DEKALB — The Rochelle Middle School wrestling team finished seventh at the 2024 North Central Junior Conference Tournament on Saturday. Benjamin Morris and Teddy Millard each brought home third-place finishes, while AJ Milan earned a fourth-place finish in the meet. Bentley Svela and Jonathan Hernandez each recorded fifth-place finishes and Kyler Holder notched a sixth-place finish for the Royals, who scored 20 points to take seventh as a team.

Morris (5-2) took third in the 155-pound division with a 2-1 record, earning a first-round bye before scoring an 8-0 major decision over Burlington Central/Prairie Knolls wrestler Thomas Schatz to reach the semifinals. After a loss to Belvidere Central’s Kareem Badran in the semifinal bout, Morris recorded a fall over Sycamore’s Dean Hanson in the third-place bout.

Millard (3-3) took third in the 75-pound division with a 2-1 record, opening the tournament with a fall over Kaneland Harter’s James DeWitte before falling to Sycamore’s Logan Signorella in the semifinals. Millard bowed out with a fall over DeKalb’s DeDe Calhoun in the third-place match.

Milan (2-5) finished fourth in the 105-pound division with a 1-2 record, notching a first-round bye and a quarterfinal-round fall over Belvidere South’s Vance Patterson. Svela (4-3) placed fifth in the 85-pound division with a 2-1 record, scoring a 4-0 decision over Sycamore’s Burke Beshomer and a fall over DeKalb’s Ian Libby Frederick in the fifth-place consolation match.

Hernandez (3-2) placed fifth in the 95-pound division with a 3-1 record, receiving a forfeit from Belvidere Central’s Troy Lopez before concluding the tournament with a fall over BC/PK wrestler Joshua Niehus and an 8-6 decision over BC/PK wrestler Oscar Nelson in the fifth-place match. Holder (2-2) took sixth in the 112-pound division with a 2-2 record, earning a fall over BC/PK’s Aiden Windisch in the first round and a fall over BC/PK’s Adan Gasca in consolation action.

Zander Griner went 2-2 over four matches in the 167-pound division, recording falls over Belvidere Central’s Jaxen Watson and Belvidere South’s Sam Brahmstedt. Reed Dougherty went 1-2 over three matches in the 167-pound division, earning a first-round fall over Belvidere South’s Sam Brahmstedt. Damion Anders went 2-2 over four matches in the 126-pound division with falls over Kaneland Harter’s Tisetso Malcom and BC/PK wrestler Lauren Jalowiecki.

Joshua Hernandez went 1-2 over three matches in the 100-pound division, scoring a fall over Belvidere Central’s Landon Beary. Quentin Ansteth went 1-2 over three matches in the 95-pound division, receiving a forfeit from Belvidere Central’s Troy Lopez.