Team wins have been hard to come by this season for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School wrestling team.
But one constant for the Spartans? AJ Wagner.
The junior lightweight wrestler for SJO continued his solid prep career by achieving a signature moment this past Saturday during the Illini Prairie Conference Duals in Pontiac. Wagner secured his 100th career win via a pin at 120 pounds during SJO’s 54-18 victory against Olympia.
Wagner enjoyed the moment during one of the most productive weekends this season for the Spartans, who went 4-4 at the two-day Illini Prairie Duals this past Friday and Saturday.
The solid stretch of wrestling helped SJO improves its record to 10-20 in dual meets this season, with the Spartans set to wrestle in a triangular match at 6 p.m. this Thursday in El Paso against host El Paso-Gridley and Clinton before SJO is set to host its first home matches of the season this Saturday. The Spartans will host a multi-quad slated to start at 9 a.m., with Argenta-Oreana, Carlyle, Cumberland, Hoopeston Area, St. Thomas More and Westville/Georgetown-Ridge Farm set to descend upon SJO.
Along with the win against Olympia, SJO also compiled victories against STM (46-4 on Friday), Rantoul (47-21 on Saturday) and Chillicothe Illinois Valley Central (42-39 on Saturday). The Spartans suffered losses to Unity (65-5 on Friday), Pontiac (48-32 on Friday), Prairie Central (62-18 on Saturday) and Monticello (50-24 on Saturday) at the conference meet.
Wagner at 113, Isaiah Moore at 126, Conrad Miller at 145 and Brodie Sullivan at 182 all garnered pins for the Spartans in their win against Chillicothe IVC. A trio of Spartans won via pin during SJO’s victory against Rantoul, with Chase Chapman at 132, Isaiah Immke at 145 and Trevon Carr at 170 all achieving the feat. Max Shonkwiler at 195 added a win by technical fall.
Wagner at 113, Carr at 170 and Shonkwiler at 195 all recorded pins against Monticello, with Moore at 126 (decision) and Owen Birt at 220 (decision) also picking up wins.
Along with Wagner’s historic pin against Olympia, Miller at 152 and Sullivan at 182 also won by pin.
Wagner at 113 and Moore at 126 were the only Spartans to pick up wins, both by pin, in SJO’s loss to Prairie Central.
Five SJO wrestlers won matches in the Spartans’ defeat against Pontiac, with Moore at 126, Carr at 170 and Shonkwiler at 195 doing so by pin. Sullivan won a technical fall at 182 and Birt won a decision at 220.
Wagner registered a major decision victory at 113, the Spartans’ only win in a contested match against STM. SJO won seven matches by forfeit against the Sabers.
Immke picked up the lone win by SJO in its lopsided loss to Unity, doing so by technical fall at 145.
Notes: Prior to the Illini Prairie Duals, SJO competed at the Robinson Duals on Jan. 11 and defeated host Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin/Armstrong-Potomac 60-24 on Jan. 9.
SJO defeated Lawrenceville 36-33 at Robinson, but suffered losses to the host Maroons (59-21), Mt. Carmel (46-18) and Cumberland (39-33).
In the win against Lawrenceville, Wagner at 113, Moore at 126, Immke at 145 and Sullivan at 182 all produced pins.
Wagner at 113, Moore at 126 and Carr at 170 had pins in the loss to Robinson, with Shonkwiler winning by decision at 195.
Sullivan at 195 and Birt at 220 both had pins against Mt. Carmel, but those were the only two contested wins for the Spartans in that match.
Wagner at 113, Moore at 126 and Sullivan at 182 all garnered pins against Cumberland, with Shonkwiler adding in a decision victory at 195.
A host of Spartans were vital to SJO’s win against BHRA/A-P. Wagner at 113, Moore at 126, Matthew Falls at 138, Miller at 145, Immke at 152, Sullivan at 182, Shonkwiler at 195 and Birt at 220 all managed pins to help the Spartans easily defeat the Blue Devils.
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