Van Wert wrestlers compete in Galion

Van Wert independent sports

GALION – Van Wert had three second place finishers – Joaquin Estrada, Keaton Sudduth and Caleb Bledsoe – and the Cougars finished sixth out of 10 teams at the Galion Pool Invitational on Saturday.

Estrada was the runner up at 113 after dropping a 15-6 major decision to Samson St. Germain, while Sudduth (138) fell (5-0) to Aydan Reyes in the finals. Bledsoe (190) was pinned by Landon Campbell in 1:11 in the championship round.

The Cougars had a pair of third place finishers, James Smith and Morgein Bigham. Smith (157) defeated Norwalk’s Derek Phillips 5-0 and Bigham pinned Shelby’s Skyler Winters in 1:16.

Kaedyn Swander (106) finished fourth after being pinned by Arthur Cain of Shelby and Ashton Baer (132) placed fourth after a 1:40 pin by Frank Houston of Galion.

Van Wert’s Xavier Leal (126) finished fifth after pinning Nathan Ganzhorn of Shelby in 49 seconds, and Christian Thatcher and Caleb Wise finished fifth and sixth at 175 pounds.

The Cougars will return to action at the Harding Classic, December 29 and 30 at Marion Harding High School.