By John Vrancic
For the Newberry News
The Newberry wrestlers may be short on numbers, but that didn’t stop them from enjoying a few shining moments in the Upper Peninsula Championships in Marquette on Saturday.
Two of their five grapplers reached the podium, with senior Howard Bliss and junior Gaijye Depew placing fourth at 138 and 165 pounds, respectively.
Gladstone was crowned champion with 224½ points at Marquette High School.
The Braves were followed by Escanaba 147, Sault Ste. Marie 139, Marquette 132 ½, defending champ Kingsford 120½, Negaunee 109½, Powers North Central 95, Ishpeming Westwood 85, Menominee and St. Ignace 77, Rudyard 71, Manistique 62½, Bark River-Harris 61, Gwinn 53½, Iron Mountain 50, Munising 43½, Norway 38 and Newberry 34.
Newberry junior Delaney Bliss was unable to wrestle Saturday due to a calf injury, but earned All-U.P. academic honors in a ceremony prior to the championship round.
Howard Bliss got pinned 22 seconds by Esky sophomore Corey Smithingell in the third-place match.
“Overall, it went all right,” Howard Bliss said. “I can’t complain. I wasn’t expecting that to happen, but he was going for it.”
Bliss, who got an opening round bye, pinned Kingsford junior Zahn Topping in 4:40, then got pinned by Menominee junior Caleb Barstow in 31 seconds.
“We wrestled at a slower pace in our first match, but he [Barstow] was all speed today,” Bliss added. “I’m hoping to do better in the [Division 4] district.”
Depew lost by fall to St. Ignace senior Kollin Bird at 1:33. He defeated Menominee junior Carter Hallfrisch by major decision (15-7) and pinned Gwinn freshman Evan Armatti in 2:58 prior to getting pinned by Kingsford junior Tyler Bray at 1:39.
“I had hoped to do a little better, although I was happy to get on the podium,” Depew said. “The first match was pretty hard fought. In the third match, I couldn’t get off my back. I got off my back for a little while in the fourth match, then he (Bird) regained the upper hand.”
Indians’ senior Bianca Briggs wrestled at 113, but got pinned in 31 seconds by Gladstone senior Cole Carlson and lost by technical fall (19-2) by BR-H junior Josh Webber.
Sophomore Aiden Hail (144) fell to BR-H senior Matthew Graham in 3:29 and Negaunee sophomore Tallen Parkinson at 2:43 and senior Levi Maki (175) lost by pin to Gladstone sophomore Trevor Thorbahn in 43 seconds and St. Ignace senior Brodie Leipold at 1:52.
The Indians are in Rudyard tonight for a Straits Area Conference meet with Indian River Inland Lakes, St. Ignace and the host Bulldogs.
They compete again Saturday in the Northern Michigan Championships at Gaylord.
