COLUMBIA - The Jefferson City Jays had five medalists, including one individual champion, to earn a second-place finish as a team Saturday at the Hickman Tournament.
Jefferson City finished with 249 team points, trailing only Edwardsville, Ill., which won with 344.5 points. Northwest: Cedar Hill took third with 227 points, followed by Lee's Summit North in fourth with 212.5.
Will Kuster won the individual title at 152 pounds for the Jays, finishing the weekend with a 5-0 record. Kuster won by fall in the quarterfinals and semifinals, then won an 11-1 major decision against Edwardsville's Will Zupanci in the championship match.
Four wrestlers finished in third place for the Jays:
JoeJoe Kuster went 3-1 on Saturday at 132, winning all three matches by decision. He won 3-1 against Hickman's Cole Harrell in the third-place match.
Sam Rackers also went 3-1 at 145 on Day 2, recording one pin and another win by major decision. He won 5-2 against Willard's Ryder Heimbach in the third-place match.
Will Berendzen went 3-1 at 152 to finish the weekend with a 6-1 mark. After getting a pin in the loser's bracket semifinals, Berendzen won a 3-2 decision against Lindbergh's Alexander Lauer for third place.
Brandon Backues capped his 3-1 record Saturday at 285 with a win by fall in 2:08 against Camdenton's Dakota Davis in the third-place match.
Finishing fourth for the Jays were Dajuan Wallace at 113 and Jakeil Hayes at 182. Wallace went 2-2 on Day 2 to go 3-3 for the weekend, while Hays also went 2-2 to finish the tournament at 3-2. Each recorded one pin Saturday.
Placing fifth were Hunter Walling at 126, Clayton Hurley at 138 and Michael Friederich at 170. All three wrestlers went 2-2 on Day 2, as Friederich won both matches by fall and Hurley won once by pin.
Dawson Prenger finished sixth at 195, while Brant Aulbur was eighth at 220.
The Jays host Hickman on Tuesday night at Fleming Fieldhouse.