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It was arguably the most competitive wrestling field North Mahaska has been in this season but was a great tune-up for the upcoming South Iowa Cedar league tourney and districts. The Warhawks claimed just one placing and finished 12th in the 22 team field. Teams from all three lower classes competed.

Wilton was the overall winner with 234 points with Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont second with 200.5. North Mahaska scored 52.
Ryan Groom at 144 pounds found the podium and accounted for nearly half of his team’s points. However, he was the runnerup to Underwood’s Lucas Bose. Bose (37-2) won a 6-2 decision over Groom (39-1) giving him his first loss of the season. It may not be the last time these two see each other. They could meet at state if both qualify.

Groom opened the day with a pin of Graham Nagel of Martensdale-St. Marys in 51 seconds. He won by technical fall in the quarterfinal match over Adam Beck of Van Meter, 17-0. He scored another tech fall in the semis over ADM’s Ethan Johnson. The win sent him into the finals with Bose.

Ryan Groom 144 pounds

Six other Warhawks reached the consolation semifinals but could not place. Hunter Wernli scored seven points on the day for NM at 150. He pinned Chariton’s Nduwamungu Bosco in 57 seconds then fell to Knoxville’s Tristan Sinnard in an 8-1 decision. In the consolation match, Wernli pinned Cody Tuel of Woodward-granger in 3:43, then lost a 15-9 decision in the consolation semifinal to Ballard’s Jayden Leland.

Copper Sampson was one of two Warhawks who scored six points. Sampson at 106, scored a major decision over Devin Webb 13-1 in his opener. He lost by tech fall in the championship quarterfinal to Dylan Williamson of Van Meter, 18-3. Sampson pinned Ruben Harshbarger of Woodward-Granger in 55 seconds to reach the consolation semis. Lisbon’s Jac Gogel pinned him in 1:01.
Max Reed at 175 was the other to score a half dozen points. He lost a 15-8 decision to Jaxon Shafer of Ballard in his opener. In the consolations, Reed pinned AJ Christner of EBF in 47 seconds. Albia’s Fletcher Mick was his victim in the next round in 4:31. Caleb Brown of Lisbon scored a tech fall over Reed 24-9.

Gage Ries picked up five points for North Mahaska at 165 pounds. He won a 4-0 decision over Jace Maxwell of host I-35. Blake Johnson of EBF won an 18-5 major decision in the quarterfinal. Ries came back in the consolation bracket with a pin of Chariton’s Kenton Jensen in 3:45. Indianola’s Lincoln Fox pinned him in the semifinal in 2:41.