JV leads the way — Newcastle emphasizes mat time at Moorcroft meet

The Newcastle Dogies focused on development and mat time Friday and Saturday at the Dylan Humes Memorial in Moorcroft, entering the majority of their lineup in the junior varsity division while sending just two wrestlers into the varsity tournament.

The strategy allowed Newcastle wrestlers to gain additional matches at a meet known for attracting deep varsity brackets from across the region, while still testing a pair of athletes against varsity-level competition.

Michael Coombs competed in the varsity division at 113 pounds and placed eighth. Coombs worked through the consolation bracket and picked up a pin before closing the tournament in the placement round. He finished the meet 1-3 against a competitive field.

Troy Christensen also represented Newcastle at the varsity level, wrestling at 138 pounds. Christensen earned a win in consolation action before being eliminated by fall, finishing the tournament 1-2 and scoring team points.

Newcastle saw its strongest overall results in the junior varsity brackets, where multiple Dogies reached the podium.

Cayson Phillips turned in a standout performance by capturing the JV championship in the 140-151 weight class. Phillips won all three of his matches, including a pin in the title bout, to finish first. Luke Sandness followed with a third-place finish in the 132-138 pound bracket, recording a technical fall and two pins during his run.

Adam Butler finished fifth at 144-150 after working back through the consolation rounds, and Asic Dawson placed third in the 79-89 pound division. Additional JV placers included Nolan Gregory, TJ Harrington, Owen Evenson and Gustavo Munoz, as the Dogies continued to build experience across the lineup.

Newcastle will be back in action Jan. 31-31 with a trip to the Belle Fourche Invitational.

Dylan Humes Memorial — Newcastle Results

Varsity

113: Michael Coombs, 8th place (1-3)

138: Troy Christensen,  (1-2)

Junior Varsity

79–89: Asic Dawson, 3rd place (0-2)

128–134: Bridger Hill, 6th place (1-3)

132–138: Luke Sadness, 3rd place (3-1)

140–151: Cayson Phillips, 1st place (3-0)

144–150: Adam Butler, 5th place (2-2)

150–153: Austin Wertz, 8th place (0-2)

155–157: Nolan Gregory, 6th place (1-2)

155–157: TJ Harrington, 4th place (2-1)

159–168: Owen Evenson, 6th place (1-2)

159–168: Logan Dowdy, 8th place (0-2)

160–176: Gustavo Munoz, 6th place (1-2)