 major decision over Paglusch.
Alton Harrell (195) and Dalton Escalante (220) won by forfeit.
St. James
Pacific took eight of the 12 contested matches against St. James.
Pacific’s winners were:
• Rind (120) pinned Sean Hunter in 4:20;
• Schimsa (126) pinned Samuel Bunyard in 3:19;
• Miller (132) won by technical fall 17-0 over Seth Thompson;
• Kim (145) won by a 4-0 decision over Taylor Busche;
• Voyles (152) pinned Grant Brooks in 1:47;
• Paglusch (160) won by a 9-5 decision over Mason Ragland;
• Repp (170) pinned Marshall Woolsey in 1:38; and
• Cooper (182) won by an 8-6 decision over Robert Watson.
Franek (106) won by forfeit.
St. James’ winners were:
• Daniel McCarthy (113) won a 2-0 decision over Mathena;
• Daniel Davis (138) won a 11-2 major decision over Somers;
• Jake Gleason (195) pinned Jarrett Harrison in 2:15; and
• Cordell Albin (285) pinned Toney in 2:39.
Marcus Bradshaw (220) won by forfeit.
