On their home mats the Spirit Lake Park wrestling team began their pursuit of a Lakes Conference title in impressive fashion with a pair of dual wins over LeMars and Cherokee on Thursday night. The sixth-ranked Indians opened with a 60-15 decision over the Bulldogs, in which they recorded six wins by pin fall. Then SLP took down Cherokee by a 58-24 margin, a match that featured six more pin fall victories and one by decision. On the night, Isaac Lundgren (138), Dylan Bryce (145), David Trucksess (152), and Jacob Jenness (182) each recorded two pin fall wins, while Doug Miner (113), Zach Skopec (120), Javiar Tapia (170), Casey Jones (195), and Nathan Kyle (220) all finished with a single win by fall. Spirit Lake Park opens conference play at 2-0 in duals and will participate in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament in Rochester on Friday and Saturday. In the other dual, Cherokee handed LeMars a 54-15 decision, putting the Braves at 1-1 and Bulldogs at 0-2.
Click here for post-match interview with coach Rick VanderWoude.
Down in Spencer, the Tigers continued their pursuit of yet another Lakes Conference title with a pair of dual wins, taking down rival Emmetsburg, 61-15, and Western Christian, 60-18. Spencer’s Bailey Hawn (113) was the lone Tiger with two pins. Jack Randall (138), Tanner Schaefer (152), Tanner Logan (160), and Blaine Johnson (170) all notched a win by fall. Spencer sits at a perfect 4-0 in league duals. The E-Hawks finished 1-1 on the night, taking down the Wolfpack, 45-27. Five Emmetsburg wrestlers earned pin fall victories, Alex Clark (113), Justin Studer (152), Tyler Henson (182), Tayler Wegner (195), and Andrew Garrelts (285). The E-Hawks are 2-1 in conference matches, with Western Christian falling to 0-4. Emmetsburg wrestles again Saturday at the Ft. Dodge Invitational, and Spencer will host seven other schools for their annual tournament.
In the Siouxland Conference, the Okoboji Pioneers kept their dual record unblemished going to 3-0 with a pair of wins over Central Lyon/George-Little Rock and West Lyon. Okoboji got by the Lions, 42-31, taking five matches by fall. The second dual win came by a 65-15 thrashing of the Wildcats and consisted of four more pin fall wins. Taylor Cody (138) was the lone Pioneers wrestler with two pins, while Adam Dublinski (120), Brody Linn (132), Cody Louscher (152), Zach Jones (160), Justin Richardson (170), Tanner Taylor (182), and Jacob Sauter (195) all recorded a single win by fall. Okoboji will wrestle this Saturday at the West Hancock Invitational.
