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Plenty of storylines at the Bob Mitton-Orion Invitational
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By Daniel Makarewicz, danmak@qconline.com
By Daniel Makarewicz, danmak@qconline.com
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A field consisting of five ranked wrestling teams -- including the top-rated Class 1A squad -- makes the Bob Mitton-Orion Invitational as competitive as it is deep. And that's not even the best storyline. Seven of the nine teams in next month's Class 1A Sherrard Regional will converge in Orion starting on Friday, making the 16-team tournament a postseason preview. Combine the local field with the state-ranked teams, and you have a tournament that should be a must-see event. "It's going to be one of your premier tournaments," Erie-Prophetstown coach Tod McCullough said. "It is every year." Better yet, the postseason ramifications add the most intrigue. Alleman, Erie-Prophetstown, Mercer County, Orion, Riverdale, Rockridge and Sherrard will compete for postseason seeds as the regional stands two weeks away. Each of those seven teams have faced each other in a dual or tournament setting this year, but the final results will help determine how the brackets are constructed. Fulton and Morrison are the only regional teams not in the field. "We'll see where we stand with everybody at our regional," Mercer County 152-pound senior Zach Nelson said. Looking at the big picture, the tournament will shed some light on state medalists, too. Nelson joins Dakota junior Josh Alber (120 pounds), Dakota sophomore Carver James (138) and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley-Fisher junior Josh Wallick (285) as the top-rated Class 1A individuals. Twenty-one wrestlers ranked in the latest Illinois Best Weekly poll are in the field as well. In fact, the 138-pound class features James, Mercer County sophomore Tristen Finch and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley-Fisher senior Chet McClure. Those three are rated first, second and fifth, respectively, at that weight. "It definitely will be worth its money," Orion coach Dan Diamond said. "It will be exciting." All this happens over two days. "It's two good days of solid wrestling," Mercer County coach Jeremy Finch said. "There are quality teams. It's the last tournament of the season and we want to compete." Most of all, the local teams want to get a postseason preview. "Our goal is the regional title," Jeremy Finch said. "We need to see where we stack up against these teams." Bob Mitton-Orion Invitational When: Friday-Saturday Where: Orion High School Finals: 3:30 p.m. Teams: Alleman, Erie-Prophetstown, Kewanee, Mercer County, Orion, Riverdale, Rockridge, Sherrard, Ashton-Franklin Center, Camp Point Central, Dakota, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley-Fisher, Knoxville, Macomb, Normal U-High, Oregon FYI: Top-ranked Mercer County 152-pound senior Zach Nelson is looking for his fourth title at this event. ... Dakota junior Josh Alber, ranked seventh nationally by InterMat at 120 pounds, carries a 107-0 record into the tournament. ... Alleman joined the tournament last week for the first time since 2008 after Polo dropped out. ... Six reigning champions are in the field, including Nelson, Mercer County sophomore Tristen Finch and Orion junior Jacob DeVolder. 
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Today is Thursday, May 23, the 143rd day of 2013. There are 222 days left in the year.
1863 — 150 years ago: Messrs. J. and M. Rosenfield have moved their leather and hidestore to the building formerly occupied by Temple Bufords's store. They buy and sellhides, pelts, furs, wool, beeswax, lard, tallow, etc.
1888 -- 125 years ago: The Rock Island Lumber Company has recovered 5,000 of the8,000 logs that were carried away by the Mississippi River flood last week.
1913 -- 100 years ago: John J. Ullemeyer has been awarded the contract to furnish RockIsland fire and police department members with uniforms, at the city's expense.
1938 -- 75 years ago: Work on Aledo's new $38,000 swimming pool was started thismorning at South Park when ground for the pool was broken by Mayor John W. Murphy.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Students and teacher at Moline High School called today "MissLeona Day" day at the school in honor of the government teacher who retires at theend of the school term. Although she's been teaching for 43 years at the school, Miss Dayfound a new way of arriving at the school this morning. At 7:30 a.m., a police squad carpulled up in front of Miss Day's home and escorted her to school. A caravan of students' cars joined the procession along the way.
1988 -- 25 years ago: Barbecue cooking and riverfront antics are planned for Discover the
River Day Saturday in Leach Park, Bettendorf. A 5K run, wind surfing, a canoe race, hogcalling and more will round out the day under the Interstate 74 bridge.
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