CLAYSBURG — The Curwensville wrestling team placed seventh overall at the ICC/Heritage Tournament Saturday at Claysburg-Kimmel High School.
The Golden Tide put three on the podium, led by senior Brooks Hendershot, who was the runner-up at heavyweight.
Russell Bloom (114) and Javon Bunce (133) also finished in the Top 4, placing third and fourth, respectively.
Three more Curwensville wrestlers placed as Kael McGary (107) and Reed Hawkins (160) took fifth, while Heath Hawkins (189) was sixth.
This tournament is always a good gauge for us,” Curwensville head coach Dean Swatsworth said. “We had some bright spots throughout the weekend. We had some kids step up and wrestle well. Like always there is room to improve and that is what we are going to be focusing on this week.
“I am happy for the boys that placed. Overall as a team I am proud of the effort every kid gave.”
Hendershot, who was seeded third, cruised to the semifinals with a pair of pins, then knocked off Meyersdale’s second-seeded Gianni Brown 4-2 to claim his spot in the finals. There, he was defeated by Glendale’s Daniel Williams by injury default in the second period. Williams led 11-0 at the time of default.
Bloom went 3-1 overall, majoring Northern Bedford’s Eli Dutchcot 16-3 in the consey finals. Bloom, the second seed at the weight class, also downed Dutchcot 16-11 in the opening round.
Bunce outwrestled his sixth seed with a strong tournament. going 5-2 with three pins and a major decision. Bunce got pinned by West Branch’s Drake Taylor in the third-place bout.
McGary, a freshman, went 3-2 over the weekend in his first varsity action. He picked up an 8-0 major decision over Marion Center’s Ryder Blews in the fifth-place bout at 107. McGary also beat Blews 5-0 in the opening round and added a pin later in the tournament.
Reed Hawkins came into the tourney as the third seed at 160 and won his first two bouts before getting pinned by Meyersdale’s second-seeded Caleb Sines in the semifinals. He was upended by Conemaugh Township’s Nathan Dail in the consey semis before receiving a medical forfeit in the fifth-place bout to finish the tournament 3-2.
At 189, Heath Hawkins, the fourth seed, pinned his first two opponents before running into Moshannon Valley’s Rocco Reifer in the semis. Reifer, the eventual champ, topped Hawkins by technical fall. Hawkins was pinned in the consey finals before dropping a 4-1 decision to Conemaugh Township’s third-seeded Landon Huffman in the fifth-place match.
Timmy Gustafson (172) and Cooper Haag (152) each went 2-2 for the Tide, but did not place.
Curwensville ended the tournament going 26-25 as a team. The Tide recorded 14 falls and two major decisions.
Curwensville is back in action Tuesday, Dec. 9 hosting West Branch in its dual meet opener.
The Warriors finished tied for second in the team race with Berlin Brothersvalley at the ICC/Heritage Tournament.
GOLDEN TIDE SCOREBOARD:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/5 & 6 | @ ICC/Heritage Tourney (C-K HS) | 99 pts. | 7th place |
| 12/9 | WEST BRANCH | ||
| 12/16 | BROOKVILLE | ||
| 12/20 | @ Redbank Valley Duals | ||
| 1/6 | @ Mt. Union | ||
| 1/8 | @ Mo Valley | ||
| 1/9 & 10 | @ Mid-Winter Mayhem (IUP) | ||
| 1/17 | @ Clearfield Bison Duals | ||
| 1/20 | JUNIATA VALLEY | ||
| 1/22 | @ Claysburg-Kimmel | ||
| 1/23 & 24 | @ Fred Bell Tourney (Grove City) | ||
| 2/4 | @ Redbank Valley | ||
| 2/5 | GLENDALE | ||
| 2/12 | @ Brockway | ||
| 2/20 & 21 | D9 Championship Tourney | ||
| 2/22 & 28 | NW Regional Tourney | ||
| 3/5 – 7 | PIAA State Tourney |
