MARQUETTE---The Escanaba High School wrestling team finished a respectable 10th place at the huge Marquette Challenge on Saturday.
Eskymo junior Travis Heller finished third in his 152-pound weight class, beating two-time defending Michigan state champion Clayton Simons from New Lothrop in the consolation finals. Hunter Sadler was fourth for the Eskymos at 135 pounds, and Zach Priebe (125 pounds) and Kaleb Rahoi (140 pounds) both reached the podium with fifth place finishes.
The Gladstone High School wrestling team finished 12th overall. The Braves had 68 points, just one behind 11th place Marquette and three behind 10th place Escanaba.
Brandon Gagnon took fourth place at 160 pounds, and heavyweight Tommy Bailey placed fifth. Braves teammate Jake Cronick was sixth at 171, and James Bruce was sixth at 112.
Merrill, Wis. won the team score with 232.5 points. New Lothrop was second with 220.5 points, while Pine River and Mason finished tied for third overall with 132 points each.
The highest-finishing Upper Peninsula team was St. Ignace in seventh place with 109 points. There were 18 teams in the event, from all over the State of Michigan. Some of the teams included Sparta, Comstock Park, and Grandville from the Grand Rapids area. Other U.P. teams included Menominee, Westwood, Negaunee, and Iron Mountain.
Pictured above: Escanaba's Travis Heller during a match on the Marquette mats last spring in the Upper Peninsula Finals.
