Okoboji/HMS wrestled to a fourth-place finish as a team at the Siouxland Conference Tournament held January 28 at Sioux Center. The Pioneers scored 149.5 points and finished just three points behind the third place team, MOC-Floyd Valley. The Siouxland team champion was West Lyon which compiled a 179.5 total.
Winning individual conference championships for the Pioneers were Dylan Jones at 120 pounds and Caleb Jones at 126. Finishing second were Tyce Hanson at 113, Noah Strantz at 152, Nathaniel Franklyn at 160 and Jesse Bockman at 170.
There were four wrestlers from HMS competing:
Nick Bronstad finished in fourth place. He received a bye into the 285-pound semifinal round where he lost by fall to Sioux Center’s Ethan Hooyer. Bronstad’s opponent in the consolation semis was Kayden VanBerkum of Central Lyon/George-Little Rock. The HMS senior won by technical fall to advance to the 3rd Place Match. There he was pinned by Jesus Garcia of Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley.
James Gellerman placed fifth at 182 pounds. His first two matches were against Evan Kruger of Central Lyon/George-Little Rock and West Lyon’s Emmit Fleshman. Gellerman lost both by fall. In his 5th Place Match the freshman won a 12-0 major decision over Jesus Ramirez of MOC-Floyd Valley.
Aaron Oritz, wrestling at 145 pounds, finished sixth. He lost his quarterfinal round match by fall to Kooper Huss of MOC-Floyd Valley. In the consolations, the freshman was pinned by West Lyon’s Ben Bahnson. Ortiz carried his 5th Place Match into the third period but there he lost by fall to Jayme Van Wyhe of Central Lyon/George-Little Rock.
Ethan Wiersma lost both of his matches at 195 pounds and did not place. In the quarterfinals the HMS sophomore was pinned by West Lyon’s Gabe Terwee. The consolations saw Wiersma lose by fall to Keaton Sampson of Sheldon-South O’Brien.
Team Scores
West Lyon 179.5, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 159.5, MOC-Floyd Valley 152.5, Okoboji/HMS 149.5, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock 147.5, Sioux Center 125.5, Sheldon/South O’Brien 124, Sibley-Ocheyedan 61.
HMS Wrestlers Individual Results
145-Aaron Oritz (sixth place) – Quarterfinal – lost by fall to Kooper Huss (MOC-FV) in 1:54; Cons. Semi – lost by fall to Ben Bahnson (West Lyon) in 1:35; 5th Place Match – lost by fall to Jayme Van Wyhe (Central Lyon/George-Little Rock) in 4:55.
182-James Gellerman (fifth place) – Quarterfinal – lost by fall to Evan Kruger (Central Lyon/George-Little Rock) in 3:02; Cons. Semi – lost by fall to Emmit Fleshman (West Lyon) in 2:59; 5th Place Match – won a 12-0 major decision over Jesus Ramirez (MOC-FV).
195-Ethan Wiersma (did not place) – Quarterfinal – lost by fall to Gabe Terwee (West Lyon) in 2:45; Cons. Round 1 – lost by fall to Keaton Sampson (Sheldon-South O’Brien) in 2:35.
285-Nick Bronstad (fourth place) – Semifinal – lost by fall to Ethan Hooyer (Sioux Center) in 3:31; Cons. Semi – won by technical fall (17-1) over Kayden VanBerkum (Central Lyon/George-Little Rock) in 4:00; 3rd Place Match – lost by fall to Jesus Garcia (Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley) in 2:52.