Arch puts dominance on display, earns most outstanding wrestler at Quincy Invitational

QUINCY — It’s rare to find a wrestling bracket with Collin Arch in the field and not see the Palmyra senior’s name on the top line.

Yet, Saturday during the Quincy Invitational at the QHS gym, the three-time defending state champion and arguably the most accomplished high school wrestler this area has ever produced had his name on the bottom line of the 152-pound bracket.

Much like how he wrestles, being on top or on bottom doesn’t matter.

Arch is nearly impossible to beat.

He was named the most outstanding wrestler of the tournament after dominating his way to four victories and the tourney championship. Arch pinned Roxana junior Braden Johnson in 3 minutes, 5 seconds in the title match for his third pin of the day.

Arch opened with a pin of Roxana’s Bryan Rodriquez in 1:59, followed it with a 52-second pin of Macomb’s Elliott Parkins and then scored a 17-1 technical fall over Camp Point Central’s Hunter Bolton. It improved his season record to 25-1.

The Palmyra grappler was one of four area wrestlers to win individual titles.

Central’s Paul Schenk captured the title at 113, while Quincy Notre Dame’s Bradi Lahr won at 132 and Macomb’s Max Ryner won at 195.

Schenk turned a two-point lead over Quincy High School’s Wyatt Boeing after the first period into a 10-0 major decision in the championship match. He pinned Jacksonville’s Hunter Hayes in 1:24 in the semifinals after scoring a major decision in the quarterfinals.

Lahr may have had the most exciting finish to any title match, scoring a reversal with nine seconds remaining in the third period to beat QHS’s Eli Roberts 9-7. A pair of pins in 4:30 and 3:17 allowed Lahr to reach the title match.

Ryner put a stamp on his championship by pinning QND’s Ryan Darnell in 3:33 in the title bout. Ryner also pinned his previous two opponents in 13 seconds and 1:27.

Palmyra got a top-four finish from Mike Thomas at 285. Bolton finished fourth for Central, while Connor Griffin was second at 160. Macomb had three wrestlers finish third in their respective weight classes — Charlie Hernandez at 126, Carter Hoge at 160 and Ethan Ladd at 220.