Cary wraps up Tri-9 tournament

CARY -- The pair of ringside chairs provided for competing coaches at the Tri-Nine Conference Tournament were rickety and made of hard aluminum.

Cary head coach Taylor Cummings was forced to get comfortable.

With Cary wrestlers in the finals in nine of 14 weight classes, the Imps secured their 29th straight conference tournament victory Saturday at Middle Creek High School.

Behind six winners, Cary racked up 230 points to defeat Holly Springs (141 points), Panther Creek (134), Middle Creek (124), Apex (111.5), Fuquay-Varina (79), Green Hope (57), Athens Drive (14) and Lee County (14).

"We haven't lost a conference tournament since 1982 so keeping the streak going is really important," said Cary senior Bo Mulligan, who won his second straight conference title and joined his freshman brother, Mark, on the first-place podium. Bo won the 160-pound title while Mark claimed the 145-pound crown.

Ryan Foran (126), Adam Kugler (152), Ryan Silverman (170) and Corey Daniels (220) rounded out Cary's winners.

For Kevin Ruiz of Panther Creek, his 138-pound championship win against Cary's John Blackwell was extra special, having lost to a Cary wrestler in the finals last year but capitalizing on his shot at redemption.

Apex's Chance Davis bested Cary's Nick Tarvin at 103 pounds while Javon Johnson of Holly Springs beat Cary's Alex Ynoquio at 132.

Green Hope's Ian Callahan also fell to an Imp in the finals a year ago but yesterday defeated Fuquay-Varina's Zachary Tousignant in the 195-pound contest.

Host Middle Creek made a strong showing with three winners. Baffour Atakora won at 113 pounds, Seth Hampsey at 182 and Alex Battaglia, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler, took the 120-pound honors for the second straight year.