PERU, N.Y. — Vergennes Union High School senior Brandon Cousino won the 182-pound weight class, while Middlebury junior Dustin Davio and Mount Abraham sophomore Kevin Pearsall took thirds at 138 and 182, respectively, to highlight local teams’ efforts on Saturday at the Peru Wrestling Classic, a competitive tournament in Peru, N.Y.
The Eagles fared best as a team, with six wrestlers in the top six of their weight classes to help them finish ninth among 22 teams. Middlebury was 14th with two in the top six, and VUHS — with Cousino its only wrestler — took 15th.
Cousino need four pins to reach 100 career pins at the tournament. But there were only three rounds to reach the final, and he was seeded first and earned a by. Cousino wrestled twice, winning by pin and earning a major decision in the final. He was hoping for enough matches to reach the milestone on Wednesday, when VUHS was set to visit Champlain Valley along with two other teams. If not, the pins should come this weekend at a major tournament at Essex.
Davio compiled a 4-1 record at 138 with three pins, losing only his semifinal match, 5-4, to the eventual champion, Colin Hogan of host Peru. Pearsall went 3-1 with three pins at 182.
In other weight classes:
•  At 120, Mount Abe’s Roman Mayer finished fifth with a 3-2 mark.
•  At 126, Mount Abe’s Ben Murray took fourth with a 3-2 record, and Mount Abe’s John Bent also competed, going 0-2.
•  At 132, Mount Abe’s Gary Conant went 0-2.
•  At 145, Mount Abe’s Josh Hardy took sixth. He won his first two matches by pin and lost in the semifinals, and then defaulted two consolation matches due to injury.
•  At 152, Middlebury’s Joe Whitley went 1-2.
•  At 170, Mount Abe’s Dylan Little took fifth with a 2-2 record.
•  At 220, Middlebury’s Jaro Perera went 0-2.
•  At 285, Middlebury’s Joe Langevin took sixth with a 1-3 mark.