HOWELLS — Wolfpack wrestlers saw their first action of the season Saturday, competing at the Howells Invitational. The Wolfpack had four wrestlers competing in pool action on the mats, each scoring points for EPPJ.
Leading the way was junior Andrew Fangman (5-0). Competing at 152 pounds, Fangman pinned all five of his opponents to place first. In the championship match, Fangman pinned Wakefield’s Jonathan Romero in 1:05.
Fangman had the fastest pin of any Wolfpack wrestler at the tournament when he pinned Ben Leathers-Arnold of Elkhorn South in 21 seconds.
Returning to the mats after a year’s absence due to injury, Ryan Pelster (4-1) won four of five matches to place second. Posting pins in his first four matches, Pelster was pinned in the finals by Brandon French.
Freshman Logan Henn went 2-2 in his matches to place fifth. He earned his first pin of the season when he pinned Ponca’s Walter Messerlie in 42 seconds.
Sophomore Geoffrey Carr (1-4) rounded out scoring for the Wolfpack, placing seventh in the 120-pound division.
The Wolfpack will return to the mats Saturday when they compete at the Stanton Invitational.
Individual match results were:
113 pounds — Joshua Via (Elkhorn South) won by tech fall over Logan Henn (EPPJ) 16-0; Ryan Molacek (Howells-Dodge) won 7 to 0 over Henn; Henn pinned Walter Messerlie (Ponca) in 42 seconds; 5th place match — Henn pinned Cody Klinkacek (Millard South) in 2:11.
120 — Jacob Vacha (Archbishop Bergan) pinned Geoffrey Carr (EPPJ) in 35 seconds; Jace Caniglia (Millard South) pinned Carr in 1:32; Humberto Andrade-Goeken (Stanton) pinned Carr in 1:18; Jaden Riesberg (Millard South) pinned Carr in 40 seconds; Carr won by medical forfeit over Cullen Cook (Ponca).
145 — Ryan Pelster (EPPJ) pinned Lucas Hrabanek (Battle Creek) in 2:46; Pelster pinned Grant Nesemeier (Oakland-Craig) in 1:04; Pelster pinned Damon Korus (LHF) in 56 seconds; Pelster pinned Michael Brewer (Ponca) in 3:44; Finals — Brandon French (Scribner-Snyder) pinned Pelster in 1:26.
152 — Andrew Fangman pinned Travis Rudloff (Clearwater/Orchard) in 1:02; Fangman pinned Ben Leathers-Arnold (Elkhorn South) in 21 seconds; Fangman pinned Cannon Arett (Archbishop Bergan) in 48 seconds; Fangman pinned Damon Risch (Scribner-Snyder) in 1:07; Finals — Pelster pinned Jonathan Romero (Wakefield) in 1:05.
