Two Stow Wrestlers Take Titles at Hudson Tournament

The Stow Bulldog varsity wrestlers competed in the annual Hudson Holiday Wrestling Tournament last weekend. The Bulldogs took 11 wrestlers to the tournament and came away with a 10th place finish and five place winners.

Senior Connor McMahon captured his second tournament title of the season at 160 punds for Stow. McMahon had a fist round bye and a second period pin in the quarterfinals. In the semi finals things became a bit more challenging, but McMahon remained dominant and earned a 9-3 decision. In the finals he faced a tough foe from Maple Heights, but prevailed with a 2-1 decision to take first place.

Junior Gage Finegan also won the tournament in the 195 pound class. Finegean, a junior, started the tournament with a second period pin. He earned a close decision, 2-0, in the quarterfinals. In the semi finals he wrestled a close match early and then cruised to an 11-2 win to get the title shot. In the finals he won a tough 5-2 decision for the victory. Finegan was cheered on by his parents and his three bothers including Dylan Finegan, a 2009 Stow graduate and former Bulldog wrestler, who was home on leave from the United States Marine Corps.

Stow had two 5th place finishers. Junior Dylan Hartwig at 120 pounds continues to wrestle well for Stow. Hartwig had a first round loss and then battled back with a pin along the way through the consolations to take 5th place with a decision. Senior Dan Garner, 220 pounds, also took 5th place. Garner lost his quarterfinal match to an opponent from Hoban. He also battled back through the consolation round and then faced the same Hoban opponent for 5th and 6th place and pinned him. Sophomore Hunter Massey at 152 pounds saw the most action for Stow in the tournamet with six matches. Massey's victories included a pin and he wrestled through the consolations to take 6th place.

Other Stow wrestlers with victories, but did not place in the tournament included: Senior MIke Edwards at 126 pounds, JJ McCaffery at 132 pounds, and Senior Troy Steiger at 182 pounds.

The team went 20-19 overall for the tournament. Stow will compete next after the Christmas holiday at the Aurora Duals on December 29 at Aurora.