JACKSON CLAIMS REIMINGER CLAIMS 215 STATE TITLE

COLUMBIA -- Jackson High senior Travis Reiminger completed a perfect wrestling season Saturday night at the Hearnes Center by winning the Class 4A 215-pound state championship.

With a 9-6 victory over Jefferson City's Brian Busby, Reiminger completed a 38-0 season. Busby entered the match with same ambitions as Reiminger, but saw his season end at 33-1.

"It feels like heaven," said Reiminger after winning his fourth match of the state championships. "A lot of the credit goes to my coaches. If it wasn't for them I would be here."

"I'm very proud of Travis Reiminger and finishing undefeated," said Jackson coach Steve Wachter. "I'm disappointed for (Joe) Wiseman. He wrestled a good match but lost 4-3."

Reiminger's win helped lift Jackson to a sixth-place team finish with 66 points and alleviated some of the pain encountered in the 130-pound final, where Jackson's Joe Wiseman lost a 4-3 decision to Oakville's Brett Lieberoff. Wiseman had the lead late in the third period, but with 12 seconds left Lieberoff scored a takedown and road the clock out.

Wiseman closed his senior season at 37-3 while Lieberoff finished 28-12.

"I feel for him," said Wachter said. "He worked so hard and has been with us here so long. You'd like to see him reach the goal he was striving for. I'm real proud of him. He did a great job."

Sophomore Lance Schlick rebounded from a semifinal loss Friday with two wins on Saturday to claim third.

Schlick defeated Jim Bender of Park Hlll 9-5 in the third-place match. Earlier in the day he pinned Tyler Hubbard of Blue Springs in 3:56.

"I'm really proud of him being a sophomore and having him back two more years," said Wachter.

Jefferson City won the 4A title with 176 points, easily outdistancing Francis Howell, which finished with 129.

Jackson finished fourth last year in 3A, but took just four wresters to state for its 4A debut.

"We couldn't have hoped for much better than that with just four kids," said Wachter.