Injuries and the ACT test limited the Bayfield High School wrestling team to nine competitors on Saturday at the Dove Creek tournament. Still, the Wolverines battled to a fourth-place finish out of 12 teams.
“Last week we wrestled with a lot of heart but were really green. (Saturday) we kind of built on that quite a bit,” BHS head coach Todd McMenimen said. “The heart was there; conditioning was better today.”
Garrett Beebe notched Bayfield’s only first-place finish at 106 pounds with a 4-0 record. Jake Sandrey was 2-1 at 113 pounds but didn’t qualify for the final part of the bracket, Cody Speece finished third at 3-1 at 120 pounds and Taylor Winch went 4-1 at 132 pounds to finish third.
“When Taylor relaxed and wrestled, it’s the Taylor Winch I’ve been looking for for three years,” McMenimen said. “If he can harness that and keep doing that all year, we’re going to be in good shape.”
Blaine Barnes took second at 195 pounds at 2-1, losing to who McMenimen called “a tough kid from John Mall in a tight match.”
Sam Westbrook also finished second after going 3-1 at heavyweight.
Cash Snooks split his matches at 152 pounds to finish 2-2 on the day.
Lane Grimwood and Austin Baughman both went 0-4 at 145 and 138 pounds, respectively.
“It was a good day all the way around,” McMenimen said.
BHS next will wrestle at the Moon Valley Tournament on Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona.
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