Teams at the Bill Horn Wrestling Invitational are always competitive, and Saturday’s version was no different. North Mahaska was the smallest in class size at the tourney and placed fifth overall. Pella won the meet with 197 points to outdistance South Tama, who finished with 191.5. North Mahaska scored 114.
Ryan Groom at 132 pounds was the lone champion on the day when he scored a 7-4 decision over Pella’s Damion Clark.
Groom opened his day by pinning Hunter Lund of Knoxville in 1 minute 30 seconds. In the quarterfinal match, Groom pinned Pella’s Colby Putz in 1:30. In the semifinals, South Tama’s Clayton Babinat was his next victim via a 6-3 decision.
North Mahaska’s two runnerup finishes came at 157 and 165. Gage Reis, who went 2-1 on the day at 157, scored a major decision over Pella’s Jacon De Ruiter, 14-5. In the semifinals Reis scored a 5-2 decision over Kinzer Jaenette of South Tama.
JT Baker of Oskaloosa was able to pin Reis in 3:32 for the title.
Angello Wittenburg pinned his way to reach the title bout. He pinned Des Moines North-Hoover’s Cody Jackson in 1:15 then followed it up with a pin of Knoxville’s Christian Braida in 3:30. In the semifinals, Wittenburg scored a 10-4 decision to reach the finals. South Tama’s Cyrus Mathes got the title with an 8-3 decision. Wittenburg finished the day 3-1.
Joel DeJong (126) and Cole Wernli (138) notched fourth place finishes for the Warhawks. DeJong pinned Brayden Van Horn of Pella in 1:18 in the quarterfinals then lost a hard fought semifinal match to Davis County’s Emmitt Newton in 3:45. Joe Finnegan of Knoxville was DeJong’s victim in the consolation semifinals by pin in 1:20. Amare Chavez of South Tama was able pin DeJong just before the end of regulation in 5:53.
Wernli received a bye to open his day. South Tama’s MaCael Bear pinned Wernli in the semifinals in 1:49. Wernli bounced back in the consolations to pin Pella’s Dax Putz in 1:48 to earn a spot in the third place match. Jackson Warrick from Boone won 13-10.
Hunter Wernli at 144 pounds went 2-2 on the day. He decisioned Oskaloosa’s Matthew Phillips 9-3 then lost a 17-10 decision to Pella’s Rex Rhamy. In the consolation semifinal, South Tama’s Drayton White won 5-4. Wernli came back in the fifth place match to pin Knoxville’s Koltan Hornaday in 46 seconds.
Max Reed picked up another fifth at 175 pounds. He pinned Nolan Cremer of Davis County in 1:03. Carter Koffman of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont pinned Reed in 31 seconds in the quarterfinals. Reed pinned Oskaloosa’s Brock Beerbower in 5:08 then lost to South Tama’s Marcus Bear in the consolation semifinal in 2:39. Reed face Cremer again and pinned him in 1:03.
Dawson DeBoef won a consolation match en route to finishing sixth overall at 150 pounds.
The Warhawks will return to action in January.
Team scores
Pella 197, 2. South Tama 191.5, 3. Knoxville 165, 4. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 124, 5. North Mahaska 114, 6. Davis County 113, 7. Boone 112.5, 8. Oskaloosa 91, 9. Des Moines North-Hoover 44.