Host Perry had four wrestlers earn spots on the awards stand, but struggled elsewhere in placing 11th in their own 15-team invitational Saturday.
Zachary Thompson won the 120-pound weight class, Kaleb Olejniczak was second at 126 and Zach Stewart third at 138 and Jacob Nelson sixth at 145, but Perry was a combined 2-15 in the other divisions.
Class 2A Webster City edged Panorama, 189-185, for top team honors, with Sergeant Bluff-Luton (179.5), Logan-Magnolia (151) and Van Meter/Earlham (140) rounding out the top five. Des Moines East was sixth at 138 and Woodward-Granger seventh at 122.5, with Dowling Catholic (113.5), Carlisle (105), West Marshall (97), Perry (82.5), Carroll (80.5), Eagle Grove (68.5), Saydel (60.5) and South Hamilton (13) completing the field.
“I was only in the main gym, so I did not see any of our wrestlers from 160-220 compete,” Perry head coach Mark Weber said. “It is no secret our upper weights are our weakest, but we had a bunch of kids lose 20 or 30 pounds and now they are middle weights, which I am happy to see because it is better for their health.”
“I know that our guys all come out and wrestle hard, but some guys are doing a better job of taking what we are working on in practice and translating it to the mat,” he added. “For sure we need to be more aggressive. You can compete hard and be determined, but if you don’t take your shots and never go on offense you are not going to score and you are going to lose.”
Weber admitted inexperience played a role in the upper weight classes (Perry left 285 open Saturday) but stressed the need to wrestle with confidence.
“You have to have the right mental approach,” Weber said. “As a coach that is something I will continue working with them on, trying to stress how important having the right attitude is, and how to be more offensive on the mat.”
Offense was no problem for Thompson, who improved to 23-4 in winning the 120-pound bracket. He recorded an 18-5 major decision over Ryan Munoz of W-G and then a 21-6 technical fall against Carlisle’s Carter Logue.
That set up a final between 3A No. 4 Thompson and an old nemesis, Class 2A No. 2 Drake Doolittle of Webster City. Thompson fell into a 1-0 hole, tied the match at 1-all, then scored a third-period take down to claim the top spot with a 3-1 win.
Thompson was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the invite by the 15 head coaches.
“He deserved that, especially against such a quality opponent who we have met in the past,” Weber said. “I was very pleased with his effort.”
Olejniczak (28-4), ranked third at 126, pinned Eagle Grove’s Gabriel Rolon in 1 minute, 54 seconds before posting a 15-4 major decision over Panorama’s Danny Nordquist.
He was nearly pinned in the finals by fifth-ranked Brock Espalin of Des Moines East and fell into a quick 6-0, but fought back to put the score at 6-3 before time expired.
Stewart (32-4), ranked third at 138, used 3:20 to pin Van Meter/Earlham’s Cade Costlow in his first match, but suffered a 2-1 double overtime loss to 2A No. 4. Easton Graff of SB-L in the semifinals.
The senior responded by pinning Eagle Grove’s Dawson Lalor in 2:41 for career victory 100. He lifted his career record to 101-35 with an 18-3 tech fall over Panorama’s Noah Kirtley to claim third place.
Stammer (6-5) recorded a pair of falls at 145 before dropping a pair of matches. He finished on the short end of a 7-4 decision against W-G’s Cole Carman in the fifth place match.
Jacob Nelson (17-14) was 1-3 with a tech fall victory at 132, with Alexander Tapia (8-12) 1-2 with a win by fall at 220.
Riece Graham (106 pounds), Erick Funez (160), Cole Snyder (170), Daniel Brinton (170), Jonathan Silva (182) and Cori Alamina (195) all dropped their first two matches and were eliminated.
In addition to Stewart reaching 100 wins (he will be honored Thursday) Thompson and Olejniczak were presented plaques for career achievements by Weber and Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks.
Thompson recently topped the impressive 150-win standard and is now 153-27 overall, just three wins shy of tying Kane Seeley for the Perry school record. Olejniczak, a junior, topped 100 wins some time ago and is now 113-17 overall.
Perry will wrestle host Winterset in a dual Tuesday in the make-up from the cancelled event of Jan. 11. The Bluejays will host Carlisle and Coon Rapid-Bayard/Glidden-Ralston Thursday, with Thompson within range of tying Seeley at the meet. Perry will then visit the Williamsburg Invite Saturday.
