SARATOGA – The Norwich Purple Tornado wrestling team emerged as the Saratoga Invitational champions Saturday afternoon, compiling 157 points as a team to bring home the trophy.

The Tornado saw three in the finals with two earning tournament titles while all but four of the wrestlers who attended the event placed in their respective weight classes.

Max Morris, Norwich’s 99 pounder, reached the finals for the first time of his young career after a semifinals win over Windsor’s Nick Swartz. Morris’ first match of the tournament ended with a 7-0 decision win over Saratoga Springs’ Kyle Griskowitz.

Morris fell in the finals, however, after a 14-5 major to Ballston Spa’s Connor Gregory. The second place finish is the best for the Norwich youngster, who is in his first year as a varsity competitor.

The Tornado’s Dante Geislinger and Mikey Squires brought home tournament titles, their third of the season, with each winning in convincing fashion.

Geislinger needed just 1:17 to pin Nick Plaso of Ballston Spa to earn his championship. The Norwich 106 pounder pinned his way through the field, seeing the second period in only one of his four bouts.

Squires took the 152 pound bracket after three matches, winning his finals bout with a 19-2 tech fall over Jakob Edwards of Columbia. The Tornado stand-out defeated a familiar opponent in his first match of the day, pinning Windor’s James Hoover at the 4:14 mark of the bout.

Norwich also had Nick Glanville, Andrew Brown, Angel Francis, Izaiah Caballero, Tyler Rice and Kegan Wright wrestle their way back to stand on the podium.

Glanville and Rice finished third after losing for the first time in the tournament in the semifinals. However, both bounced back quick to win the consolation semis and the consolation finals to claim their place.

Brown placed fourth in the 113 pound bracket while Wright finished fifth and both Caballero and Francis snagged sixth in their weight classes.

Norwich returns to the mat for a dual match against Oneonta at home. The meet is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start time on Wednesday.

Vikings place one at Mid-Winter Classic

PORT BYRON – Otselic Valley finished the Port Byron Mid-Winter Classic with 50 points as a team, placing 16th at the tournament held on Saturday.

The Vikings Creed Ossont won his first three matches by pinfall in the 195 pound bracket, landing in the finals against Red Creek’s Alex Eich.

Eich also reached the finals by pinning his opponents, setting up the championship bout between him and Ossont.

Making his move early, Eich was able to take down OV’s Ossont and pinned the Vikings’ wrestler in 46 seconds. Ossont finished second and was the only Otselic Valley wrestler to place at the Mid-Winter Classic.

Ashvil Rood, Dakota Hackett and Robert Dougherty each won the first match of the day in their respective weight class brackets but all fe;l in their next bout, sending the three to the wrestleback rounds.

Winning both of the next two matches, the Vikings’ threesome had just a single match in each bracket left before the placing rounds. Unfortunately, all three OV wrestlers lost the next match, missing their chance to stand on the podium.

The Vikings are on the mat again on Wednesday at 6 p.m. when they travel to Onondaga-Tully for a league meet.

Greene/Oxford has big day on mat as 12 place to finish second