BLOOMINGTON – Bedford North Lawrence’s Ethan Stancombe wrestled his way to a title during the annual Bo Henry Classic at Bloomington North on Saturday.
Stancombe recorded two impressive victories on the mat while winning the individual championship at 157 pounds. The Stars finished eighth in the nine-team field with 68.5 points, while Terre Haute North (266.5) edged Avon (264) for the top team prize.
After receiving a forfeit in the quarterfinal round, Stancombe clamped down Terre Haute North’s Tanner Gillin in 1:28 in the semifinal, then dominated Avon’s Isaiah Shelton by a 17-7 decision in the final while improving to 13-2 this season. Stancombe also reached 90 wins for his career.
“Ethan dominated again today,” BNL coach Mike Branam said. “It is great to see how much he has grown technically and mentally since last season.”
Wyatt Philpott finished third at 120 pounds. He overpowered Terre Haute North’s Cooper Schaumleffel by a 16-0 technical fall in the consolation round, then topped Bloomington North’s Isaiah Shirley by a 13-7 score in the third-place match.
Other top finishers for the Stars included Asher Arce (fifth at 165) and Reese Ritter (sixth at 190).
“We had a pretty good day overall,” Branam said. “We had a couple of kids get their first wins of the season. Asher Arce and Reese Ritter were two who put together a nice run to secure a spot on the podium, to cap off their best day of the season so far.
“With a young team like we have, we have to constantly celebrate the small victories, learn from our defeats, and keep a positive mental attitude and work ethic. This team is doing just that.”
BNL will compete in the Holiday Classic at Mooresville on Dec. 27
