By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Only five members of Niles' varsity wrestling team competed Thursday evening as the Vikes took a 78-3 Big 16 West Division win over Benton Harbor.
Of the seven members who showed up for the Tigers, two were junior varsity wrestlers.
Benton Harbor lost most of its members to ineligibility a few weeks ago.
The match started at 215-pounds, where Niles' Micah Barrett suffered a 10-9 loss to Monteeze Johnson.
At 275-pounds, Chad Nichols pinned Travis Shoemaker 32 seconds into the match.
Jake Glueckert was next to wrestle for the Vikes at 112-pounds against George Piggee. In the second period, Glueckert took the win by pin at the 3:10 mark.
At 125-pounds, Andrew Karsten also took a win by pin against Larry Calahan at the 2:43 mark.
Nate Heierman was the last to wrestle for the Vikes and took the win by pin 37 seconds into the match against Tyresse Bennett.
The Vikes will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to the Coloma Invitational. Match times are set to begin at 9 a.m.
In the junior varsity match, Kenyon Ellison and Brian Asmus both won their matches by pins.
Benton Harbor…3
Niles…78
103: Nate Allison (N) won by forfeit
112: Jake Glueckert (N) p. George Piggee, 3:10
119: Bryce Flannery (N) won by forfeit
125: Andrew Karsten (N) p. Larry Calahan, 2:43
130: Nate Heierman (N) p. Tyresse Bennett, :37
135: Mason Stephenson (N) won by forfeit
140: Todd Scansen (N) won by forfeit
145: John Wregglesworth (N) won by forfeit
152: Ben Brandstatter (N) won by forfeit
160: McCade Reese (N) won by forfeit
171: Jake Groves (N) won by forfeit
189: Alex Zanders (N) won by forfeit
215: Montell Johnson (BH) d. Micah Barrett, 10-9
275: Chad Nichols (N) p. Travis Shoemaker, :32