Bradfield takes title, Fairfield finishes seventh

CLINTON ? Illness and other commitments kept the Fairfield wrestling team short-handed Saturday at the Bob Leuders Invite in Clinton, but that didn?t stop the Trojans from showing how strong of a squad head coach Jeff Courtright has assembled for 2010.

In a crowded 22-team field, five of the nine wrestlers that did compete wound up with top-five place finishes for the Trojans headlined by Jordan Bradfield?s successful run through every opponent to claim the 145-pound title.

The fourth-seeded Bradfield racked up two wins by fall in the early rounds of the tournament leading up to his 6-2 decision victory vs. Jordan Bakersville of Cedar Rapids Kennedy in the final.

?Jordan had an awesome tournament and wrestled with intensity and focus for every second of every match,? Courtright said. ?He has been working extremely hard all year and is starting to believe in himself at the right time.?

Bradfield?s title helped Fairfield to a seventh-place finish in the team standings ? a result that most certainly would have been improved in lieu of the illness that sidelined Michael Smithburg. The heavyweight has placed in every tournament so far for Fairfield this season.

?Considering we were a little short handed in this tournament, seventh-place is not that bad of a finish,? said Courtright. ?If we would have been at full strength, we probably could have made a run at a top-four finish.?

152-pounder Michael Hammes was also absent along with open slots at the normally filled 119 and 140-pound divisions.

Dakota Simmons took third-place for the Trojans at 125-pounds rebounding from a semifinal loss to Class 3A sixth-ranked Luke Kremer of Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Simmons posted a 13-11 decision vs. Durant?s Alex Wright (Class 1A No. 5) in his consolation match.

?If you?re going to place high in tournaments, you have to have guys bounce back after matches that don?t go their way,? Courtright said.

Ryan Brewington (135) and Tanner Metcalf (189) also made up for early losses with a blitz through consolation rounds to rack up big team points. Brewington lost a quarterfinal match to Wilton?s Kyle Paulsen (Class 2A No. 3) before winning three straight matches to nab fifth-place. Metcalf also lost by decision in the quarterfinals before rounding up three wins.

Logan Metcalf (Class 2A No. 9) sealed up fourth-place for the Trojans at 215-pounds by starting the day with two victories.

Paris Chookolingo (112), Aaron Gevock (130), Seth Davisson (160) and Jeff Guttry (171) all wrestled but did not place with Gevock and Guttry picking up victories.

The next tournament action for Fairfield will be the Southeast Iowa Classic Saturday at FHS, but the Trojans must first get through an SEC dual at Washington Tuesday.

Bob Leuders Invite (@ Clinton)

Final Team Standings

1. Waverly-Shell Rock (249.5), 2. CR Kennedy (147), 3. Milton, Wisc. (143.5), 4. Sauk Prairie, Wisc. (124), 5. Northeast (113), 6. Mt. Vernon (111), 7. Fairfield (87), 8. Davenport Central (85), 9. Durant-Bennett (83.5), 10. Newton (78.5), 11. Muscatine (75), 12. Clinton (59), 13. CR Washington (51.5), 14. Wilton (50.5), 15. Dubuque Senior (41.5), 16. Dubuque Wahlert (36.5), 17. Morrison, Ill. (33), 18. Lena Winslow, Ill. (31), 19. West Carroll, Ill. (19), 20. Davenport North (16), 21. Clinton JV (7), 22. Camanche (6)

Fairfield Individual Results

103 ? open; 112 ? Chookolingo (0-2, DNP); 119 ? open; 125 ? Simmons (3-1, 3rd); 130 ? Gevock (2-2, DNP); 135 ? Brewington (4-1, 5th); 140 ? open; 145 ? Bradfield (4-0, 1st); 152 ? open; 160 ? Davisson (0-2, DNP); 171 ? Guttry (1-2, DNP); 189 ? T. Metcalf (4-1, 5th); 215 ? L. Metcalf (2-2, 4th); 285 ? open