AUGUSTA, Maine — There was little drama in Travis Spencer’s pursuit of a fourth straight wrestling state championship Saturday.
Turns out the battle for the Class B team title wasn’t steeped in mystery, either.
Spencer capped off his championship run by helping Belfast roll to its second straight state title, as the Lions outscored runner-up Camden Hills of Rockport 177.5-120 at the Augusta Civic Center.
Western Maine representatives Oak Hill of Sabattus (102.5), Mountain Valley of Rumford (98) and Wells (78.5) swept the next three places, followed by sixth-place Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield (65).
Coach Ted Heroux’s Belfast club sent seven wrestlers to the championship finals, with competitors in five consecutive weight classes from 152 to 215 pounds all emerging victorious.
“I think everyone was focused and wanted to defend that title,” said Belfast senior Zach Shellabarger, the state champ at 152 pounds. “Our 112-pounder [state runner-up Jordan Young] probably wrestled probably the best matches I’ve ever seen him wrestle. Everyone was just wrestling nasty today.”
Perhaps no one was nastier than the 189-pound Spencer, who continued an undefeated senior season with three first-round pins. His victory over Oak Hill’s Nick Wells in 1 minute, 32 seconds of the finals made him the second wrestler of the day — along with Joey Eon of Class A Massabesic of Waterboro — but just the 13th in state history to win four individual titles.
“I went out today feeling great, and I never like being too cocky, because I look at any kid I’m wrestling and think ‘any day, any person, it could happen,’” said Spencer. “But three pins in the first period, it felt good.
“I’m just proud to be the first four-timer from my town.”
Belfast had nine top-four finishes on the day, beginning with a third-place effort by Phil Kyser at 125 pounds and a fourth from Justin Boyle at 285.
Young and Josh Robbins (130) each finished second before the Lions began their show of strength in the middle and upper weight classes.
Shellabarger earned his first state title at 152 by pinning MCI’s Patrick Hapworth in 3:29, then reigning New England champion Kote Aldus earned a 19-4 technical fall at 160 pounds over Oak Hill’s Dillon Tibbetts to win for the second straight year.
Sophomore Kornealius Wood edged Oak Hill’s Clyde Tibbetts 3-2 in the 171-pound final to avenge a pair of overtime losses during the season before Spencer struck for his historic pin against Wells.
Mark Smith capped off the Belfast run at 215 pounds with an 18-8 major decision over Adam Hathorne, also of Oak Hill.
“For three weeks in a row it’s been all about peaking,” said Belfast assistant coach Mike Cummings. “We did the same thing for the second straight year, I guess we’ve kind of got it down. They kids just stepped up to the challenge.”
Camden Hills, runner-up to Belfast at both the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B championships and the regional finals, was led by individual champions Zac Fields (130) and Jack Simpkins (140).
Fields avenged a loss to Robbins in the Eastern B final with an 8-4 decision, while Simpkins pinned Hermon’s Ryan Botting in 1:31 to earn his second straight state title.
Brandon Rich (135) and Jacob Powers (145) earned seconds for coach Levi Rollins’ club, while Logan Rich (103) and Max Bragg (119) each finished third and Tom Cassidy (125) placed fourth.
Oak Hill had one champion in 125-pound Craig Morrill, while Ryan Burgess (103) and Ernie Matthews (135) were winners for Mountain Valley. Wells was led by 112-pound champion Vanya Tomaszewski.
Senior Brandon Wright of MCI won the 119-pound crown by pinning Oak Hill’s Keith Madore in 3:33. Hapworth’s second-place effort and thirds from Revelin Goewey (160) and Roy Williams (189) also helped the Huskies to their solid finish.
Mark Heathcote of Central of Corinth won his second consecutive state title at 285 pounds. He edged Fryeburg Academy’s Jesse Sawin in overtime in the semifinals, then in a rematch of the 2008 championship match outlasted Wells’ Stephen Johnson 4-0 in overtime.
Heathcote and Johnson battled to a scoreless stalemate through three periods and the one-minute sudden-death overtime. But Heathcote then scored an escape late in the first 30-second overtime, and powered his way to a near-fall in the second 30-second extra period to seal the victory.
“Neither one of us seemed to be 100 percent,” said Heathcote. “I was coughing and he was coughing, but we went out and gave it our all. In the third overtime luckily I got him on his back, and that’s where it happened.”
Billy Gauthier of York won in the 145-pound class.