Three area wrestling teams kicked off the new season with a double-dual at Okoboji High School on Thursday, with the Pioneers hosting Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire and Spencer. The Tigers, a Class 3A state team qualifier a season ago, dominated the triangular. Spencer topped Okoboji by a 49-27 margin. During that dual, Pioneers senior Zach Jones recorded his 100th career victory, winning by pin fall at 160-pounds. Jones is ranked eighth in Class 1A at 170 pounds. The Tigers also defeated the Knights handily, 66-16. Spencer won seven matches by pin, while GT/RA earned pin fall victories by Austin Thompson and Trent Lundgren, the fifth ranked wrestler at 138-pounds in Class 1A. Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire did pick up the head-to-head win with Okoboji, taking down the Pioneers, 42-30. Three of Okoboji’s five wins came by forfeit, with the other two being pins by Tanner Taylor at 182 pounds and Jacob Sauter at 195. Taylor is the No. 3-ranked wrestler at 160. The Knights recorded five pin fall victories over Okoboji. All three teams will return to Milford this Saturday for the Okoboji Invitational.
Click here for post-match comments from Okoboji coach Nate Dau.
Click here for post-match comments from GT/RA coach Cody Alesch.
Click here for post-match comments from Spencer coach Dave Schaefer.
The fourth ranked Indians of Spirit Lake Park, along with Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, began their wrestling seasons with a quadrangular at Sheldon. SLP went 2-0 on the night, defeating Central Lyon/George-Little Rock 60-21 in one dual, and Sheldon/South O’Brien, 51-16, in the other. The Hawks finished 1-1, taking down CL/GLR, 48-27, then falling in a heartbreaker to Sheldon/South O’Brien, 42-41. Heath Nagel (138) and Dakota Drenth (145) both recorded a pair of pin fall victories, while Hank Voss (132) and Thurston Gable (152) also had pins on the night. Spirit Lake Park and Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn will wrestle again Saturday at the Okoboji Invitational.
North of the border, St. James defeated Worthington/Round Lake-Brewster in a dual, 47-24.
