The Ellsworth Bearcats hosted 12 area schools Jan. 11 for the 51st annual Ellsworth Invitational Wrestling Tournament at the Ellsworth Jr./Sr. High School gym. The Bearcat team finished sixth overall out of 13 teams.

Head coach Steve Thorburn, along with assistant coaches Clint Donley, Zac Schneider, Brendan Tripp and Jenny Freeman, guided the Bearcat squad against wrestlers from Cheney, Concordia, Garden Plain, Hesston, Oakley, Onaga, Osborne, Southeast of Saline, Hoisington, Kingman, Lyons and Minneapolis.

The gym was packed as all attention was focused on the two mats on the floor.

Thorburn said he liked the way his wrestlers looked during the matches.

“We wrestled pretty good and we plan to keep on working hard in the practice room to be ready for the Halstead tournament next week,” he said.

“Overall, I am pleased with how our younger kids are doing and happy with where our upperclassmen are headed.”

Five Bearcats wrestlers placed in their respective weight classes.

Freshman Walter Hulse at 106 lbs. placed fourth; sophomore Ismael DeLaCruz at 113 lbs. placed fourth; senior Will Donley at 138 lbs. placed third; junior Micah Galvan at 175 lbs. placed second; and junior Keegan Urbanek at 190 lbs. placed second.

Final team placings: (1) Concordia, 159.5; (2) Hoisington, 124.0; (3) Lyons, 122.5; (4) Minneapolis, 95.5; (5) Oakley, 83.5; (6) Ellsworth, 71.0; (7) Southeast of Saline, 59.5; (8) Onaga, 54.0; (9) Garden Plain, 59.09; (10) Kingman, 50.0, (11) Hesston 49.0 (12) Osborne, 35.0; and Cheney, 15.0.

Full results for all teams and brackets can be found at www. trackwrestling.com.

The Ellsworth varsity team will be in action at 9 a.m. Jan. 18 at the Halstead tournament.