By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
BRISTOW – Eight placers led third-ranked Piedmont to a runner-up finish in the 2018 Chuck West Invitational last weekend, including champions at two weight classes.
Senior Josh Heindselman and junior Austin Cooley kept their unbeaten streaks alive with 4-0 championship runs while the Cats also placed second, third and fourth twice with fifth and sixth-place finishers as well.
Heinsdselman made quick work of the heavyweight bracket, pinning all four of his opponents, including a first-round fall over Delsin Bynum in the championship match for his 10th straight win. Cooley nearly mirrored his teammates performance at 170 pounds, finishing with three wins by fall and a 10-5 decision, including a first-round fall over Bridge Creek’s Devon Baez in the championship match for his 10th straight victory.
Seniors Mitchell Lance and Braden Culp each finished second in their weight classes, Lance at 132 pounds and Culp at 182.
Lance won by fall before a major-decision and a 8-2 win boosted him into the championship match where he lost by fall to Miami’s Cooper Stone in the first round. Culp lost by fall in the championship match at 182 as well after two pins and a tiebreaker win in his first three matches.
Juniors Landis Scoon and Thomas Jenkins each finished fourth, Scoon at 152 pounds and Jenkins at 160.
Scoon picked up a major-decision win in the second round before being knocked to the consolation bracket with a 15-12 loss to Jenks’ Drake Vannoy. He rebounded with three straight wins before losing by fall to Ft. Gibson’s Cade Waltman in the consolation finals.
Jenkins picked up a first-round major-decision win before being knocked to the consolation bracket with a loss by fall in the second round. He also came back with three straight wins before losing 3-1 to Bishop Carroll’s Matthew Morrell in the consolation finals.
Junior Jeremy Stuckett finished fifth at 126 pounds. He picked up two wins by fall before being knocked into the fifth-place match with a 4-1 loss in the semifinals. He knocked off Berryhill’s Kyle Tabor for fifth place.
Junior Tabor McClure rounded out Piedmont’s placers with a sixth-place run at 138 pounds. He lost in the second round to fall into the consolation bracket where he rebounded with five straight wins before losing 8-6 to Cleveland’s Dylan Brown in the fifth-place match.
Juniors Bryce DiGiacinto and Bo Hardy and freshman Alan Flores each added to their individual win-columns. DiGiacinto went 4-2 at 145 pounds, Hardy went 3-2 at 152 and Flores went 1-2 at 120.
The Wildcats finished second overall by just one half of a point to Wichita-Haysville (Kan.). Class 4A No. 3 Cushing finished third, Class 3A No. 6 Bridge Creek finished fourth and the host, Class 4A No. 6 Bristow finished fifth.
Piedmont travels to Enid this weekend for the 2018 Mid-America Nationals before returning to the dual-slate against Shawnee Monday.
