Republic crowned three individual champions Saturday at its home invitational and tied Savannah for the team championship, with both teams finishing at 253 points.
Keaton Overcast continued his dominance at the Republic Invitational, winning his bracket for the fourth straight year. Overcast went 4-0 at 144, ending every match by fall. He opened with pins in 1:29 and 1:35, then closed the tournament with a 57-second fall over Drake Coots of Lathrop in the finals.
Overcast, now a veteran presence in Republic’s lineup, said the growth of the tournament has gone hand in hand with the growth of the program. He said the team has become more connected in how it prepares and competes.
“When you see us warming up as a team and practicing, and the way we run things, we know how to do it, when to do it,” he said. Winning a fourth straight title “means a lot knowing that the program is growing as a whole and we’re hosting a harder and harder tournament every year.”
Ethan Montiel turned in one of the most efficient performances of the day at 215 pounds, pinning all four opponents and scoring 36 team points. Montiel recorded pins in nine seconds, 11 seconds, and 50 seconds before closing with a 2:59 fall over Glendale’s Deric Washington in the championship match.
“I got a good warm-up in. That was my biggest thing,” Montiel said. “Coach (VonAllmen) always says get the ‘crap sweat’ out.”
As the tournament progressed, Montiel said his focus shifted to blocking out everything beyond the mat and staying present in each match.
“Forget anything going on outside of wrestling and just think ‘What do I need to do to secure this win?” he said.
At 165 pounds, Kameron Sutton captured the title with a 4-0 day that included three falls and an injury default. Sutton finished the tournament with a fall over Lathrop’s Beau McAdams in the finals.
“I was really excited for today because last year I didn’t perform to my best ability,” Sutton said. “So I knew I was gonna come out here, whoop up on some kids today, hopefully take home first place.”
Beyond the champions, Republic stacked points throughout the lineup.
Isaac Crowley reached the finals at 138 pounds, finishing second after wins by fall, decision, and another fall. Devon Stumpff placed third at 285 with four falls on the day. Coy Crihfield (113), Bentley Packwood (126) and Kaiden Patterson (157) each earned fourth-place finishes.
Izaiah Hull added a fifth-place finish at 175, Shelby Horton placed sixth at 132, Brentley Lahey finished sixth at 190, Abel Shade took seventh at 150, and Aydan Walker placed sixth at 106.
The co-championship marked the fourth straight year Republic has won its home tournament, with this season’s field featuring 13 teams.
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