by Kinsey Phipps

Every year Mustang grapplers head to the Heart of Iowa Conference (HOIAC) Tournament in hopes of becoming champions. This year was no different. On Jan. 23 the varsity wrestlers headed to Nevada for the 2016 HOIAC Conference Tournament. Although PCM fell short as a team, placing third overall, there were three Mustangs, Lucas Roland, Xavier Miller and Jarron Trausch who won individual titles.
One was 138-pound freshman Roland. He pinned all of his opponents in the first period. Miller, a junior was the next champion in the 145-pound weight class. Miller won by technical fall against opponent Will Halstead of Roland- Story by a score of 18-1. The final champion was 170-pound freshman Jarron Trausch. In his finals round, Trausch had a tough match against Alex Peebles of Nevada, but he pulled through, winning 4-2.
PCM had two runners-up. Junior Jakeb Fenton was one. With only two wrestlers in the 106-pound bracket, Fenton was guarenteed second place. Runner-up was what he earned, as he fell to Stephen Shuka of Gilbert in 1:27. Freshman Wes Cummings was the other second place earner. Cummings lost to senior Tommy Bradshaw of Greene Co. 6-2. Bradshaw is ranked second in the 152-pound weight class according to the predicament.com. This is Cummings’ second loss of the season; the first was to Bradshaw at a dual with Green Co. at South Hamilton on Jan. 7., losing 10-5.
As a team, PCM earned third place, behind runner-up Gilbert, and 2016 HOIAC Conference Tournament champions Roland -Story.Join the Mustangs as they wrestle it out for a chance to qualify for districts at the sectional tournament in Albia this Saturday on Jan. 30.
“I think the best thing we can do to prepare for the tournament is to do what we’ve been doing all year, and that is working hard and staying focused,” Trausch said. “Our goals as a team are to wrestle our best and move on to Districts and then to State.”