SARANAC — Only 12 points separated the top three teams in Saturday’s highly-competitive Section VII Wrestling Championships.
Dylan Cogswell’s win by fall at 285 pounds pushed defending champion Saranac over Beekmantown to win the team title.
The Spartans finished with 172 points and the Eagles ended up with 168. Champlain Valley Athletic Conference champion Northern Adirondack led the way with five individual champions and took third with 160.
Teegan Smith (108 pounds), Alex Clancy (138) and Cogswell represented the three Saranac weight class winners.
“Seniors Alex and Dylan came through for us, along with Teegan,” Saranac coach Heath Smith said. “Dylan’s pin at 285 was the difference.
“But wins and the extra points you get for pins throughout the day count. Jimmy Perry (190) and Chase Scovil (160) came back to both finish third and get us some huge points because Beekmantown wrestled very well.
“The team kept getting better throughout the season and continued to work hard. We didn’t want to look behind to the wrestlers we lost to injury at the start of the season.”
Teegan Smith won the Most Outstanding Wrestler award.
The sectional win was especially gratifying for three-time sectional winner Clancy, who missed a good share of this season with a shoulder injury. Clancy was also the winner of prestigious Champion of Champions award.
“It’s awesome to win the sectional title,” Clancy said. “When I was hurt, I was still with the team and put pressure on the guys to do well. I wanted to set the tone when I came back. I’m about as close to 100 percent as I will be and it all paid off today.
“I also lost some time to injury in my sophomore season. But I’m not done, I still have states.”
Meanwhile the Eagles had a strong meet with three-time sectional champion Sawyer Bell (131), along with Jacob Magiera (145) and Jack Brown (170), all winning their weight classes.
“We ended up with three champions and the team wrestled very well,” longtime Beekmantown coach Lenny Gadway said. “We had wrestlers in 10 of the weight classes and it might have been different if we had been able to fill all the classes.
“But I couldn’t have asked for much more from the team and we did just about as well as we could.”
The Bobcats came away with five individual champions in Jackson LaBarge (101), Hayden Bartlemus (116), Reece LaBarge (124), Parker Manor (160) and Trey McGee (215).
“We had seven in the finals and won five,” NAC coach Brad Trombley said. “Five champions is the most we’ve had since I’ve been coach and that’s a good number to be sending to states.
“We’ve had a real good season.”
The Patriots claimed the other two weight classes with Dom LaPier (152) and Warren Pray (190) earning their trips to the states. LaPier also became a three-time sectional champion.
The Section VII individual champions will now compete in the NYSPHSAA Division II Wrestling Championships held on February 23-24 at the MVP Arena in Albany.
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Section VII Wrestling Championships
Team scores
1, Saranac, 172. 2, Beekmantown, 168. 3, Northern Adirondack, 160. 4, AuSable Valley, 119. 5, Peru, 113. 6, Seton Catholic, 8.
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Individual weight classes
101- 1, Jackson LaBarge (NAC) dec. Colby Roesler (SCS), 10-7.
3, Alyn Capen (PCS) pinned Bradyn Turcotte (SCS), :35.
108- 1, Teegan Smith (SCS) pinned Lily Blazina (BCS), :34.
2, Nolan Gilmore (NAC) pinned Taylor Durney (SC), 2:43.
116- 1, Hayden Bartlemus (NAC) pinned Owen Stiles (SCS), 1:39.
3, Mason Facteau (BCS) pinned Kelsey Trowbridge (NAC), 3:30.
124- 1, Reece LaBarge (NAC) dec. Gavin Morrow (SCS), 2-0.
3- Spencer Davies (PCS) pinned Grace Blazina (BCS), :22.
131- 1, Sawyer Bell (BCS) pinned Owen Smith (NAC), 1:56.
3, Seanan Edwards (PCS) dec. Connor LaMora (SCS), 9-3.
138- 1, Alex Clancy (SCS) pinned Mason Starke (PCS), 1:09.
3, Logan Yeager (AVCS) dec. Jeremiah King (PCS), 7-2.
145- 1, Jacob Magiera (BCS) dec. Dustin LaBarge (NAC), 10-6.
3- Landen Goddeau (PCS) dec. Jonathan Fletcher (AVCS), 4-3.
152- 1, Dom LaPier (AVCS) pinned Branigan Boulds (SCS), 2:35.
3, Corbin Willette (BCS) injury default over Kyle Reif (NAC), 4:54.
160- 1, Parker Manor (NAC) dec. Lucas Corrado (BCS), 6-1.
3- Chase Scovil (SCS) dec. Owen Pray (AVCS), 8-5.
170- 1, Jack Brown (BCS) pinned Landen Gadway (SCS), 1:50.
3- A.J. Swetson (AVCS) pinned Myles Cummings (PCS), 3:44.
190- 1, Warren Pray (AVCS) dec. Alex Hall (BCS), 2-0.
3, Jimmy Perry (SCS) pinned Joshua Wheatley (PCS), 3:47.
215- 1, Trey McGee (NAC) pinned Nathan Rondeau (AVCS), :56.
3- R.J. Bishop (PCS) pinned Arthur Trudo (NAC), 2:26.
285- 1, Dylan Cogswell (SCS) pinned Bryce Wiggins (PCS), :44.
3, Lazaro Herrera (BCS) sudden victory over Connor SantaMaria (AVCS), 3-1.