The Blue Earth Area Buccaneers ended up in fifth place at the Big South Conference conference meet held in Waseca on Saturday, Jan. 13.

BEA scored 111 points for the fifth place finish, just behind Worthington’s 118 points and fourth place finish. There were 13 teams competing.

Taking the conference championship was Fairmont-Martin County West with 210.5 points. In second was Marshall at 148.5, third was Pipestone Area with 121.5.

BEA was led by Zach Buseman, who took the conference championship at 160 pounds.

Buseman is a senior with a 22-3 record and a Class AA No. 6 ranking in state. He defeated Sage Loredo-Hollon of St. Peter, by a score of 5-2.

The Buccaneers also grabbed a pair of third place finishes to add to their point total.

Sophomore Caleb Beeler (16-9) took third at 106 pounds with an 8-6 win over freshman Riley Cowell (21-7) of Luverne.

Jordan Huse, a senior with a 9-14 record, pinned freshman Marcus Hansen (2-7) of Waseca to claim third place at 195 pounds.

BEA also had one fourth place finisher, Akeira Morrow at 170 pounds. He lost the bout for third place to Elijah Sterner of Marshall by a score of 5-2. Both are juniors. Morrow has a 9-15 record, Sterner is 11-9.

BEA had three fifth place finishers at the conference meet.

Sophomore Davis Sunken (20-9) took an 11-2 major decision over fellow sophomore Jackson Bode (10-13) of New Ulm in the 113 pound weight class to claim fifth.

Buc freshman Max Ehrich (11-4) claimed fifth place at 126 pounds with a close 4-3 win over junior Lucas Hodges (12-9) of Marshall.

And, placing fifth at 138 pounds, was senior Joe Schavey (11-8) who defeated sophomore Eric Lange (11-12) of Pipestone by a score of 8-6.

The maroon and gold had one more wrestler place at the BCS Meet.

Sophomore Jaxen Klinkner (12-14) placed sixth when he lost the battle for fifth place to senior Ethan Pavelko (15-5) of Worthington.

Following the fifth place Buccaneers was New Ulm Area in sixth place with 101 points, St. Peter seventh with 86.5, Redwood-River Valley eighth with 86, Waseca ninth at 81.5, St. James Area 10th at 81, Windom-Mountain Lake 11th with 75.5, Jackson County Central 12th with 61.5 and Luverne 13th with 31.