For the third straight year, the Niles wrestling team has wrapped up SMAC competition with a clean slate.

The No. 3-ranked Vikings put the finishing touches on another perfect league season with a dominating 61-7 victory over arch rival Lakeshore Wednesday.

“That’s three years that we have not lost a conference dual,” Niles coach Todd Hesson said. “That’s nice. I would’ve never thought that we’d get to that point, but the kids have wrestled well. This senior class has wrestled well. Our young kids wrestled well tonight. Overall, it was good.”

It would not take long to figure out the visiting Lancers were incapable of keeping the Vikings from clinching the championship.

After receiving a void at 171, Niles won three consecutive decisions with Cody Thornton, Ted Jankowiak and Alexa Bata to open up a 15-0 advantage.

Then the fun really began for the Vikings.

Niles would win five out of the next six bouts. In those matches, Andrew Flick, Josh Dayhuff and Warren Smith would pin their opponents, while Mitchell Findeisen won a major decision (13-4) in the other.

The Lancers, who were the dominate team in southwest Michigan for decades, won just two matches Wednesday night.

Undefeated wrestlers Austin Franco (112) and Noah Hanou (140) accounted for all of Lakeshore’s points in the match.

Niles would cap the night with a trio of pins from Courtland Lamberton, Quintin Smith and Fred Smith.

The Vikings will now set their sights on Saturday’s SMAC Wrestling Tournament at Portage Northern.

 

SMAC West Division Wrestling

At Niles

NILES 61, LAKESHORE 7

103: Andrew Flick (N) P. Ian Beshears, 2:38; 112: Austin Franco (L) m.d. Cade Stephenson, 16-6; 119: Josh Dayhuff (N) p. Tony Williams, 5:46; 125: Branden Hall (N) p. Stormy Priebe, 1:30; 130: Mitchell Findeisen (N) m.d. Cody Carlisle, 13-4; 135: Warren Smith (N) p. Keurri Myrich, 3:22; 140: Noah Hanou (L) d. Noah Hall, 7-1 145: Courtland Lamberton (N) p. Matt Miller, 5:23;

152: Quintin Smith (N) p. Corey Hampton, 5:06; 160: Fred Smith (N) p. Aaron Spear, 2:46; 171: Sean Craig (N) won by forfeit; 189: Cody Thornton (N) d. Tyler Hill, 11-7; 215: Ted Jankowiak (N) d. Isaac Weir, 3-2; 285: Alex Bata (N) d. Bryce Robinson,7-1