Nine individual placers meant a fifth-place team finish for the Seward wrestlers Dec. 30 at Shelby-Rising City. The Bluejays went 7-2 in the medal round, winning six matches by pin.
“A lot are beating guys with better records. So many were seeded lower than they finished,” Coach Andy Sistek said. “We are battle tested.”
The Jays saw good competition from teams like Schuyler, Logan View and Crete. SHS had five wrestlers finish third in the tournament.
Kaleb Torres (138), Xander Foulk (144), Caleb Jackson (150), Caden Schadwinkel (190) and Cooper Fern (285) earned bronze medals.
Jackson pinned Lane Belina of Howells-Dodge, a returning state placer, in the consolation semifinals and then pinned a wrestler from Platteview in the third-place match. All five of his match wins were by pin.
After losing his first match, Torres pinned his next three opponents to finish third. Foulk was 3-1 with three pins, as well. Schadwinkel pinned two of his opponents in less than 35 seconds total and won two matches by decision. Fern was 1-2 with a pin.
Cardin Goracke (175) and Aidan Summa (215) each finished fifth, and Tayden Rasgorshek (113) and Cale Oborny (157) were sixth.
Sistek said the Bluejay wrestlers are showing good work ethic in the practice room and want to do well.
“We need to master the basics before we go on,” he said. “We hope things start to click at the right time.”
Seward is next at Beatrice Saturday, Jan. 6, for a tournament. Teams like Beatrice, Norris, Crete and McCook, which will host Seward’s district, are in the field.
Sistek said seeing that good competition will help the Jays improve in the areas that are still lacking.
“It will help us become the best we can be,” he said.
