Making it five dual wins in two days, the Union wrestling Wildcats swept Affton and Westminster Wednesday in a tri-meet at Affton.
Union defeated the host school, 57-15, and also edged Westminster, 39-36.
The Wildcats improved to 13-1 in regular-season dual meets (excluding tournaments set up with duals).
“I really was proud to see how they stepped up this week,” Union Head Coach Justin Cranmer said. “We were without one of the team’s best wrestlers, Alex Gaebe, all week because he got hurt Monday at practice. Everyone on the team from JV wrestlers to the varsity starters really wrestled well to get through two tough days of wrestling undefeated.”
Against Affton, Union’s winners were:
• Grant Henry (182) pinned David Ardrey in 1:57.
• Joseph Parrott (195) pinned Devon Robinson in 3:18.
• James Lewis (220) won an 8-3 decision over Daryl Carr.
• Joe Lasky (285) pinned DaVondre Love in 44 seconds.
“Joe Lasky is really coming on and I look for him to go on a run at the district tournament,” Cranmer said. “He has finally started to understand how to put together a complete match and beat the tough heavyweights.”
• Colton Faber (113) pinned Troy Kahle in 3:48.
• Tyler Pace (120) pinned Shawn Bomarito in 50 seconds.
• Nick (132) Ciaccio pinned Brice Logue in 4:23.
• Devin Maidard (145) pinned Kyle Smith in 2:40.
• Logan Meyer (160) pinned Kalan Skinner-Ward in 1:53.
• Dalton Kuenzel (170) pinned Luke Inman in 2:20.
“Dalton Kuenzel has also really stepped up his wrestling,” Cranmer said. “He is wrestling more confident and is looking really tough. I look for him to make a deep run at the state tournament.”
Shane Foster (126) lost by a 15-9 decision. Dalton Fennessey (126) was pinned.
Affton earned a walkover victory at 152 pounds. Both teams were open at 106.
“I sat four starters (five without Gaebe) against Affton to keep them under their 50 matches allowed and the JV kids wrestled well helping us win big in that dual,” Cranmer said.
In the Westminster meet, Union had rally from a deficit.
“We were down big against Westminster, 30-15, before we went on a run pinning from 145-170 to win the dual,” Cranmer said. “It was an exciting dual because those kids knew what they had to do for us to win the dual and they stepped up and got it done.”
Against Westminster, Union’s winners were:
• Faber (113) earned a 9-5 decision over Joe Welker. It was the only match in the meet which went the distance. All others were pins or forfeits.
• Jordan Nowak (126) pinned Dominic Francescelli in 1:43.
• Devon Fennessey (145) pinned Will Egan in 1:40.
• Cody Pace (152) pinned Eric Shaffer in 58 seconds.
• Kuenzel (170) pinned Brink Thompson in 2:53.
• Lasky (285) pinned Matt Kimberling in 1:49.
Union’s losers were Tyler Pace (120), Ciaccio (132), Foster (138), Henry (182), Parrott (195) and Lewis (220).
