QND’s Scott, Lahr respond with top-three finishes, earn state wrestling tournament berths

STANFORD, Ill. — The appropriate response to a setback earned Quincy Notre Dame wrestlers Taylin Scott and Bradi Lahr spots in the Class 1A state tournament field.

Scott won twice after losing in the semifinals of the Class 1A Stanford Olympia Sectional to finish third at 215 pounds, while Lahr won four consecutive matches in the consolation bracket to place third at 144 pounds.

The top four wrestlers in each weight class advanced to the state tournament, which begins Thursday at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign.

Scott went to the third period of the third-place match against Peoria Heights’ Isaac Coleman trailing 1-0 and began on the bottom. He escaped four seconds into the period and scored a takedown with 13 seconds left, then fended off Coleman after he escaped with six seconds left for a 3-2 victory.

In the consolation semifinals, Scott picked up a 7-2 victory over Peoria Manual’s Nas King. A takedown and a two-point nearfall in the second period gave Scott control of the match.

Scott’s day started with a loss to Stanford Olympia’s Nolen Yeary in the semifinals as Yeary pinned him in 3:29.

The junior will take a 43-4 record to the state tournament.

After losing in the quarterfinals, Lahr responded by winning four consecutive matches.

The sophomore pinned Heyworth’s Trevor Solce in 3:46 and scored a 4-2 decision over LeRoy’s Brown Owens to reach the consolation semifinals. He guaranteed himself a state berth by pinning Petersburg PORTA’s Jacob Vogel in 5:33.

Lahr capped his run with a 3-0 victory over Mercer County’s Zeke Arnold. He will take a 38-5 record to state.

West Hancock’s Evan Carel was the only other area wrestler to reach the championship semifinals, but he lost a 17-5 major decision to Olympia’s Bentley Wise at 150 pounds. Carel was pinned by St. Joseph-Ogden’s Coy Hayes in 5:00 in his first consolation match and was eliminated. Carel finished with a 29-7 record.

QND’s Ryan Darnell, wrestling at 190, won two consolation matches, pinning Pontiac’s Jackson Crawford in 1:47 and Monmouth-Roseville’s Alex Gandarilla in 3:15. However, he was pinned by Canton’s Danny Murphy in 1:26 in the consolation semifinals. Darnell finished the season with a 38-7 record.