PEKIN – Montezuma wrestlers Marty Knox and Zach Bennett won championships as the Braves competed Saturday in the Bill Rex Invitational in Pekin.
The tournament replaced the canceled Montezuma Invitational on the Braves’ schedule.
Knox pinned all four of his opponents at 195 pounds in winning the championship in his weight class. Knox took his record on the young season to 7-1.
Bennett won at 182 and took his record to 7-0. Because of a format that allowed more than one wrestler from a school in a weight class, Bennett had to face Braves teammate Brett Plants in a quarterfinals match. Bennett won a decision over Plants, but pinned his opponents in both the semifinal and championship rounds.
Plants wound up taking third place at 182. He scored pins in the opening two rounds.
Nathan Borton was fifth for the Braves at 106.
The Braves were 10-8 in all of their matches on the day. As a team, they placed eighth in a nine-team field.
Bill Rex Invitational
at Pekin
Team points – 1, Albia 190.5. 2, Davis Cou8nty 118. 2) North Mahaska 118. 4, Van Buren 106. 5, Moravia 90.5. 6, Pekin 80. 7, Chariton 53. 8, Montezuma 34. 9, Cardinal 32.
Montezuma wrestlers
106 – Nathan Borton – 5th place
Logan Wingett, Albia, pinned Borton, :41.
Joel De Jong, North Mahaska, pinned Borton, :37.
Emmitt Newton, Davis County, pinned Borton, :12.
Blake Sharp, Chariton, pinned Borton, 1:20.
182 – Brett Plants – 3rd place
Plants pinned Carter Kamerick, Albia, 3:32.
Plants pinned Cameron Nicoletto, Moravia, :54.
Zach Bennett, M, beat Plants, 13-4.
Ryan Doud, Pekin, beat Plants, 4-2.
182 – Zach Bennett – 1st place
Bennett beat Ryan Doud, Pekin, 15-2.
Bennett beat Brett Plants, M, 13-4.
Bennett pinned Cameron Nicoletto, Moravia, :50.
Bennett pinned Carter Kamerick, Albia, 1:40.
195 – Marty Knox – 1st place
Knox pinned Jakob Clark, North Mahaska, :51.
Knox pinned Brew Lewman, Cardinal, 1:46.
Knox pinned Nate Ballard, Albia, :29.
Knox pinned Znoah Cochran, Van Buren, 3:48.
285 – Kennen Roadcap – did not place
Isaac Cox, Cardinal, won on ultimate tie-breaker, 2-1.
Carson Rankin won over Roadcap by injury default.