LITTLE ROCK — Freshman Levi Brady has captured what is believed to be the first wrestling championship in a statewide competition for a Bryant athlete.
At the second annual Arkansas State Youth wrestling tournament held Saturday, March 13, at Pulaski Academy, Brady won the 175-pound weight class for 15-year-old wrestlers.
In addition, Bryant freshman Hunter Schelle recorded the fastest pin of the tournament, winning in 15 seconds. Another freshman from Bryant, Brett Blend, finished second in his weight class.[more]
Brady defeated Brady Anderson of Riverview in the championship round, gaining the pin in 2:24. To get to the final, Brady had defeated Valley View’s Brett Bennett in the opening round then Wes Raines of Mountain View with a pin at 2:25. In the semifinals, he pinned David Miller of Des Arc at 1:18.
Blend, wrestling for Bluebird Wrestling in the 136-pound class, defeated Bluebird teammate Tyler Phillips then got past Bryant’s Cade Howard. In the semifinals, Blend defeated Sam Goll of Fayetteville Wrestling before taking on Bluebird’s Tyler Mann for the championship.
Schelle, wrestling in the 152-pound category, turned in the 15-second pin in the second round against Mountain Home’s J.T. Carlson. He had opened the competition by defeating Zach Derrick of Riverview. In the third round, however, eventual champion Nick Dunn of North Pulaski sent Schelle to the consolation bracket where he lost a decision to Brett Calhoun of the Arkansas Warthawgs.
In the same division, Bryant’s Nicholas Philpott lost in the second round to Ron Pacheco of Badger Wrestling. In the consolation round, he defeated Zach Derrick of Riverview before running into Calhoun.
Along with Brady in the 175-pound division, Bryant’s Scott Mead competed. After falling to Episcopal’s Jacob Rowell in the first round, Mead came back to oust Wes Raines and Jacob Priester before running into Rowell again.
Bryant's Zachary Simmons finished fourth in the 112-pound category. After losing in the first round to eventual runner up Justin Arnall, he came back through the consolation bracket by defeating Will Griffin of Episcopal and Jacob Corpier of Bluebird Wrestling.
