Chelsea Sends Eight Wrestlers to D2 Regionals

Chelsea’s wrestling team punched eight tickets to the Division 2 regional meet after a strong showing at Saturday’s district tournament in Adrian, with several Bulldogs reaching the finals and others battling back through the consolation rounds to secure top-four finishes.

Leading the way were four runners-up for Chelsea. At 113 pounds, Emerson Kiebler advanced to the championship match with a major decision and a decision in the semifinals before finishing second. Max Collins followed a similar path at 120 pounds, recording two falls to reach the title match before settling for second.

At 132 pounds, Hunter Burk opened with a fall in the quarterfinals and a major decision in the semifinals to reach the championship bout, where he finished second. Caleb Fitch also placed second at 285 pounds, earning a pair of falls in the quarterfinals and semifinals to advance to the finals.

James Radu turned in a strong performance at 157 pounds, finishing third. Radu pinned his quarterfinal opponent, dropped a tight semifinal decision, and bounced back with a major decision in the consolation semifinals and a decision in the third-place match.

Collin Beckel also placed third at 126 pounds. After a tough quarterfinal loss, Beckel rebounded with a technical fall and a disqualification win in the consolation bracket before earning a fall in the third-place match.

Chase Messersmith finished fourth at 165 pounds. He opened with a pin in the first round and battled back through the consolation side with two falls to reach the third-place match. John Chapman also took fourth at 215 pounds, recording a quarterfinal pin and a decision in the consolation semifinals.