News editor
Marion High School wrestling team placed eighth out of 16 teams Friday at the Marion County Winter Duals with a 2-3 team record.
In pool matches, Marion defeated Bluestem, 48-34, and Republic County, 60-12, but lost to Chanute, 33-30. In the fifth-place bracket, Marion lost to Riley County, 48-36, and Clay Center, 42-36.
Those three losses were a result of having open weight classes.
“I thought we could have done better, but it’s so hard to predict,” head coach Chad Adkins said afterward.
Adkins enjoys the dual format, because it gives more opportunities for matches. Without open weight classes, Marion wrestlers had five matches. Three MHS wrestlers went 5-0 in the meet: Remington Putter at 120 pounds, Brody Carroll at 152 pounds, and Evan Slater at 220 pounds. Adkins said Putter’s perfect day was the biggest surprise to him.
“He was aggressive and was running his offense that he knows how to run,” Adkins said.
In other weight classes, Beretta Janzen was 3-2 at 113 pounds; Erig Regnier, 2-3 at 126 pounds; Brayden Putter, 4-1 at 138 pounds; Luke Steele, 1-4 at 145 pounds; Derrick Dvorak, 1-4 at 160 pounds; Zac Lewman, 3-2 at 170 pounds; John Nordquist, 4-1 at 195 pounds; and Adam Kjellin, 1-4 at 285 pounds.
In junior varsity competition, Zac Dvorak was 2-0, Dylan Cochran was 1-1, and Jacob Smith was 0-2.
The wrestling team has an extended break before its next competition, Jan. 11 at Halstead.
“We’re really going to hammer on technique,” Adkins said of his plans for practice during the break.