TRURO — The Panorama wrestlers entered Tuesday’s Class 1A Dual Team Regional ranked 12th overall. Host Interstate-35 was rated sixth. In the end the margin between the two was less than the total of spots separating their rankings, as I-35 escaped with a 35-33 win to secure at spot in Wednesday’s State Dual Team Tournament.
Panorama opened competition with a 59-15 win over Wayne (Corydon), with I-35 demolishing SE Warren/M-D, 64-7, to set up the much-anticipated showdown.
The Roadrunners held what looked like a strong 15-point lead with just three matches remaining, but those bouts happened to be in the Panther wheelhouse, at 170, 182 and 195 pounds, respectively.
Panorama needed nine team points from the first two duels to set up a scenario in which a pin at 195 would at least generate a tie, but strong defensive wrestling from the I-35 matmen limited their damage and saved the hosts.
Sixth-ranked Gunnar Grunsted moved the score to 35-23 with a 6-2 decision over Drew Kirkpatrick. That meant all I-35’s Mason Woosely had to do at 182 was not be pinned by Trevor Carey and the hosts would seal the team title.
Carey did all he could to score the pin, but finished instead with a 17-3 major decision, setting the score at 35-27. Dalton Holmes pinned Joey Bregar at 195, but the six points were not enough and a valiant effort from the Panthers finished just short of earning advancement.
Logan Christe received a forfeit at 106 pounds, with Wyatt Clark scoring a pin at 120. Brady Howard recorded an 11-6 decision at 220, with a 15-0 technical fall from Wyatt Appleseth at 132 accounting for the other Panther points.
Grunsted, Carey, Holmes, Christe, Appleseth, and Howard were all 2-0 for Panorama, with Clark, Danny Nordquist (126 pounds), Noah Kirtley (138), Kaleb Stogdill (152), Garret Fox (160) and Dan Jensen (1-1) all finishing 1-1.
Nordquist, Appleseth, Kirtley, Grunsted, Carey, Holmes, and Emry Colby will all be in action Saturday at Guthrie Center in a Class 1A District meet. Weight class winners and runner-ups will advance to the State Wrestling Tournament. Competition begins Saturday at 12 p.m.
