Randolph senior Kamren Anderson is the top seed at 103 pounds in the Linda C. Knuutila Memorial tournament and is fighting in the semifinals this morning. In this file photo, Anderson competes in the STWOA Holiday Classic where he was also the top seed at 103 pounds. File photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert

SANBORN — Making the wintery trek to SUNY Niagara was well worth it for 15 area wrestlers on Friday afternoon as they earned spots in the semifinals of the 6th Linda C. Knuutila Memorial Invitational.

Action will pick up Saturday morning for those boys and several others in the wrestlebacks. Today the boys will also be joined by several area girls vying for spots on the podium in the fifth edition of the tournament for girls.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer will have four wrestlers in the semifinals: Logan Fuller, Thandon Bensink, Alex Bourgeois and Colton Hamilton.

Fuller takes on the top seed of the 126-pound bracket, Southwestern junior Miles Torres who has recorded three pins to reach the semifinals. No. 5 Fuller also earned his spot on the back of three pins, knocking off the No. 4 seed Rashed Ahmed of Lackawanna in 3:30. The winner will face either the second-seeded Cameron Crumpler of Niagara Falls or No. 3 Zach Didas of Clarence.

Bensink is up in the 132-pound class as the No. 2 seed, battling No. 3 Austin Post from Alexander for a spot in the final. He secured his semifinal spot for the Eagles with two pins and a flawless technical fall in the quarterfinals.

On the other side of the bracket, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley junior Dylan Newman is the top seed and faces off against No. 4 Luke Duffina of Medina. Newman cruised to the semis in similar fashion with two pins and a technical fall in the quarters.

At 144 pounds, the fourth-seeded Bourgeois will face the bracket’s top seed in Eden/North Collins senior Trevor DellaPenta. Bourgeois reached the semifinals by securing three victories by pinfall, if he can break through he will face the winner of No. 2 Southwestern senior Carmine Calimeri against No. 3 Luke Fay of Royalton-Hartland/Barker.

Calimeri also breezed to the semifinals with two pins and a dominant technical fall victory in the quarterfinals.

At 215 pounds, Hamilton is the final Eagles wrestler shooting for the top of the podium as the No. 2 seed facing No. 3 Aidyn Licht of North Tonawanda. Hamilton scored two pins for his spot in the semifinals and if he can break through will face either No. 1 Tristen Webb of Hamburg or No. 4 Brayden Campbell of Lancaster.

The Trojans have three wrestlers in the semifinals, joining Miles Torres and Calimeri is senior and 110-pound No. 2 seed Adrian Torres who will go against No. 3 Roman Zarbo of Wilson. Torres toyed with his opponents in the first two bouts to gain technical falls and then opted for a 36-second pin in the quarterfinals. If he can break through to the final he will wrestle either top-seed Mason DellaPenta of Eden/North Collins or No. 4 Dominic Liszka of Williamsville North/East.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley also has three wrestlers in the semifinals, joining Newman are senior Riley Best and junior Patrick Braley.

Best is the No. 5 seed at 175 pounds, securing two pins and a technical fall to set up a semifinal bout with top-seeded Trevor Mueller of Clarence. If he can secure a victory he will take on either No. 2 Keith Mixon of North Tonawanda or No. 3 Drew Fletch of Williamsville North/East.

Braley has his sights set on another title to start the season, reaching the semifinals again as the top seed of the 190-pound bracket. After a pin and two technical falls, Braley is set to take on No. 4 Jon Landen of North Tonawanda and a victory would see him face either No. 2 Matthew Cox of Clarence or No. 3 Noah Leavell of Hamburg.

Gowanda has a pair of wrestlers still in reach of the top spot on the podium with senior Nathan Warrior at 150 pounds and senior Jayden John at 285 pounds.

Warrior is the No. 4 seed and will take on top-seeded Ryder Reichert of Alexander after securing three pins. If he can pull off the upset he will wrestle either No. 2 Maple Grove sophomore Jaxon Kraft or No. 3 Trey Abrams of Frontier.

Kraft also dominated his way to the semifinals, picking up three pins in his bid for the championship.

Despite being the No. 7 seed, John made quick work to earn a spot in the semifinals with three pins under 50 seconds each to set up a match with No. 3 RJ Townsend of Royalton-Hartland/Barker. If he can knock off another high seed he could face top-seeded Salamanca sophomore Kasen Hardy who fights No. 4 James Crooks of Akron.

Hardy received a bye and posted two big pins to reach the semifinal.

Randolph senior Kamren Anderson is the top seed again at 103 pounds and behind a technical fall and pin reached the semifinals. He will take on No. 4 Ethan Brenon of Williamsville North/East and either wrestle No. 2 Michael Ruckdaschel of Starpoint or No. 3 Landon Mersdorf of North Tonawanda.

Several other local wrestlers will have the opportunity to continue wrestlebacks for a spot on the podium and the girls will take to the mats to determine champions today.