Times Argus Sports Guide Winter 2018/2019 | Page 10

10
The Times Ar gus Winter Spor ts Guide 2018/2019
Championship Results
WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
U-32 boys dethrone Middlebury
By JAMES BIGGAM
Staff Writer
RIPTON – Brothers Jed
and Waylon Kurts lost most
of their material possessions
during a Middlesex house
fi re two weeks before Nordic
state championships.
The U-32 skiers never
stopped training, using the
goal of winning a title as
a way to ease the healing
process. And after building a
32-point lead on the opening
day, the Raiders held on to
win it all during a classic state
meet at Rikert Nordic Center.
U-32 claimed its fi rst title
since 2002, shedding its
reputation as the perpetual
runner-up. The Raiders fi n-
ished with 67 points, record-
ing an 11-point victory over
three-time defending champ
Middlebury.
“We’ve had a feud with
Middlebury over the years,
and that’s a real motivator,”
Waylon Kurts said. “We both
try to one-up each other.”
The Raiders lost ground
during the morning’s indi-
vidual 5-kilometer race, with
Middlebury cleaning up on
its home course. The Tigers
swept the podium, sending
a clear message to U-32 that
nothing was certain. But
U-32’s strength in numbers
prevented anyone else from
cracking the top-12. Lead-
ing the way for the Raiders
were freshmen Samuel Clark
(fourth) and Tzevi Schwartz
(fi fth). Also scoring points
were teammates Trevor
Patterson (sixth) and Hans
Krokenberger (eighth). Jed
Kurts (ninth), Waylon Kurts
(10th) and Greyson Davis
PHOTO BY JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR
U-32's Greyson Davis competes at the Nordic skiing state
championships in Ripton.
(11th) were close behind
after leading U-32 during the
freestyle state meet.
Even though Schwartz and
Clark didn’t break into the
team’s top four most of the
winter, they saved their best
for last.
“I’m the only senior and
all these guys are passing me
now,” Patterson said.
Patterson has won three
cross-country running titles
with U-32 in addition to a
trio of track and fi eld cham-
pionships. This spring he and
many of his Nordic team-
mates will attempt to help the
track and fi eld team capture
the program’s seventh con-
secutive crown.
Jed Kurts was racing the
morning his house burned
down. Despite facing im-
mense challenges, he kept
up his training schedule and
emerged as the unexpected
individual state champ for
freestyle.
“Thursday was great – I
didn’t expect it at all,” he
said. “I knew that if I didn’t
push myself my hardest, I
wouldn’t be satisfi ed. So
that’s why I went so hard.
And after my house burned
down, it’s good to have
something that I can really
focus on and go back to
normal. It’s really great to be
out here with the team. I love
my team.”
Waylon Kurts sported
hand-knit mittens for state
championships in stark con-
trast to the $100 gloves worn
by many slower skiers. It
offered proof that expensive
equipment can’t buy success,
and it was also a reminder
that Kurts had recently lost
everything.
“It’s throttling,” he said.
“The reality of not having a
bunch of stuff is still there.
But the gravity of it is gone.
I’ve got what I need. People
have been super generous.
Jed and I took turns staying
at a bunch of different places
and things were changing
all the time. But in the past
week-and-a-half we’ve
really been solid. We’ve been
aiming toward this day and
Thursday as our goal. So it’s
been a point of solace for us
to look forward to. It’s a bit
of a sanctum for us in the
huge whirlwind.”
PHOTO BY JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR
Spaulding’s Nick Pierce upends Essex’s Christian Stygles in Pierce’s victory in
the 106-pound class.
Top Finishers
106 Pounds
1. Landon Davis (MAU)
2. Nick Pierce (Spa)
3. Noah Quigley (Colch)
4. Ben Pinson-
neault-Gordon (BBA)
5. Caleb Huntington (U-32)
6. Christian Stygles (EHS)
113 Pounds
1. Ben Stewart (EHS)
2. Luke Bliss (MMU)
3. Carter Dickinson (Spa)
4. Sam Blackman (MAU)
5. William Casciari (SJA)
6. Ben Pretty (Will)
120 Pounds
1. Hunter Verge (SJA)
2. Christian Burdick (MAU)
3. Eli Bonning (EHS)
4. Eric Godin (Milt)
5. Jacob Graveline (CVU)
6. Hunter Roya (Spa)
126 Pounds
1. Roman Mayer (MTA)
2 Zack Hebert (SJA)
3. Kyle Hurley (MAU)
4. Noah Bonning (EHS)
5. Aiden Gebo (Verg)
6. Riley Brown (CVU)
132 Pounds
1. Calvin Leo (EHS)
2. Sam Worthing
3. Jack Ware (MAU)
4. Ben Stapleton (Colch)
5. Josh Hanlon (Will)
6. Ryan Glassford (Spa)
4. Gary Conant (MTA)
5. Wyatt Lamell (EHS)
6. Shawn Martin (Will)
145 Pounds
1. Keegan Coon (MAU)
2. Dylan Lee (FH)
3. Luke Williams (EHS)
4. John Bent (MTA)
5. Alan Clark (Harw)
6. Zach Butala (Verg)
152 Pounds
1. Gage McLaughlin (MAU)
2. Gill Stawinski (EHS)
3. Hunter Quero (Spa)
4. Nate Lavoie (MTA)
5. Hunter Cameron (Rut)
6. Matthew Trifaro (Cvu)
160 Pound s
1. Dakota Peters (Rut)
2. Adam Frost (MAU)
3. Wilder Hudson (SJA)
4. William Danis (EHS)
5. Jayden Bourne (Milt)
6. Landon Farnham (Spa)
1 70 Pounds
1. Colby Giroux
2. Seth Carney (EHS)
3. Sully O‘Hara (Harw)
4. Stephen Brillon (MAU)
5. Spencer Bidwell (Milt)
6. Ryan Sullivan (SJA)
182 Pounds
138 Pounds 1. James Danis (EHS)
2. Jared Forsythe (CVU)
3. Josh Beayon (OV)
4. Matthew Durgin (Spa)
5. Logan Sprague (MAU)
6. Levi Tarbell (MR)
1. Keenan Taylor (MAU)
2. David Williams
3. Hunter Chase (Spa) 1. Sam Wilkins (MAU)
2. Kristian Richardson (SB)
195 Pounds
3. William Murphy (CVU)
4. Riley Amerosa (MMU)
5. Gabrial Payne-Vinivk (Verg)
6. Branden Bennett (Spring)
220 Pounds
1. Chris Mayer (MAU)
2. Zeb Winot (SJA)
3. Kevin Pearsall (MTA)
4.Brady Gebo (Verg)
5. Donavin Sprano (Spring)
6. Jake Jones (OV)
285 Pounds
1. Hayden Gaudette (MAU)
2. Gideon Bosch (MR)
3. Colton Perkins (Spa)
4. Teddy Alexander (MMU)
5. Logan Kopczynski (SJA)
6. Charlie Noble (OV)
TEAM SCORES
1. Mount Anthony ..... 286.5
2. Essex ..................... 196.5
3. Spaulding .............. 133.5
4. St. Johnsbury ........... 132
5. Mount Abraham .... 102.5
6. Mount Mansfi eld ........ 74
7. Otter Valley ................. 74
8. CVU ......................... 65.5
9. Vergennes .................. 58
10. Fair Haven ................ 44
11. Williamstown ........... 38
12. Harwood .................. 37
13. Rutland .................. 34.5
14. Colchester ................ 34
15. Milton ....................... 30
16. Mill River .................. 23
17. South Burlington ...... 22
18. Springfi eld ................ 18
19. Burr and Burton ....... 11
20. Middlebury ............... 11
21. U-32 ............................ 4