By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
STEVENSVILLE - For the fifth straight season, the Lakeshore Lancers walked away with the Southwest Michigan Invitational championship on Saturday.
In fact, the Lancers are the only team to win the tournament with the exception of the first year when Dowagiac took home the title.
The Lancers, who had a full line up for the first time in a long time, scored 229 points to easily outdistance runner-up South Haven, which finished with 192.5 points.
Niles took third with 190.5 points and Buchanan fourth with 175.5 points. Coloma finished fifth with 118.5 points.
Dowagiac finished sixth (83), Bangor seventh (80), Cassopolis eighth (79.5), River Valley ninth (66), Watervliet 10th (61) and Hartford 11th (56.5).
Championship wins went to Niles' Nate Allison at 103-pounds as he pinned Coloma's Jordan Meunchow at the 1:47 mark.
Bryce Flannery finished first in the 119-pound class, as he decisioned South haven's Bryan Bastow, 9-2.
Mason Stephenson was also a champion in the 135-pound class as he defeated Andres Alcauter of South Haven, 4-2.
Buchanan's Jim Connors took a first place win for the Bucks as he defeated Watervliet's Ben Isbrecht, 13-9.
Connors recorded his 100th career win in the championship match, making him the third Buchanan wrestler to reach that milestone this year.
Last weekend at the Buchanan Super Duals, senior David Medlin and junior Nick Wheetley both reached their 100th wins, while Travis Reith extended school best to 150 wins.
Todd Taylor also took a championship win for Buchanan in the 112-pound weight class. Taylor defeated River Valley's John Stein in double overtime, 6-5.
Dowagiac had just one champion as senior Tony Stewart edged South Haven's David Harding, 2-1.
Cassopolis also had one champion as John McCoy successfully defended his title with a 13-7 victory over Lakeshore's Eric Shirley at 145-pounds, 13-7.
The Bucks also had a pair of runners up as Nick Wheetley fell to Lakeshore's Kyle Hammermeister at 125-pounds and Travis Reith lost to Hartford's Ben Efting at 130-pounds.
Niles' Todd Scansen, Ben Branstatter and Micah Barrett all finished third at 140-, 152- and 215-pounds respectively.
Cassopolis' J.J. Bethea finished third with a victory over Lakeshore's Nick Forrester at 103-pounds.
Finishing fourth for the Vikings were Andy Karsten (125), Nate Heirman (130) and Alex Zanders (189).
Finishing fourth for the Bucks were Tony Taylor (119) and Auston Ferris (152).
Finishing fifth were Jake Glueckert (Niles), Cory Lowe (Cassopolis), Terry Prowozniak (Dowagiac), John Wregglesworth (NIles), Jake Groves (Niles), Elijah Caldwell (Dowagiac), Drew Staley (Dowagiac) and Chad Nichols (Niles).
Finishing sixth were Mike Withrow (Buchanan), Justin Richter (Dowagiac), Nate Long (Dowagiac), Tyler Mitchell (Buchanan), Derek Purcell (Niles), Deshaun Baylock (Dowagiac), Joey Sobieski (Cassopolis), Mike DeGraff (Cassopolis), Josh Duebner (Cassopolis) and Justin Brown (Buchanan).
Team scores
Lakeshore 229, South Haven 192.5, Niles 190.5, Buchanan 175.5, Coloma 118.5, Dowagiac 83, Bangor 80, Cassopolis 79.5, River Valley 66, Watervliet 61, Hartford 56.5, Covert 26, Lawton 26
Championship finals
103: Allison (N) p. Meunchow (CO), 1:47
112: Taylor (BU) d. Stein (RV), 6-5 (2 OT)
119: Flannery (N) d. Bastow (H), 9-2
125: Hammermeister (L) p. Wheetley (BU), 3:11
130: Efting (H) d. Reith (BU), 10-5
135: Stephenson (N) d. Alcautur (SH), 4-2
140: Jackson (L) d. Jackson (SH), 8-6 (OT)
145: McCoy (CA) d. Shirley (L), 13-7
152: Jackson (SH) d. LeValley (L), 11-4
160: Parker (BA) d. Klose (SH), 6-5
171: Wittmann (L) d. Bell (SH), 13-6
189: Connors (BU) d. Isbrecht (W), 13-9
215: Martin (CO) d. Nunez (COV), 14-7
275: Stewart (D) d. Harding (SH), 2-1
Consolation finals
103: Bethea (CA) d. Forrester (L), 3-1
112: Davis (L) d. Baston, 6-4 (OT)
119: Meyers (L) p. Taylor (BU), 4:49
125: Carango (LAW) p. Karten (N), :26
130: Bolt (L) d. Heierman (N), 8-0
135: Solis (BA) d. Newman (L), 4-1
140: Scansen (N) d. Simmons (W), 10-3
145: Zuniga (SH) won by injury default
152: Branstatter (N) d. Ferris (BU), 13-8
160: Caldwell (CO) d. Coniglio (RV), 4-1
171: Shull (BA) d. Morrissey (RV), 9-1
189: Wharton (L) d. Zanders (N), 5-3
215: Barrett (N) d. Spear (L), 7-4
275: Wing (W) p. Burke (L) 4:47