KARL PEARSON
MADISON TOWNSHIP — Saturday was a history-making event in Premier Athletic Conference wrestling with the first championship decided in a tournament format.
The South Rebels had the distinction of becoming the first champions under the new format, claiming their second straight PAC title in the process at Madison High School. South was a rousing winner, racking up 219 points to easily outdistance Riverside, which finished with 189 points. The Rebels did so by claiming individual championships at 125, 140, 145, 171 and 215 pounds.
But area teams also made their presence felt in creating memorable moments, too. Riverside, for instance, received championships from Mitch Diemert (135), Sean Schilling (189) and Jake Rich (285).
Coach Scott Blank was pleased with the Beavers’ performance.
“I’m proud of the boys,” he said. “They wrestled real well. On paper, South looked like it was better, and they wrestled well, but I was happy where the kids are at.”
Madison finished third with 170.5 points and had the distinction of crowning the first PAC Tournament champion when freshman Nick Montgomery earned an 18-2 technical fall at 103 pounds. He was later joined as a champion by Matt Turek at 119.
Montgomery proved a man of few words despite his milestone.
“I’m excited,” he said of his special moment. “It’s better to (decide the championship) with (a tournament). I think it’s better to bring all the teams together. It’s good to help get ready for sectionals, too.”
The wins by Montgomery and Turek were just some of the highlights of the day for Madison coach Ryan Wirtzberger. He was hoping for more from the Blue Streaks, though.
“Having the first PAC Tournament champion means a lot and we had three kids place in the top four in the first four weights,” he said. “Having Nick be the first was a special feeling.
“We weren’t completely disappointed with third. Eighty percent of our team wrestled well. Our goal was to place all 14 wrestlers in the top four, so that was a little disappointing. Nick and Matt did nice jobs. It makes you feel like you’re doing the job correctly.”
Geneva finished fourth with 147.5 points. The Eagles were unable to crown a champion, with their best finishes a pair of seconds from Dalton Franco (125) and David Leishman (285).
Eagles coach Dwitz Fritz was hoping for a better showing.
“I don’t think we wrestled very well,” he said. “We didn’t have a champion, although we had nine guys wrestling for either first or third.
“We just weren’t hitting it today. I wish I could tell you why. I don’t know if it was from the jitters from the first PAC Tournament or that we had a couple kids banged up. I know (South), Riverside and Madison wrestled well.”
Lakeside placed eighth with 63 points. The Dragons had runners-up in Shawn Dell (160) and Connor Dickey (140).
“I think we got a pretty good job from the kids that showed up and made weight,” coach Pat Ryan said. “We did about what I thought we would. Connor getting to the finals was nice and I thought Shawn wrestled well against a returning state champion (University School’s Brad Wukie). It was a good learning experience for him.”
The tournament format also got a general thumbs-up, although many coaches are still seeking a dual-meet element to determine the championship. They’re hoping the first tournament will serve as a springboard to boost interest.
“I thought Madison did a nice job running the tournament, as it always does,” Fritz said. “It gave people a chance to see wrestlers like (US’s Harrison) Hightower (another state champ) and Wukie. It was different to see a lot of those other schools, especially the other Division I schools.
“But I would like to see us work the duals in, too. We’ve got to try and revitalize our sport. Hopefully, the tournament is one first step back.”
“I liked the tournament,” Blank said. “I think the finals was big for the fans to watch. The attendance was a little disappointing. I can remember (the old Northeastern Conference) days when the stands were full. The people that missed this tonight missed a great show.”
Wirtzberger hearkened back to the days when the NEC Tournament usually made a stop at Madison.
“I like the tournament,” he said. “I like the whole atmosphere of the tournament. I was a little surprised at the lack of attendance.
“The PAC still has a long way to go. But I think it will grow. I thought the finals were especially fan friendly.”
Ryan would like to see a greater dual-meet emphasis, too, but did enjoy the tournament.
“I think it was good today because we got to see teams that we hadn’t seen in duals,” he said. “North is the only team we had seen. I think the kids liked the tournament, too.
“I think it would be nice to have duals and the tournament. The state should set it up so at least half of your schedule is duals. But the tournament was fun.”
