BRANCH COUNTY – For the past five years, the fate of the Big 8 Conference title in the sport of wrestling has rested with two local teams, as the powerhouse programs from Bronson and Union City have battled back-and-forth for conference supremacy.
This season, it was Bronson getting the upper hand, going undefeated in dual meet action at 7-0 while also taking the Big 8 Conference tournament win, wrapping up the Big 8 title.
Union City finished in a close second to Bronson, finishing with a dual meet record of 6-1 while taking second place in the conference tournament. Springport finished in third, followed by Quincy, Reading, Maple Valley, Stockbridge, and Concord.
Branch County athletes ran away with the honors as far as Big 8 all conference teams were concerned as local athletes took nine of the 14 first team spots.
From Bronson it was Layne Knisely at 165 pounds; Mason Lindsey at 175 pounds; and Sam Tappenden at 285 pounds, all earning first team honors.
Union City came away with five first team honors, with Blayne Crance taking first at 106 pounds; Kaden “KK” Russell taking first at 120; Logan Mears with a win at 138; Alex Boyer with a win at 150; and Montana Connell taking first at 157 pounds.
Quincy’s Caleb Rose also brought home a conference title, winning the 132 pounds weight class.
Big 8 All-Conference honors, top four finishers
106- Crance, Union City; Mason Thurber, Springport; Ryan Rose, Quincy; Landon Allen, Stockbridge
113- Reid Westfall, Reading; Sheamus O’Hearn, Springport; Braydon Crosby, Bronson; Roman Schilz, Maple Valley
120- Russell, Union City; Owen Thomas, Springport; Jovani Ramos, Bronson; Owen Parker, Reading
126- Jacob Potter, Springport; Westin Connell, Union City; Kenric Smith, Bronson
132- Rose, Quincy; Trenton Hamilton, Springport; Gabe Mowry, Union City; Brier Green, Bronson
138- Mears, Union City; Owen Kimmons, Bronson; Tanner Stevens, Springport; Robert Schilz, Maple Valley
144- Flip Nowak, Maple Valley; Brycen Finchem, Bronson; Andrew Tundevold, Union City; Chris Conant, Stockbridge
150- Boyer, Union City; Kaden Sizemore, Springport; Caleb Harvey, Bronson; Jaavaid McCarley, Reading
157- Connell, Union City; Collin York, Bronson; Mateo Ortiz-Martinez, Stockbridge; Jeremiah Penny, Maple Valley
165- Knisely, Bronson; Landon Bearden, Quincy; Brendan Barrett, Springport; Cohen Burdick, Union City
175- Lindsey, Bronson; Lukas Strine, Reading; Johnny Olmstead, Union City; Noah Kelly, Quincy
190- Jackson Burpee, Maple Valley; Lucas Dixon, Quincy; Trevor Gilchrist, Springport; Klara Hays, Stockbridge
215- Isaac Westfall, Reading; Bennett Pierucki, Bronson; Hayden Peters, Quincy; William “Terry” Thompson, Union City
285- Tappenden, Bronson; Luke Conkright, Union City; Joe Long, Maple Valley; Cayleb Wright, Reading
