HHS wrestlers win 3rd straight title

HHSwrHeinRem(113).jpg
HHSwrHeinRem(113).jpg

Hillsboro?s John Hein maneuvers against Dillon Ward of Clearwater at the Remington Invitational on Saturday. Hein contributed to the Trojan team title with a third-place finish in the 189-pound class.

The Hillsboro wrestling team added an exclamation point to the end of its regular-season schedule Saturday by claiming its third straight tournament title, this time at the Remington Invitational.

Final team results were not yet available at press time, but the Trojans outscored a field that included Augusta, Central Heights, Clearwater, Douglass, Flint Hills, McPher?son, Remington, Southeast of Saline and West Elk.

The Trojans had four weight-class champions: senior Alex Jost at 112 pounds won his first varsity tournament title of his career, Nicholas Mueller won his third straight title this season at 135, Tyler Jones won at 145 and Jacob Yoder at 189. Yoder was voted the outstanding wrestler of the tournament.

Mueller is now four wins away from tying the school record for most wins in a season (36) held by Andrew Bina. Yoder is now tied with Ronnie Davis and Eric Cress for the school record for most pins (23) in a season.

Finishing as runners-up at Remington in their respective classes were Jared King (140), Zach Jost (160) and Frankie Martin (171). Robby McClelland (125), Grady Stultz (152) and John Hein (215) each placed third.

The Trojans had preceded the tournament with a pair of wins Thursday at Marion to end its dual season with a 13-1 record.

?As a whole, the team wrestled well on Thursday and Saturday,? coach Scott O?Hare said. ?Although there were a few performances that were not what we hoped to see at this time of the season, overall our technique is looking pretty good and the guys are wrestling with more intensity.

?They are improving their ability to control their opponents in more situations,? he added. ?I also believe many of them are beginning to feel more confident in reacting during matches rather than thinking things through first.?

Thursday at Marion, Hillsboro blanked Haven 65-0 in its opening dual. Only three match wins were by default as the Trojans went 10-0 on the mat with victories by Alex Jost, Aaron Bina, Mueller, King, Jones, Stultz, Zach Jost, Martin, Yoder and Hein.

Hillsboro came back to beat Lyons 64-12 in the second dual. Claiming victories on the mat for the Trojans were Bina, Darren Mueller, Zach Jost, Yoder and CJ Shaw. The Trojans supplemented those victories with six wins by default.

The Trojans? 13-1 record in duals is second-best in school history only to the 13-0 mark two years ago. Hillsboro also finishes as the MCAA dual co-champions, tied with Hoisington, the only team to outscore Hillsboro.

Over the past three seasons, the Trojans have compiled a 38-2 dual record.

Coming?Hillsboro will be looking to earn berths in the Class 3-2-1A state wrestling tournament Feb. 22-23 in Hays when they compete this weekend in the regional tournament at Eureka.

Joining the Trojans in the field will be Anthony, Caney Valley, Cherryvale, Chase County, Erie, Eureka, Garden Plain, Goessel, Halstead, West Elk, Bluestem, Marion, Jayhawk Linn, Neodesha, Peabody-Burns, Colgan, Flint Hills, Sedgwick, Remington and Wichita Indepen?dent.

Grady Stultz, 21-9 for Hills?boro ths season, will represent Goessel in the post-season.

?I am hopeful our recent success is a good indication of us being prepared for the post-season,? O?Hare said. ?We have four practices left this week to fine-tune some things?then it?s time to see if they can pull it all together.?

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