New London takes third at SEISC tourney

LETTS - Six area wrestling teams were at the Southeast Iowa Super Conference tournament at Louisa-Muscatine High School on Saturday, and it was New London who fared the best. The Tigers finished third place with 141 points, six behind second-place Wapello, and 64 behind Notre Dame, who dominated the tournament with 205.5 points.

New London had two conference champions, and they both came from the same household. Marcel Lopez cruised to the title at 126 pounds, and Dominic Lopez won the bracket at 145.

After receiving a first-round bye, Marcel Lopez dominated his next two matches. The two-time state champion beat Matthew Helscher 23-8 for a technical fall in 3:02 to move onto the 126-pound championship. In the first place match, he defeated finished off the day by beating Highland's Carlos Valenzuela 27-12 for another technical fall, in 4:56.

Dominic Lopez had back-to-back pins in his first two matches, knocking off Wapello's Dylan Woodruff in 1:14 and Van Buren County's Darrin Coffman in 2:20. He defeated Notre Dame's Samuel West 7-2 in the 145-pound championship.

Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union picked up a pair of championships. Lane Scorpil took the 113-pound title, and Chance Malone finished at the top of the 285 pound bracket.

Scorpil had to win just two matches after receiving a first-round bye. He pinned Pekin's Jaxson Kirkbride in 1:02 to advance to the championship match, and followed that with another pin, knocking off Wapello's Zach Harbison for the title.

Like Scorpil, Malone had a first-round bye and finished the day with two pins, but he wasted less time doing it. Malone pinned Wapello's Dakota Bolina in 30 seconds, and followed that by beating New London's Brody Butterbaugh in 59 seconds.

Highland's Easton Schlabaugh won from the second seed in the 106 pound bracket. Schlabaugh pinned WACO's John McLaughlin in 1:38 to move onto the semifinals. In the semis, Schlabaugh pinned Wapello's Dawson Tipps in 57 seconds. He finished off the bracket with a 15-11 decision over top-seeded Carter West of Notre Dame.

Pekin's Mason Juhl became the school's first ever four-time SEISC champion with a victory in the 182-pound bracket, and he did so with two pins. After his first round bye, Juhl pinned Mediapolis' Kyle Vorwerk in the semifinals. He faced Brett Haubrich in the 182-pound championship, and clinched his fourth title with a pin, in 4:16.

Cardinal's Donovan Babock took the top spot at 195 pounds. Babcock was one of only three wrestlers in the 195 pound bracket, allowing him to receive two byes into the championship. When the finals came, Babcock pinned Notre Dame's Cole Jarrett in 3:03 to scoop up a conference crown for the Comets.

Van Buren County didn't leave without an individual title of their own. Brant Tedrow delivered that, at 220 pounds. After his first round bye, Tedrow pinned Wapello's Jacob Miller in 3:42 to advance to the title match. In the finals, Tedrow defeated Louisa-Muscatine's Spencer Kessel with a pin in 1:40.

Mt. Pleasant native Blaine Frazier, who wrestles for Notre Dame, scooped up an SEISC championship at 120 pounds. Frazier pinned Louisa-Muscatine's Riley Norwood in 10 seconds, Wapello's Garret Dickey in 11 seconds, and Mediapolis' Braxton Davis in 1:06.

TEAM SCORES: 1. Notre Dame 205.5; 2. Wapello 147; 3. New London 141; 4. Mediapolis 107; 5. Pekin 102; 6. Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union 101; 7. Van Buren County 84; 8. Highland 72; 9. Louisa-Muscatine 69; 10. Cardinal 60; 11. WACO 10.