FREDONIA — The Iola High wrestling team competed at the Fredonia Wrestling Invitational on Saturday.
Xander Sellman, Korbin Cloud, Isaac Hopkins and Wyatt Westervelt competed for the Mustangs.
Sellman’s place is unknown but he earned three points in the boys 132-pound weight class.
Sellman first lost by a fall to Winfield’s Brody Lindenman in 2:23 before winning by a fall against Valley Center’s Ridge Bieker in 49 seconds. The final matchup saw Sellman get taken down by Wellsville’s Carson Bell by fall over 1:47 into the match.
“Seeing the techniques we drill in practice translate over to live competition is what it’s all about,” said Iola head coach Jason Bates. “We spend so much time perfecting technique and preparing for competition so that we react quickly rather than thinking what needs to be done.”
Cloud took second place with 18 team points in the boys 138-pound weight class.
The sophomore won by a fall against Andover Central’s Jet Thompson in only 34 seconds before he won by decision over Caney Valley’s Heath Ellis by a 9-4 decision. Cloud then fell to Erie’s Landen Kmiec in a 4:32 fall.
“Korbin wrestled a tough match,” said Bates. “Landen Kmiec is ranked top 6 in the state and whenever you meet someone that is in the top six, it’s going to be a battle.”
Hopkins placed in fourth with 10 team points in the boys 150-pound weight class.
The Mustang received a bye in the quarterfinal before he lost by a 7-6 decision to Winfield’s Landon Bonjour. Hopkins then won by a fall against Caney Valley’s Ties Maas in 4:14 and then got taken down by Leon-Bluestem’s Colt Williamson in a 3-0 decision.
Westervelt finished in fourth with 14 team points in the boys 190-pound weight class.
“Isaac and Wyatt are still both working hard to meet their goals,” Bates said. “Right now we need to work on confidence. They both have the technical ability to win matches, but our confidence is not quite where it needs to be to win the matches that matter.”
The senior received a bye before winning on a fall against Uniontown’s Colby Hueston by a 1-0 decision before he lost on a fall to Burlingame’s Cooper Burns in 4:33. Westervelt knocked off Parsons’ Kaden Blake on a fall in 2:33.
In Westervelt’s final match, he lost to Wichita-East’s S’Ron Hill by a 2-1 decision.
Iola welcomes Osawatomie and West Elk to their gym on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
