By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

MERRILL — The Spencer wrestling team had eight top-eight finishes and finished with a solid fifth-place finish at the 24-team Bluejay Challenge on Saturday at Merrill High School.

Tim Bauer led the way for the Rockets with their lone individual title. Bauer took first at 132 pounds, defeating Zach Urquhart of Wittenberg-Birnamwood 5-4 in the championship match to improve to 17-8 this season.

Hunter Luepke continued his terrific freshman season for the Rockets, taking third at 182 pounds. Luepke downed Tory Jandrin of Southern Door 5-3 in the third-place match to improve to 24-3 this season.

Zach Schneider also took third place for Spencer. He defeated Slade Erdman of Tomahawk 3-1 in the third-place match at 170 pounds to move to 20-8 this year.

The Rockets return to action with a Cloverbelt Conference dual meet Tuesday at Stanley-Boyd against Stanley-Boyd/Thorp/Owen-Withee.

(Hub City Times Sports Reporter Paul Lecker is also the publisher of MarshfieldAreaSports.com.)

2015 Bluejay Challenge

Team scores: 1. Wittenberg-Birnamwood 432; 2. Merrill 391; 3. Southern Door 373.5; 4. Tomahawk 351; 5. Spencer 350.5; 6. Escanaba (Mich.) 332.5; 7. Sun Prairie 300.5; 8. Oconto 280; 9. Crandon 219; 10. Waterloo 199; 11. Barron 193; 12. Green Bay Preble/East 180; 13. Adams-Friendship 178; 14. Almond-Bancroft/Stevens Point Pacelli 152; 15. Lakeland 147.5; 16. Waukesha West 146; 17. Marathon 140; 18. Amherst 138.5; 19. Ozaukee 126.5; 20. Tri-County 107; 21. La Crosse Aquinas 86; 22. Three Lakes 65; 23. Elcho 33; 24. Xavier/St. Mary Central 22.

Championship matches

106 pounds: Drew Scharenbrock (SUN) def. Aiden Wusterbarth (OC) 7-5 in OT.
113: Logan Walker (SD) def. Aidan Ball (MER) 11-4.
120: Devon Schultz (MER) def. Stetson Potrykus (WB) 3-2.
126: Elton Kelsey (OC) won major dec. over River Pawelski (SD) 10-0.
132: Tim Bauer (SPEN) def. Zach Urquhart (WB) 5-4.
138: Scott Arneson (MER) def. Cole Clark (AF) 9-3.
145: Hunter Pawelski (SD) won major dec. over Shane Gantz (WW) 11-3.
152: Ben Lincks (WAT) def. Nate Flohr (TOM) 5-0.
160: Austin Lasee (GBPE) def. Evan Meyer (WAT) 14-7.
170: Mason Reinhardt (MER) won major dec. over Alex Peplinski (WB) 10-1.
182: Kaleb Kaminski (TOM) def. Rylan Burrows (AF) 11-5.
195: August Peplinski (WB) pinned Casey Nelson (GBPE) in 2:43.
220: Jack Lawlis (ABP) won major dec. over Collin Faretta (AF) 11-2.
285: Cole Warzynski (ABP) pinned Mitchell Overbeck (SD) in 3:06.

Other Spencer results

106: Seventh place, Dominick Wichlacz (SPEN) def. Collin Smith (ELC) 6-2.
113: Seventh place, Nick Onate (ESC) def. Bryce Shaw (SPEN) 4-1.
120: Seventh place, Ben Hoida (SD) def. Caden Schillinger (SPEN) 9-4.
126: Third place, Gavin Czerwonka (WB) pinned Austin Post (SPEN) in 3:16.
138: Third place, Michael Bertand (SD) pinned Daniel Wilke (SPEN) in 3:12.
145: Fifth place, Nathan Neumann (SPEN) def. Ty Flannery (CRAN) 6-1.
152: 11th place, Jack Haraldson (SUN) won major dec. over Zach Hahn (SPEN) 15-2.
160: Ninth place, Micah King (SD) def. Hunter Hildebrandt (SPEN) 5-2.
170: Third place, Zach Schneider (SPEN) def. Slade Erdman (TOM) 3-1.
182: Third place, Hunter Luepke (SPEN) def. Tory Jandrin (SD) 5-3.
195: Ninth place, Tyler Voda (SPEN) pinned Nathaniel Friese (WAT) in 4:09.
220: 17th place, Elijah Welsh (SPEN) pinned Trevor Kilian (WAT) in 1:50.