Camden Hills claims fourth straight KVAC title

SOUTH PARIS – Camden Hills of Rockport used its strength in the lighter weight classes to earn its fourth straight Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference wrestling championship Saturday at Oxford Hills High School.

The five-time defending Class B state champions won four weight divisions and had 10 top-four finishes to score 183.5 points, well ahead of Class B rival Belfast, which won three weight classes and placed second with 143 points.

Class A programs Oxford Hills (107.5), Mt. Blue of Farmington (104) and Skowhegan (75) completed the top five in the 16-team field.

Camden Hills was led by Jacob Berry, who was named the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler by upending top-seeded Tony Gilmore of Belfast 8-2 in the 125-pound final. Berry was joined on the winner’s stand by teammates Murphy McGowan, True Bragg and Harry Pearson.

McGowan pinned Tom Hall of Morse of Bath in 3 minutes, 24 seconds in the 103-pound final. Bragg pinned Skowhegan’s Jeremy Tarpen in 44 seconds to win the 119-pound division. Pearson, a junior who is the reigning Class B state champion at 160 pounds, won that division at the KVACs by pinning Gardiner’s Michael Curry in 3:31.

Coach Patrick Kelly’s Windjammers also got second-place efforts from Joe McGowan (112), Derek Young (130), Randy Lemar (135) and Oliver Bradeen (189), a third from Matt Creamer (171), and a fourth from Cody Laite (140).

Belfast was led by individual champions Kyle Bonin, Norman Gilmore and Ben Dunham. Bonin pinned rival Joe McGowan with three seconds remaining in their 112-pound final. Norman Gilmore outlasted Derek Young 12-10 at 130 pounds, and Dunham won an 8-0 major decision over Brad Smith of Oxford Hills in the 145-pound final.

The Lions also got Tony Gilmore’s second-place finish at 125, as well as thirds from Jim Spencer (103), Steve Joy (119) and Logan Kelley (160).

Oxford Hills had three individual champions in Tom Moulton (152), Cory Smith (189) and Tyler Guerin (275). Shane Webber (135) was Mt. Blue’s lone individual champion, while Dylan Wentworth (140) represented Skowhegan on the winner’s stand.

Other KVAC champions were Mike Taylor (171) of Mount Ararat of Topsham and Tyler Robinson (215) of Cony of Augusta. Belfast’s Neal Wood was named KVAC coach of the year.