Despite leaving several weights vacant, Okoboji/HMS was able to claim a fourth-place finish at the Forest City Invitational held January 7 at Forest City. The Pioneers scored 142 points to trail only Algona (242 points), Emmetsburg (185.5) and Clear Lake (168.5).
Noah Strantz and Sam Pas were weight class winners with Strantz triumphing at 160 pounds and Pas at 220. Dylan Jones placed second at 120, as did Tyce Hanson at 126.
Brennan Baschke finished third at 138 pounds.
Wrestlers from HMS taking part were Nathan Stofferan at 106 pounds, Camden Ball at 132, Bryce Dodge at 152 and James Gellerman at 170.
Stofferan, Dodge and Gellerman each placed fifth. Dodge dropped has quarterfinal match but responded with two straight pins in the consolation round. Another loss put Dodge in the 5th Place Match where he won a 7-2 decision over Emmetsburg’s Bradyen Yates.
Gellerman traveled the same route to his spot in the 5th Place Match. Once there, he pinned Ryan Panbecker of Pocahontas Area in 3:15. Stofferan was pinned in his quarterfinal and then lost a major decision. In his 5th Place Match he scored a 6-5 decision over Weston Miller of North Butler-Clarksville.
Ball was in action twice. He lost both his quarterfinal match and his consolation match by fall.
Team Scores
Algona 242, Emmetsburg 185.5, Clear Lake 168.5, Okoboji/HMS 142, Pocahontas Area 113, Charles City 106.5, Forest City 102.5, North Butler-Clarksville 75.5, Algona JV 44, West Fork, Sheffield 8.
Results for HMS Wrestlers
106-Nathan Stofferan (fifth place) – Quarterfinal – lost by fall to Deegan Moore (Forest City) in 1:33; Cons. Semi – lost a 14-2 major decision to Joseph Peterson (Emmetsburg); 5th Place Match – won a 6-5 decision over Weston Miller (North Butler-Clarksville).