BATTLE CREEK — Depth was the key for the Niles wrestling team as it easily captured the Big 16 Conference wrestling title Saturday.

The Vikings placed 12 wrestlers on its way to scoring 221.5 points.

Battle Creek Lakeview was a distant second with 166.5 points, while Lakeshore was third with 147.5 points.

Niles had a trio of champions as Darek Bullock-Mills captured the 130-pound crown, Noah Hall won at 135 and Wyatt Thornton was the champion at 215.

Finishing second for the Vikings were Josh Dayhoff, and Sean Craig. Andrew Flick, Brendon Meek, Warren Smith and Quintin Smith all finished third.

Bullock-Mills decisioned Sturgis’ Austin Smith 6-1 to claim his title, while Hall pinned Lakeview’s Htay Thet in 1:44. Thornton decisioned Cole D’Haese of Sturgis 4-0.

Other Niles players were Cody Thornton (fourth), Ted Jakowiak (fifth) and Fred Kemp (sixth).

The Vikings also had 12 placers at the JV tournament held Friday.

Winning championships for Niles were Courtland Lamberton, Devonte Gaskill, Kale Pollard and Carter Rauch.

 

Big 16 Wrestling Meet

At Battle Creek

Team Scores

Niles 221.5, Battle Creek Lakeview 166.5, Lakeshore 147.5, Sturgis 113.5 B.C. Central 111, Kalamazoo Central 105, Portage Northern 101, Portage Central 91, Battle Creek Harper Creek 68, Mattawan 67.5 St. Joseph 58.5 Coldwater 56, Gull Lake 56, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 51, Marshall 27, Benton Harbor 0

 

Championship Round

103: Nolan Smith (Portage Northern) d. Hayden Larochelle (Lakeview0, 8-4; 112: Bryce Dempsey (Mattawan) p. Matthew Heaps (Portage Northern), 1:42; 119: Romeo Riley (K. Central) p. Josh Dayhuff (Niles), 12-3; 125: Patrick Blummel (Lakeshore) p. Noah Gleason (Sturgis), 0:43; 130: Darek Bullock-Mills (Niles) d. Austin Smith (Sturgis), 6-1; 135: Noah Hall (Niles) p. Htay Thet (Lakeview), 1:44; 140: Noah Hanau (Lakeshore) d. Jacob Heaps (Portage Northern), 8-3; 145: Connor Myers (St. Joseph) p. Kemps Miller (Gull Lake), 3:22; 152: Nick VanDeWalker (Portage Central) p. Dustin Clapp (Lakeshore), 2:14; 160: Dominic Latora (Portage Central) d. Gunner Harrison (Lakeshore), 14-6; 171: Jacob Harvey (Lakeview) p. Sean Craig (Niles), 1:10; 189: Nick May (Loy Norrix) d. Jallen Johnson (B.C. Central), 5-2; 215: Wyatt Thorton (Niles) d. Cole D’Haese (Sturgis), 4-0; 285: Jace Trevino (B.C. Central) d. Chaz Meredith (Lakeview), 4-3

 

Consolation Round

(Area Wrestlers)

103: Andrew Flick (Niles) p. David Smith (B.C. Central), 3:49; 112: Brendon Meek (Niles) p. Mitch Coon (Harper Creek), 3:04; 140: Warren Smith (Niles) d. Jacob Bishop (Harper Creek), 5-2; 145: Quintin Smtih (Niles) p. Brennon Gooding (Lakeview), 2:42; 189: Cooper Murphy (Coldwater) p. Cody Thorton (Niles), 3:25