BURLINGTON — Iola Middle School’s wrestling team opened the 2013 season with little experience, but that didn’t slow the Ponies on Thursday.
Iola took 11 wrestlers to the Burlington Bobcat Classic Thursday. They won 17 of 30 possible matches.
“And two of those losses were because Iola kids had to wrestle each other,” head coach Cameron Jesseph said.
Leading the way for the Pony contingent was seventh-grader Nic Zimmerman, who won all three of his matches to take first place in his bracket.
Wrestlers are assigned to various brackets based on weight, wrestling experience and ability.
Zimmerman pinned Ashley Dowd of Burlington in 2 minutes, 14 seconds, then took a 7-2 decision over Tim Allison. His third match came against teammate Colt Knoblich. Zimmerman pinned Knoblich in 2:48.
Jesseph noted wrestlers such as Zimmerman, Matt Komma and Dalton Ryherd all thrived on the mats despite never wrestling before.
“They’ve only been at practice for a week because of football,” Jesseph said. “I was so excited about how well they did that I couldn’t sleep myself. These kids are brand new to wrestling and will only get better with more experience.”
Thursday’s tournament was a good primer for the Iola wrestlers, Jesseph said, with Tuesday’s IMS Invitational nearing.
“It’s going to be a good experience,” said Jesseph. Iola could have as many as 16 wrestlers competing. “We’ll see good teams like Coffeyville and Independence that use a style that we haven’t seen yet.”
Tuesday’s wrestling begins at 3:30 p.m. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for students.
Iola’s results follow:
Jackson Cone (2-1; second in bracket)
Ryan Savage, Wellsville, def. Cone, (Fall 2:48)
Cone def. Braden Pollet, Burlington, (Dec. 8-3)
Cone def. Blayn Waters, Eureka, (Maj. Dec. 14-2)
Blake Mittelmeier (2-1; second in bracket)
Mettelmeier def. Nick Jolly, F, (Dec. 4-1)
Jacob Jasper, Burlington, def. Mittelmeier, (Fall :33)
Mittelemeier def. Lucas Wood, Caney Valley, (Dec. 3-1)
John Lynn (1-2; third in bracket)
Jlee Taylor, Wellsville, def. Lynn, (Dec. 9-7)
Lynn def. Ethan Tice, Cherryvale, (Dec. 10-4)
Logan Herman, Burlington, def. Lynn, (Fall 1:33)
Dalton Ryherd (2-1; second in bracket)
Ryherd def. Jaron Ross, Eureka, (Maj. Dec. 16-3)
Colton Poole, Cherryvale, def. Ryherd, (Fall :34)
Ryherd def. Malcolm Elberson, Burlington, (Dec. 8-3)
Will Bath (1-2; third in bracket)
Bath def. Steven Gallaway, Wellsville, (Dec. 7-4)
Tristen Metzger, Burlington, def. Bath, (Fall 1:25)
Cade Addis, Cherryvale, def. Bath, (Fall 2:27)
Trevor Stover (1-2; third in bracket)
Stover def. Kursten Metzger, Burlington, (Dec. 9-3)
Marc Chaplin, Osawatomie, def. Stover, (Fall 1:52)
Eric Syens, Burlington, def. Stover, (Fall 1:46)
Parker Smith (0-3; fourth in bracket)
Jonathan Turner, Eureka, def. Smith, (Dec. 4-0)
Dalton Purdam, Wellsville, def. Smith, (Fall :33)
Antonio Veasey, Eureka, def. Smith, (Dec. 2-0)
Isaiah Wicoff (0-2; third in bracket)
Gilberto Barraza, Eureka, def. Wicoff, (Maj. Dec. 13-1)
Matt Komma, Iola, def. Wicoff, (Maj. Dec. 14-1)
Matt Komma (1-1; second in bracket)
Komma def. Isaiah Wicoff, Iola, (Maj. Dec. 14-1)
Gilberto Barraza, Eureka def. Komma, (Fall 1:41)
Kolt Knoblich (1-2; third in bracket)
Tim Allison, Cherryvale, def. Knoblich, (Fall 1:38)
Knoblich def. Ashley Dowd, Burlington, (Fall 1:54)
Nic Zimmerman, Iola, def. Knoblich, (Fall 2:48)
Nic Zimmerman (3-0; first in bracket)
Zimmerman def. Ashley Dowd, Burlington, (Fall 2:14)
Zimmerman def. Tim Allison, Cherryvale, (Dec. 7-2)
Zimmerman def. Kolt Knoblich, Iola, (Fall 2:48)
Middle-schoolers hit mats
