Bulldogs improve to 5-0 in duals, place second at Regina Tournament
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac wrestling team last week improved to 5-0 in duals and earned another strong tournament finish.
The Bulldogs defeated visiting Lancaster 45-28 on Dec. 12, in the first of a trio of dual wins against Wisconsin teams. Lancaster jumped out to an early 9-0 lead when Bulldog Mason Johnson was pinned at 175 pounds and Caleb Zuercher lost a close 12-10 decision at 190. MFL MarMac pulled ahead 12-9 thanks to a pair of pins by Nolan Lerch (215) and Will Howes (285), before the Arrows grabbed another 9 points when Wolfgang Martins Saboria dropped a 6-0 decision at 106 and Gunnar Ross was pinned at 113.
Rylan Schroeder trimmed the Lancaster lead to 18-15 with a thrilling sudden victory at 120 pounds. Keith Anderson and Gavin Kishman followed with falls at 126 and 132 pounds, respectively, and John Martins secured the 138-pound match by forfeit, to put the Bulldogs up 33-18.
A 12-4 major decision loss at 144 pounds by Holden Mathis and an MFL MarMac forfeit at 150 helped Lancaster close the gap. The Bulldogs wrapped the dual with two pins, however, as Tristen Koehn won his 157-pound match and Quinn McGeough came out on top at 165.
It was a similar result for MFL MarMac Dec. 14, in a 45-27 win over Belmont/Platteville. Howes, Anderson, Koehn, McGeough and Dayne Kohrs (190) all won by fall, and Martins Saboria, Kishman and Hunter Bogdonovich (170) all won due to forfeit.
Ross, Schroeder and Mathis lost their matches by decision, and Lerch was pinned at 215. Belmont/Platteville picked up 12 points on MFL MarMac forfeits at 144 and 150 pounds.
Against host River Ridge, the Bulldogs earned a 54-30 result. MFL MarMac’s points came via falls by Anderson, Kishman and Koehn, as well as forfeit victories from Ross, Schroeder, Mathis, McGeough, Kohrs and Lerch.
Martins Saboria, Martins, Zuercher and Mason Overton (285) were pinned in their respective matches, and the Timberwolves picked up a win by forfeit at 150 pounds.
On Dec. 16, the Bulldogs wrestled their way to second place in the Regina Invitational, their 182 points trailing only West Branch’s 251. Mathis won four matches that day to earn his second straight tournament championship at 138 pounds. A narrow decision loss in the first-place match gave Kishman second place at 132. Ross (113), Koehn (157), McGeough (165) and Howes (285) all placed third in their respective brackets.
Lerch placed fourth and Averey Thornton fifth at 215 pounds, while Schroeder secured fourth place and Ty Koeller sixth at 120. Zuercher and Kohrs came in fifth at 175 and 190, respectively. Anderson did not place.
MFL MarMac wraps up the 2023 portion of its schedule Dec. 19, in a home quad with East Buchanan, Central and Clayton Ridge.