Bengals win Clearwater Classic

  Lewiston placed first at the Clearwater Classic wrestling tournament Jan. 2 at Booth Hall. The closest team trailed Lewiston by 55 points.
“You just have to bring the intensity to the mat,” Cody Cromer, junior, said at the 30th annual Classic.
Along with Cromer, who wrestled at 195 lbs., were juniors Colton Jones (132 lbs.) and Justin Chase (285 lbs.), plus seniors Jody Dykes (145 lbs.) and Ty Hendren (126 lbs.). They all placed first at the Classic.
Senior leader Hendren wrestled sophomore Tanner Hutchens in the finals for the 126-lbs. weight class. Due to injuries, Hutchens had to forfeit 18 seconds into the second round.
“It was just a scramble that ended badly, but it is what it is,” said Hendren.
In addition to Hendren, senior leader, Dykes, also placed first in the 145-lbs. weight class. Dykes pinned Isaac James from Clearwater Valley 1:19 into the second round. Dykes said he gained a lot of experience and wants to bring a good work ethic to following tournaments.
Chase and Jones both shared their first Clearwater Classic tournament win this year.
“I gained confidence, like a lot of confidence,” said Chase. “Next time, I’m pinning everyone in the first round.”