Gavin Bridgewater

The South Tama wrestling team crowned two champions on its way to a fourth-place finish at the WaMaC Conference Tournament on Saturday at Independence High School.

Gavin Bridgewater won the 195-pound title and Rudy Papakee claimed the 220 crown to lead the Trojans to 173.5 team points.

West Delaware, ranked second by IAwrestle, won with 248.5 points, No. 6 Mount Vernon was second (232.5), Independence was third (205.5) and No. 8 South Tama held off Williamsburg (173) by a half point for fourth.

Top-ranked Bridgewater improved to 30-1 for the season with a pair of wins on Saturday, scoring a 13-2 major decision over Solon’s Braydon Hoffman before beating fifth-ranked Will Ward of West Delaware by decision, 5-2, for the 195 championship.

Eighth-ranked Papakee (18-2) pinned his way into the finals and completed a 3-0 day with an 11-1 major decision over Grant Northburg of West Delaware to take the 220 title.

Rudy Papakee

Bridgewater and Papakee were the Trojans’ only finalists on the day. Finishing third were Eligh Branan (120) and 12th-ranked MaCael Bear (132). Branan was knocked off course in the quarterfinals but rebounded with three straight wins on the back side of the bracket, including a second-period pin of the same wrestler he was pinned by in the quarterfinals. Bear fell in the semifinals to Kaden Kremer of Independence but responded with a pair of wins on the back of the bracket.

Fourth-place finishes went to Cale Graff (106) and second-ranked Amare Chavez (126). Graff was 3-2 on the day with a pair of pins, while Chavez was 3-2 with one pin.

Cyrus Mathes claimed fifth at 152 and Nathaniel Palmarez placed fifth at 285. Haydin Branan was seventh at 138, Jacob Youngbear placed seventh at 145, Marcus Bear got seventh at 182, and Madden Martinez placed eighth at 170.

Final Team Standings

1. West Delaware 248.5

2. Mount Vernon 232.5

3. Independence 205.5

4. South Tama County 173.5

5. Wiliamsburg 173

6. Clear Creek-Amana 128

7. Solon 115

8. Benton Community 114.5

9. Vinton-Shellsburg 95.5

10. Marion 73

11. Center Point-Urbana 19.