by Gunnar Davis

Win and advance was the name of the game when the PCM Mustang varsity wrestling team traveled to Albia for their sectional meet on Feb. 6. Seven wrestlers moved on to Districts and the Mustangs placed second with 172.5 points.
PCM had three wrestlers place first, and four wrestlers place second. The team was only 1.5 points behind Knoxville, who placed in second. The top two teams in every sectional tournament qualifies for regional duals for a chance to compete in the State duals at Wells Fargo Arena.
“We took 11 kids down and got seven out, so that’s what I’m most happy about,” Head Coach Cory Waddell said.
What does Waddell think the boys need to do to get to State?
“It varies. Some have tougher roads than others. Some just have to do what they’ve done all year, and some are going to have to overachieve.”
The three first place finishers included freshman Lucas Roland at 138 pounds, No. 10 ranked freshman Wes Cummings at 152 and freshman Jarron Trausch at 170.
Roland won his championship match in a 14-3 major decision against Albia freshman Dominick Morris. Cummings won his championship match against No. 4 ranked Albia senior Blake Lawless in a 10-1 major decision, and Trausch won his in an 8-3 decision against Davis-County senior Dylan Henderson.
The four second-place finishers for the Mustangs were junior Jakeb Fenton at 106, freshman Clay Van Wyk at 113, freshman Chance Palm at 120 and junior Xavier Miller at 145.
Miller wrestled No. 1 ranked Albia senior Bryce Leshen in his championship match and lost in a decision, 6-5. Miller is unranked, and there were some controversial sportsmanship displayed by the Albia wrestler after the match.
The Mustangs move these seven wrestlers on to this Saturday’s meet at Knoxville on Feb. 13. If one of the wrestlers place in the top two, they will move on to the State meet at Wells Fargo Arena.