BLOOMSBURG — Two falls, two shutout victories, another DKI Wrestling Tournament championship for Pottsville senior Luke Gardner.
Gardner led a gold rush for local wrestlers Saturday, as seven won individual championships at Bloomsburg High School. Gardner was also named the tournament’s Most Dominating Wrestler.
Gardner (138) and Williams Valley senior Willy Girard (113) became three-time DKI champs, while Pottsville junior Richie Bentz (132) won his second straight.
Mount Carmel crowned three champions. Sophomore Tommy McDonald (152) decisioned Hanover Area’s Noah Rakowski 7-4; senior Gabe Bogutskie (182) routed Troy’s Zach Zimmerman 12-2; and senior Allen Yancoskie (195) pinned Bloomsburg’s Tommy Harrison in 5:23.
Upper Dauphin junior Jackson Kennerly (160) also won a title, holding off Mahanoy Area’s Matt Lewandowski 6-4.
In the team race, Warrior Run ran away from the 20-team field, winning with 211 points. The surprise team may have been Williams Valley, which placed second with 147.5. The Vikings took sixth at last year’s DKI.
Host Bloomsburg (141) placed third, with Pottsville (127) and Mount Carmel (124) rounding out the top five. Upper Dauphin (115) took sixth.
“We did good. I’m proud of everybody,’’ Williams Valley coach Jason Chamberlain said. “We’re coming together as a team. I don’t know if we brought our best team (due to injuries). Everybody fought hard.’’
Gardner had falls in 26 seconds and 2:20 to make the semifinals, then advanced with an 11-0 major decision. In the finals, he turned Valley View’s Marc Stine four times in a 15-0 technical fall that lasted 4:04.
“I’m just trying to enjoy each tournament, each match,’’ Gardner said. “Going to practice with the same mindset, work hard, have fun. It’s my last year, so I’m trying to enjoy every moment of it.
“I’m trying to have fun, and it’s helping my wrestling,’’ he added. “When I enjoy the wrestling, that’s when I do my best.’’
At the same time on an adjacent mat, Bentz made quick work of Valley View’s Brett Uhrin, clamping on a headlock and planting him in 56 seconds.
“I just hit it,’’ Bentz said.
Earlier, Girard got all he could handle from Upper Dauphin freshman Bronson Garber, winning 4-3 in the ultimate tiebreaker.
Neither wrestler could do much on his feet, though Girard nearly had the winning takedown at the end of regulation. Garber fended it off at the edge by keeping his hips an inch off the mat and forced overtime.
They went scoreless in the 1-minute sudden victory and traded escapes in the 30-second tiebreaker periods. Since he scored first (an escape in the second period), Garber got the choice for the ultimate tiebreaker and chose down. Girard, though, locked in tight with legs and stayed on top for the entire 30-second UTB to earn the decisive point.
Though he’s coming back after a soccer injury suffered over the summer, Girard proved to himself he could go the distance — all 8 minutes, 30 seconds of it.
“On top in the ultimate tiebreaker I had to hold on tight,’’ Girard said. “I just went for it. … Coming back from my injury, it feels good. It’s definitely not where I want it to be.’’
Others settling for silver were Schuylkill Haven senior Trevyn Fessler (170) and Williams Valley juniors Daymian Shoop (220) and Ian Minnich (285).
At Bloomsburg H.S.
Saturday’s results
Team scores: 1. Warrior Run (WR) 211, 2. Williams Valley (WV) 147.5, 3. Bloomsburg (BL) 141, 4. Pottsville (PO) 127, 5. Mount Carmel (MC) 124, 6. Upper Dauphin (UD) 115, 7. Valley View (VV) 108, 8. Meyers (ME) 104.5, 9. Pine Grove (PG) 101, 10. Troy (TR) 92, 11. Mahanoy Area (MA) 77, 12. Hanover Area (HA) 70, 13. Schuylkill Haven (SH) 68, 14. Berwick (BW) 61, 15. Central Columbia (CC) 56.5, 16. Canton (CA) 49.5, 17. Tamaqua (TA) 46, 18. Sullivan County (SU) 45.5, 19. Montgomery (MTG) 41, 20. Wilkes-Barre GAR (GAR) 12.
Championship finals
106 — Bronzburg (BL) pinned Goodspeed (WR), :45
113 — Girard (WV) dec. Garber (UD), 4-3 UTB
120 — Pasone (MY) pinned Bennett (HA), 4:59
126 — Hanford (WR) dec. Chamberlin (MTG), 5-4
132 — Bentz (PO) pinned Uhrin (VV), :56
138 — Gardner (PO) tech. fall Stine (VV), 15-0, 4:04
145 — LeBarron (WR) pinned Milbrand (BL), 3:47
152 — McDonald (MC) dec. Rakowski (HA), 7-4
160 — Kennerly (UD) dec. Lewandowski (MA), 6-4
170 — Ammerman (SU) maj. dec. T. Fessler (SH), 11-3
182 — Bogutskie (MC) maj. dec. Zimmerman (TR), 12-2
195 — Yancoskie (MC) pinned Harrison (BL), 5:23
220 — Bryington (CA) pinned Shoop (WV), 2:56
285 — Bohannon (WR) pinned Minnich (WV), 1:54
3rd-place bouts
106 — Pesta (WV) tech. fall Strobel (MY), 16-0, TNA
113 — Green (PO) dec. Heiss (WR), 4-2
120 — Milbrand (BL) maj. dec. Judge (VV), 10-0
126 — Huertero (MY) pinned Raho (WV), 3:34
132 — McHugh (TA) maj. dec. Talanca (BW), 11-2
138 — Binford (TR) dec. Williams (CC), 5-0
145 — Hoffman (UD) dec. Rebuck (WV), 7-2
152 — Diehl (BL) dec. Bergold (MY), 8-5
160 — Hanford (WR) maj. dec. Maczuga (BW), 9-0
170 — Howard (WR) dec. McAllister (UD), 8-4
182 — Kolby Kleckner (PO) dec. N. Fegley (MA), 3-2
195 — Gelnett (UD) dec. Rittenbaugh (PG), 3-1
220 — Shurock (MC) dec. Kurelja (BL), 9-4
285 — Herb (PG) dec. Motko (SH), 8-4
5th-place bouts
106 — Armstead (PG) pinned Williams (TR), 2:24
113 — Daldo (MTG) pinned Mader (TA), 4:54
120 — Cohick (TR) forfeit over Miller (WR)
126 — Waltman (CC) dec. Rossi (PG), 3-0
132 — Watson (MC) forfeit over Styer (WR)
138 — Kintzel (PG) pinned Kemble (WV), 3:46
145 — Klouser (CA) forfeit over Meckes (VV)
152 — C. Fegley (MA) dec. Babcock (VV), 11-5
160 — Painter (PO) maj. dec. Weidner (MC), 10-1
170 — Kester (CC) dec. McWhinnie (TR), 2-0
182 — Phillippy (PG) pinned Fisher (BW), 3:15
195 — Kory Kleckner (PO) dec. Cupp (WR), 6-2
220 — Rigby (TR) pinned Borum (MY), 2:45
285 — Roediger (HA) pinned Pittsman (VV), :17