MISHAWAKA — Three Warriors and a Tiger were on the podium at the 42nd Al Smith Classic wrestling tournament.
The 32-team event which draws top teams and individuals from across Indiana concluded its two-day run Saturday at Mishawaka High School.
Wawasee’s Jace Alexander (third at 126 pounds), Logan Stuckman (fifth at 106) and Dylan Tom (sixth at 120) led the way for the Frank Bumgardner-coached Warriors.
Warsaw’s Brock Hueber (fourth at 195) was also among the top finishers and the lone member of Kris Hueber’s Tigers to advance to Day 2.
Junior Alexander (22-1) came in as the No. 1 seed and went 6-1 with three pins, a major decision, a regular decision and a win by disqualification.
“I’m just proud I bounced back from the loss,” said Alexander. “(It was a mental hurdle) without a doubt.” Alexander’s loss was a quarterfinal pin against Chesterton freshman Aidan Torres, who went on to place second.
Improvement is what Alexander has witnessed in himself since last season.
“I’ve gotten a lot better on bottom,” said Alexander. “I’m getting up instead of staying down.
“I’m not fighting as much. I’m a lot better at bottom and neutral.” Alexander then turned his attention to his team, which is on the young side this season.
“We’re working more on conditioning so we can out-pace every other team,” said Alexander. “Talent isn’t there like it has been the past couple years.
“Maybe get ahead in the third period and just keep the pace going when they’re tired.” Freshman Stuckman (21-2) was seeded No. 4 had a 3-2 tournament with two pins and a forfeit.
Sophomore Tom (18-6) was a No. 8 seed and went 4-3 with four pins.
Senior Hueber (21-2) went 4-2 with three regular decisions and a tiebreaker decision. He lost 9-6 to eventual runner-up Ibrahim Khaoucha of Northridge in the semifinals.
“Fourth is not where I wanted to end up,” said Hueber. “I thought there was a good chance I could be in the finals. But that’s wrestling. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way and you’ve got to bounce back.
“I’m just proud and honored to be with the people here (at the Al Smith Classic). This is a great tournament. It’s a great judge of skill and character. Even though it’s not where I thought I might be, it’s a heck of an achievement.” Hueber will also use the experience as a lesson.
“I was undefeated going into this and it’s good to know tangible things that I need to work on,” said Hueber. “When you come here and wrestle these high-quality guys, it shows me I need to work on my high-crotch defense or my starts from the bottom.” What does Hueber do when he’s on top of his game? “I wrestle a lot during the off-season — a lot of Greco(-Roman), a lot of freestyle so I’d say from my feet, working into ties has been good,” said Hueber. “I’ve gotten better on bottom. Running on top has gotten a lot better since last year. Overall, my game has been improving in every aspect of it.” Wawasee wrestlers not advancing to the second day were Hunter Miller (113), Brenden Dilley (132), Elliot Tinsley (138), Tim Shortt (145), Gavin Malone (152), Isiah Faurote (160), Logan Baugh (170), Fernando Hernandez (182), Austin Lajoice (195), Quintin Spitzmacher (220) and Nick Clark (285).
Warsaw grapplers eliminated on Friday were Andrew Ross (126), Isaiah Owens (132), Brock Hogenson (138), Liam Nolin (145), Chris Mcafoose (152), Jacob Linky (160), Jayton Brock (182) and Angel Mendez (220).
AL SMITH CLASSIC
At Mishawaka
Team scores: Indianapolis Cathedral 270, Crown Point 218.5, Perry Meridian 170.5, Mishawaka 166, Chesterton 140, Penn 126.5, Hobart 115.5, Northridge 115, Columbus East 111, Merrillville 108, Zionsville 103, Fort Wayne Carroll 99.5, Garrett 97, Wawasee 89, Bellmont 86, Bloomington South 82.5, Jimtown 76, Fort Wayne Snider 74, Center Grove 73.5, Goshen 73.5, Prairie Heights 73, Lake Central 71.5, South Bend Riley71.5, Peru 69, LaPorte 63, Northwood 62, Lowell 61.5, Plymouth HS 57.5, Warsaw 47, Elkhart Central 39, South Bend Adams 39, Elkhart Memorial 30.
