Staff writer
The Marion High School wrestling team lost to Halstead in Halstead in their first dual on Thursday, 42-33, but defeated Hesston, 57-6 in the second.
Junior Andy Shipman and freshman Evan Slater won both of their matches on the night.
“I wrestled a lot better tonight,” Shipman said.
The 135-pound Shipman defeated Halstead’s Matt McGee in a close match, 10-6. Shipman dominated the first two rounds of the match and faught his way out of a potential pin in the third round to hold on to the victory.
Shipman pinned Hesston’s Dalton Anderson in his second match.
The difference for Shipman was conditioning over Marion’s winter break. He ran two to three miles a day, to improve his stamina.
“I was more focused in practice,” he said. “I knew I had a lot to prove.”
Marion wrestling coach Chad Adkins is pleased with the way Shipman worked to get in shape.
“That’s been hurting him: he’s been out of shape,” Adkins said. “(The team) worked hard over break.”
Although the 189-pound Slater also improved his conditioning, his biggest improvement was wrestling smarter.
Slater earned a pin against Halstead’s Jeff Martin and won 10-9 against Hesston’s Kevin Schultz.
Slater displayed his wrestling intelligence against Schultz. Schultz repeatedly locked his wrists around Slater’s head in an attempt to bring Slater down to the mat. But, Slater remained patient and continued to push Schultz away. At one point, Schultz unstrapped Slater’s headgear. Instead of succumbing to distraction by buttoning the flailing flap, Slater threw his headgear to the mat and waited a few seconds for the round to end.
By the third round, Slater had a demanding lead. Schultz made a push in the round and almost had Slater’s shoulders pinned against the mat, but Slater kept his composure, wiggled out of Schultz’s grasp, swung his body behind Schultz, and scored two points to win the match.
“I was able to bridge and get out of (the pin). I knew what to do to get out of it.” Slater said. “I wrestled with my head.”
The improvements by Shipman and Slater are an example of strides taken by all of the Marion wrestlers over the course of the year.
“We are making steps in the right direction,” Adkins said. “Our younger kids continue to get better every week.”
Slater and Shipman were two of five Marion wrestlers to earn two wins Thursday. Dillon Wildin and Randy Regnier continued undefeated seasons by pinning their opponents. Cody Wildin, who only has one loss on the season, pinned Halstead’s Lane Foster and defeated Hesston’s Zach Weber, 5-0.
wins
112-pounds: Braden Putter defeats Hesston’s Matt Emerson.
119: Randy Regnier pins Halstead’s Jonah McKee
135: Andy Shipman defeats Halstead’s Matt McGee and pins Hesston’s Dalton Anderson
140: Cody Wildin pins Halstead’s Lane Foster and defeats Hesston’s Zach Weber
145: Dillon Wildin pins Halstead’s Nic Johnson and Hesston’s William Dubry
189: Evan Slater pins Halstead’s Jeff Martin and defeats Hesston’s Kevin Schultz
215: Caleb Charles defeats Halstead’s Jared Bean