Easton captures team title at 12th Annual Brute Reno Tournament of Champions

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Ryan Teubner (RTOC)
12/23/2006


RENO, Nev. - Easton High School captured its fifth overall team title at the 12th Annual Brute Reno Tournament of Champions with 202.5 points. 

U Perkiomen (PA) chipped in 156.5 points to finish second while, Poway (CA) and Council Rock (PA) rounded out the top four with 154 and 152.5 points, respectively. 

Alamosa (CO), who was the tournament's defending team champion, came in fifth with 129 points.  

The Easton Red Rovers sent two wrestlers to the finals, including second-ranked Jordan Oliver at 119 pounds. 

Oliver squared off with Nikko Triggas (Campolindo, CA) with in the feature match of the evening. Oliver scored a pair of takedowns in the first period. Triggas cut into the lead with a pair of takedowns and tied the score at 4-4 after Oliver gave up two points for fleeing the mat and stalling. 

Triggas then scored a three point near fall late in the third period to secure the victory at 7-4 and become a three time RTOC champion.

Kegan Handlovic (Easton, PA) cruised to the finals with a 9-4 decision over David Klingsheim of Liberty in the semifinals. The Red Rover entered the tournament unseeded but defeated four seeded wrestlers on his way to the finals. 

Handlovich met second-seeded Thomas Williams (South Hills, CA) in the finals, where he would suffer his only setback of the tournament. Williams recorded a pair of takedowns and a three-point nearfall en route to a 12-4 victory.

Jason Welch (Las Lomas, CA) entered the tournament as the top-ranked wrestler in the country and left with an unblemished record. Welch recorded three technical falls and a fall on his way to the finals. In the finals, he faced off with Cody Yohn of Alamosa and three takedowns and nine nearfall points en route to a 15-1 major decision.

Welch was also named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler.

In the final two matches of the tournament, Skip Crooks (Green River) pinned Buchanan's Ryan Flores in 29 seconds to win the title at 215 pounds, while Lyle Gardner (Churchill, NY) pinned Jesse Gonzales (Eagle, ID) in 1:54.

Finals

103 - Mark Rappo (Council Rock, PA) dec. Nick Burnham (Black Hills, WA), 12-4
112 - Thomas Williams (South Hills, CA) dec. Kegan Handlovic (Easton, PA), 12-4
119 - Nikko Triggas (Campolindo, CA) dec. Jordan Oliver (Easton, PA), 7-4 
125 - RJ Pena (Sprague, OR) fall Justin Durham (Ponderosa, CA), 4:44
130 - Matt Bryan (Broken Arrow, OK) dec. Shane Smith (U Perkiomen, PA), 4-0
135 - Jason Chamberlain (Springville, UT) dec. Bryan Ortenzio (Cedar Cliff, PA), 6-0
140 - Zack Kemmerer (U Perkiomen, PA) m.d. Mike Vasser (FoothillPC, CA), 17-6 
145 - Jake Salazar (Wasatch, UT) dec. Calvin Miller (Natomas, CA), 6-5, s.v.
152 - Chris Hacker (El Reno, OK) dec. Trey Edmunds (Damonte Ranch, NV), 6-3 
160 - Jason Welch (Las Lomas, CA) m.d. Cody Yohn (Alamosa, CO), 15-1
171 - Hunter Collins (Gilroy, CA) dec. Kirk Smith (Centennial, ID), 5-2 
189 - Cayle Byers (Chugiak, AK) dec. Austin Carter (Council Rock, PA), 11-9, s.v.
215 - Skip Crooks (Green River, WY) fall Ryan Flores (Buchanan, CA), :29
285 - Lyle Gardner (Churchill, NV) fall Jesse Gonzales (Eagle, ID), 1:54