By By ADAM FISHER / Niles Daily Star
Niles had four individual champions at Saturday's Berrien County wrestling meet and one runner up, good enough to place second.
Their point total of 233.5 couldn't top Lakeshore, however, as the Lancers won the meet with 242.5 points. Thought it was an individual tournament, it was the third time this season the Vikings have fallen just short against Lakeshore.
It was the ninth straight year the Lancers have won the county tournament and the 21st time in the 26-year history of the event.
Lakeshore also had four individual champions, but had three runners up.
For Niles, Jake Glueckert won at 103 pounds, Matt Poehlman won at 119, Bob Cinninger won at 145 and Josh Henry won at 189. Derek Purcell claimed a second place finish for the Vikings, losing in a major decision, 14-6, to St. Joseph's Bryan Ammeson.
By winning the title at 119, Poehlman remains undefeated on the season at 20-0. He beat Lakeshore's Justin Agens 9-7 in overtime in the final round. Poehlman also beat Agens Dec. 30 in the SMAC Duals.
Henry was able to get revenge in his title match. He pinned Watervliet's Ben Isbrecht, avenging one of his two loses on the season.
Henry lost to Isbrecht in the Eau Claire Invitational earlier this year. Isbrecht was previously undefeated heading into Saturday's final round.
In the only other Niles-Lakeshore match up in the finals, Cinninger defeated the Lancers' Will Whitehead. Cinninger pinned Whitehaed in 1:21.
Buchanan finished fifth in the 11-team county meet on the strength of placing two wrestlers in the championship round. Ryan Carrigan won the only title for the Bucks, pinning Benton Harbor's Rodney Driver in 3:35 in the 275-pound championship.
Buchanan's David Medlin took second at 140 pounds. He lost to Coloma's Jeremy Ashley 14-8 in the final round.
Brandywine finished the meet with a total of 43 points, putting the Bobcats in 10th place.
Berrien County meet
At St. Joseph High School
Team Scores
Lakeshore 242.5, Niles 233.5, St. Joseph 145, Coloma 144.5, Buchanan 138, River Valley 121.5, Watervliet 94, Benton Harbor 86.5, Berrien Springs 51.5, Brandywine 43, Eau Claire 8.
Championship round
103 - Jake Glueckert (Niles) beat John Stein (River Valley), 6-4. 112 - Kyle Hammermeister (Lakeshore) pinned Chris Smith (Watervliet), 2:47. 119 - Matt Poehlman (Niles) beat Justin Agens (Lakeshore), 9-7 (OT). 125 - Alex Bolt (Lakeshore) beat Dave Rolek (St. Joseph), 8-2. 130 - Bryan Ammeson (St. Joseph) won by major decision over Derek Purcell (Niles), 14-6. 135 - Mike Stein (River Valley) won by major decision over Kurt Walter (St. Joseph), 15-2. 140 - Jeremy Ashley (Coloma) beat Dave Medlin (Buchanan), 14-8; 145 - Bob Cinniger (Niles) pinned Will Whitehead (Lakeshore), 1:21. 152 - Brad LeValley (Lakeshore) beat Kameron Morris (Watervliet), 5-2. 160 - C.J. Myers (Coloma) won by major decision over Andy Gebhard (Lakeshore), 18-10. 171 - Matt Wittman (Lakeshore) won by technical fall over Tyler Flora (St. Joseph), 27-12. 189 - Josh Henry (Niles) pinned Ben Isbrecht (Watervliet), 3:47. 215 - Jesse Martin (Coloma) won by technical fall over Zak Kacmar (River Valley), 19-4. 275 - Ryan Carrigan (Buchanan) pinned Rodney Driver (Benton Harbor), 3:35.