Bobcats start wrestling season with invitational, drop two matches

Bobcat wrestlers began their 2023-24 campaign hosting a triangular with Wisner-Pilger and Wayne.

While individual matches showed promising activity, the Bobcats came up short in both duals, falling to Wisner-Pilger, 42-30, and Wayne, 39-33.

Ethan Kester, a returning state qualifier, quickly pinned W-P's Gabe Liermann, in 55 seconds. The two competed in the 138-pound division.

Connor Thomson took 1:12 to pin Evan Lauck, in a match in the 150-pound division.

Logan Kester won, by fall, in :54, over Dustin Dittmer, in a 157-pound match.

At 126, Tycin Lampman pinned Caden Mendoza, in 1:16, while Austin Mendoza lost, by fall, in 3:02, to Braxton Siebrandt, in a match in the 132 class.

Jesse Thiele battled Walker Ott, but at 3:10, lost by fall. The two competed in the 144 division.

Keegan Poppe upended AJ Hobbs, winning by fall, in 2:57, during a match in the 165-pound class.

Two Bobcats earned wins by forfeit, including Ayden Bazelman, 113 and Jason Shaver, 190.

Axton Lantz, 106, and Dallas Martin, 215, picked up wins by forfeit.

Against Wayne, Bazelman kicked off the dual with a hard-fought win in the 120 class. He pinned Reece Ames in 3:12.

Caden Mendoza, wrestling at 126, lost to Garret Schultz, in :38.

Austin Mendoza won by foreit in the 132-pound division.

At 138, Grant Maas earned a 4-2 decision over Kester.

Thomson claimed a 9-8 decision over Kasen York, in a match in the 144 class.

Thiele controlled a 150-pound class match by earning a 5-2 decision over Taven Ocampo.

Logan Kester, wrestling at 157, defeated Ty Zach, 9-4.

Shayne Jenkins lost to Zander Liston, by fall, in 5:39. They competed in the 165 class.

AJ Hobbs pinned Joseph Woerdemann in 4:29, in a 175-pound match.

Shaver pinned Alan Ramirez in 1:45 when the two met in a 190-division match.

Wayne won the final four weight divisions - 215, 285, 106 and 113 - by forfeit, securing the dual win.