GHV wrestlers face tough competition at Riceville

The Garner-Hayfield/Ventura grapplers faced some tough competition at the Riceville Invitational held on Saturday, Jan. 25.  Crestwood won the tournament with 171 points, followed by Forest City with 117.  GHV was sixth with 69 points in the eight team field.

Cade Baker, who wrestles at 160 pounds, was the top finisher for the Cardinals.  Baker opened the day by beating St. 

Ansgar’s Landon Johnson by techincal fall, 17-2.  By virtue of an injury default he claimed second place.

Conner Shaw, Connor Smith and Nic Tusha all brought home third place finishes.

Shaw, at 152, pinned Riceville’s Seth Fox in :29 in the first round.  He beat St. Ansgar’s Kaid Bruce by a 16-3 major decision in the second round and lost by a major decision, 16-4 in the third round.

Smith, at 182 pounds, pinned Crestwood’s Mark Farlinger in 2:21 in the first round.  In the second round he lost, 11-6, to Waukon’s Mike Mitchell.  Smith was pinned in the third round in :50 by Forest City’s Jake Staudt.

Tusha, at 220, pinned Waukon’s Adam Drew in :33. Tusha was pinned in the second round in 2:36 by Jacob Pierce, of St. Ansgar.  He came back in the third round to pin Crestwood’s Garrett Praska in :25.

“We wrestled well at times and not so well at others,” said Coach Steve Smith.  “We really need to step it up this next week heading into conference and then Sectionals.  We just need to get busy this week and fix the small mistakes we keep making.”

The team competes in the North Iowa Conference Tournament in Lake Mills on Saturday, Feb. 1, beginning at 10 a.m.