DIVISION III WRESTLING Jackson-Milton fourth; Dierkes improves mark

Junior Nick Dierkes won twice in district competition to go 35-0.
By DAVE CRAWFORD
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MENTOR -- At the conclusion of the first two rounds of the Division III district wrestling tournament at Mentor High School, St. Peter Chanel was in first place with 58 points.
Tuslaw was second with 55.5, Burton Berkshire was third with 42, Jackson-Milton was fourth with 32.5 and Brookfield was seventh with 32 in the field of 40 schools.
Brookfield freshman Tristan Thompson won a pair of matches to reach today's semifinals. He decisioned Steven Sale of Pymatuning Valley, 14-11, and Jase Hall of Tuslaw, 12-7.
Freshman Ross Tice (125) of the Warriors also won twice. He decisioned Graham Richardson of Burton Berkshire, 4-2, then decisioned Mark Soldat of Cuyahoga Heights, 6-4.
Junior Dave Dillon (140) of Brookfield earned a spot in the semis as he pinned Matt Meyers of Berkshire, 5:33, and then pinned Matt Besancon of Hillsdale in 2:20.
"We are happy to have two freshmen and a junior in the semis," said Brookfield coach Scott Thompson. "But [today] is when it really counts and that is when we need to really wrestle well."
Junior Nick Dierkes (35-0) of Jackson-Milton pinned Joe Horne of Grand Valley, 4:22, and decisioned Ryan Thatcher of Loudonville, 8-3, to remain unbeaten.
Jake Hambrick of the Bluejays beat Matt Perry of Smithville by technical fall, 25-8, and decisioned Howard Lutz of Independence, 6-5.
Jackson-Milton junior Mark Gibbs (125) decisioned Jeff Hammersmith of Black River, 13-4, then pinned Vuk Pejanovic of Cuyahoga Heights, 3:31.
"Hambrick, Gibbs and Dierkes wrestled well and that gives us three in the semis," said Jackson-Milton coach Dave Tomaino.
Randy Hogue of Brookfield and Nick Tomaino of Jackson-Milton each won first-round matches at 130 pounds, then lost and will start and work their way through the consolations.
The Bluejays' Adam Gettman (119) and the Warriors' John Underwood (189) won, then lost and are in consolations.
Western Reserve's Jordan Spellman won a first-round match at 140 pounds, then lost as did A.J. Seifert (189) of Warren John F. Kennedy, and both are in the consolation bracket.