WINTERSET — The Woodward-Granger matmen competed Saturday in the Winterset Invite as part of a 17-team field, almost all of whom were either larger than W-G or were ranked.
Waukee won the meet with 165 team points, with Oskaloosa second at 127 while Urbandale nipped SE Warren, 125-124.5, for third place. W-G finished with 67 team points.
The Hawks sent wrestlers to the mat in 13 of the 14 weight classes, leaving the 182-pound division open. Senior Tanner Vermaas, ranked fourth in Class 2A at the weight, is out for another week with a shoulder injury.
Five Hawks earned a top-eight placing, with Cody Fisher finishing as the runner-up at 195 pounds and Aaron Sperling in fifth place at 170 pounds while Hunter Pierce (106 pounds), Gabe Yingst (145) and Austin Scharlau (152) all placed eighth.
Fisher (27-4) pinned Conner Boehler (M-SM) in 61 seconds and stuck Bailey Young (OSG) in 1 minute, 17 seconds before nailing Beau Boswell (EU) in 1:14. He dropped a 9-4 decision in the finals to Kyler Salazar of Oskaloosa.
Sperling pinned Jay Mrzena (WNT) in 1:46 before losing, 9-4, to Austin Lamm (URB). The Hawk senior responded by posting a 9-6 win against Jacob Byers (CBAL), but then dropped a 9-5 decision of Jason Beebe (OSK). Sperling claimed fifth by pinning Waukee’s Damion Wallace in 1:46.
Pierce (22-9) was 2-2 with wins by pinfall and decision to place eighth, with Yingst (18-14) finishing eighth with a 3-2 mark with victories by decision and two pins. Scharlau (24-8) scored two pins while finishing 2-3 to claim eighth place at his weight (152).
Other individuals with wins for W-G were Colt Palmer (15-15 at 126) with a decision and Jayden Dorenkamp (11-19 at 132) via injury default while Alex Kirton (14-13 at 285) collected a victory with a pin.
Also in action for the Hawks were Dilynn Lewiston (113), Tate Lettow (120), Cole Carman (138), Cale Pritchett (160) and Tyler Lawernson (220).
W-G will join AC/GC for a triangular at Van Meter Thursday before competing Saturday in the Perry Invitational.
