The No. 5 Mount St. Joe Gaels were are tough as nails this past weekend, traveling to Stafford, Va. to participate in the 2011 Marine Corps Ultimate Challenge.
In the extremely competitive tournament, the gales finished in sixth place with a 228-point team score, crowing two champions and seeing three finalists in the weekend action.
Braddy Massaro and Tyler Tippett were among the Gaels’ winningest wrestlers, this weekend, as Massaro crushed the 145-pound weight class and Tippett took down a tournament crown at 215.
Massaro dominated his opponents throughout the tournament, pinning his way through the field to the 145-pound final, and deigning a 3-1 decision for the tournament title, as Tippett worked two falls, a quarterfinals overtime decision and a semifinal major decision to see the tournament’s elite round, and closed his weightclass with a six-pint shutout.
St. Joe had a third finalist in the young senior Kevin Johnson, who finished second at 130. In his finish, Johnson earned a second round fall and put together three decision wins to find himself in the tournament finals and runner-up finish.
Other place winners for the Gaels included 160-pound Tyler Rill and 285-pounder Keith Waddell, each taking third in their respective weightclass, a sixth-place finish for Jimmy Sarbanes at 140, and seventh-place finishes for Stanley Proctor (112) and Dan Salmon (152).
Mount St. Joe returns to MIAA action, Wednesday, taking on Gilman, Jan. 26.
Team Scores
1.Colonial Forge447.0
2.Frank W. Cox351.0
3.Hanover270.0
4.Great Bridge241.0
5.New Kent230.0
6.Mt. Saint Joseph228.0
7.Brooke Point157.0
8.Chantilly155.0
9.Caravel Academy150.0
10.Poquoson132.0
11.Western Branch129.0
12.James River104.0
13.UC Bandits74.0
