The second annual “Keaser Classic” Wrestling Dual Tournament crowned two champions Dec. 10 and 11, seeing River Hill and Hammond both go undefeated with seven wins each in the two-day tournament.

E. Roosevelt HS from Prince George’s county captured third-place with a 5-2 mark, while host North County took fourth with a similar 5-2 mark, but lost a head-to-head competition with Roosevelt.

Oxon Hill HS was voted the tournament’s “Best Sportsmanship” award by the other coaches and the consensus voting for “Outstanding Wrestler” went to Bishop McNamara’s freshman, Alfred Bannister, who won all eight matches he wrestled. His biggest upset was defeating North County’s Larry Brent, a senior, by a close 8-7 score.

There were approximately 13 undefeated wrestlers in the two days of action. Top undefeated performers for their teams were: North County’s Pat Hyde, Hwt; Collin Alexander, 145; and Cordell Blair, 152. Wilde Lake had three such wrestlers in Alex Polonsky, 112; Zathy Ndiang, 215; and Alvin Harris, 189.

Harford Tech sported a trio of undefeated wrestlers in the likes of Jamie Rappazo, 160; Joey Malanga, 145; and Tyler Granese, 112, as River Hill had Jacob Benedict at 215. Bowie saw Pete Ward go undefeated at 160.

Bishop McNamara sported the “Outstanding Wrestler” in Alfred Bannister, who went undefeated at 125, and Easton’s Ben Culver went unscathed at 140.

Hammond was led by Jonathan Goodwin, 135; William Kelly, 171; Payton Goodwin, Hwt; and Matt Beck, 125, while Leonardtown’s undefeated ace was Dane Lemmon at 112.

Eleanor Roosevellts had four wrestlers go undeeated in thw weekend competition, as Skylar Barrowman (140), Jonathan Jones (152) and Isaac “Muffin” Ndze-Wiliams each went 8-0, and Stephen “Skeeter” Omoyeni was 7-0 at 145.

Jones wrestled seven matches and had seven falls during his time on the mat, giving up just one point in the tourney and won his eighth match by forfeit.

The tournament, named in honor of former Brooklyn Park wrestler, Lloyd Butch Keaser, the most famous wrestler to ever come out of Maryland.

Keaser was a former Naval Academy two-time All-American (finished 3rd and 4th at Nationals), was a World Champion in 1973 and a Silver Medalist in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, being the first African-American to ever medal in wrestling in the Olympics.

Team Results:

1st River Hill 7-0
1s Hammond  7-0
3rd E. Roosevelt 5-2
4th North County 5-2
5th Leonardtown 5-3
6th Wilde Lake 4-3
7th Harford Tech 3-4
8th Easton 3-4
9th Bowie 2-5
10th Lansdowne 2-5
11th Oxon Hill 1-7
12th Bishop McNamara 0-8

OUTSTANDING WRESTLER; Alfred Bannister

BEST SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM: Oxon Hill HS