Two Bronco wrestlers qualify for Regional Tournament, two serve as alternates

The Broncos wrestling team began their post season with four athletes competing at the South League District Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 4, to determine their ranking in the Regional Tournament on Feb. 11.

The Broncos have two wrestlers who qualified for the Regional Tournament, while two additional athletes will serve as alternates.

The wrestlers who competed in the tournament were Tristan Regan, Dylan Lane, Alex Whitman and Tucker Guiles.

Regan wrestled at 106 pounds against Warden’s Corey Perryman. Head Coach Jason Hilzer said Perryman caught Regan out of position and forced him to lose by pin in the second round.

The loss placed Regan in third place and allowed him to advance to the Regional Tournament.

Guiles wrestled at 285 pounds against Tyler Houffman of Waitsburg. Hilzer said Guiles has won against Houffman in a previous match, but he knows it is difficult to beat the same athlete twice.

After three rounds of strong wrestling, Guiles lost 6-9 to Houffman. He finished in third place and will go to Regionals, said Hilzer.

Lane wrestled next against David Just from Waitsburg at 138 pounds. Just’s skill level proved to be more advanced than Lane, causing him to lose by pin in the first round.

For his second match, Lane wrestled Nathan Teiffer from Reardan. Teiffer recognized an opportunity to take down Lane and pinned him in the second period, said Hilzer.

With additional mat time Hilzer said he believes Lane could have challenged Teiffer better.

Lane wrestled Nate Barney from Colfax for his final match of the tournament.

The physical exertion from the previous two matches affected Lane’s performance in his final match, as he lost by pin in the second round.

The loss placed Lane in fifth place and as an alternate for Regionals, said Hilzer.

Whitman then wrestled Ben Ahnam from Colfax at 145 pounds. Hilzer said Ahnam caught Whitman on a throw, which caused him to lose by pin in the first round.

He then wrestled Reardan’s Conner Houlihan for his second match of the tournament. Hilzer said Whitman wrestled well against Houlihan as they had similar skill levels.

After a tough fight, Whitman lost 4-6 at the end of the third round.

For his final match of the tournament Whitman wrestled Garret Baum of Liberty. Having a slight weight advantage over Baum allowed Whitman to quickly pin him in the first round, said Hilzer.

The win allowed him to finish fifth and be an alternate for the Regional Tournament.

As the team prepares for the Regional Tournament, Hilzer said they are attempting to work through multiple injuries plaguing the Broncos.

With Guiles and Regan being the athletes to compete in the tournament, Hilzer said he expects the wrestlers to do well and have a chance to qualify for the State Tournament.

Hilzer said the Broncos will focus on situational wrestling in practice this week in an attempt to improve their overall skill before competing against elite athletes in the tournament.