Mustangs finish second at Southern Iowa Classic

FAIRFIELD — PCM’s two ranked senior wrestlers are hitting their stride as the postseason nears.

Another senior also is making some serious waves as all three were top-two finishers at the Southern Iowa Classic on Friday.

The Mustangs were second in the team race as they scored 141 points, trailing tournament champion Ottumwa (144) by three points.

The tournament was originally slated for Saturday but was moved up a day to avoid potential bad weather. Knoxville (136.5), Albia (126.5) and Keokuk (115) rounded out the top five of the 12-team field.

Class 2A No. 3 Colby Tool and 2A No. 6 Landon Fenton had big days at 152 and 145, respectively.

Tool placed first at his weight and was 4-0 with four pins and three first-period pins. He is now 37-2 on the season.

Fenton was second at 145 but his only loss was a 5-3 decision against 2A No. 1 and three-time state champion Matthew Lewis of Centerville. His three wins all came by fall and Fenton is now 30-2.

Cooper Sloan is another Mustang grappler trending in the right direction as sectionals near. Sloan (28-14) won his 220-pound bracket as the No. 2 seed with a 2-0 day. He won 2-0 and then won by fall in the finals over top-seeded Cesar Smithburg (18-9) of Fairfield.

The other Mustang to reach the finals was Remington Fry. He was 2-1 on the day as he won 5-0 and 5-4. He lost by fall in the 106 championship match to No. 2 Carter Anderson of Albia.

Donovan Nickelson placed third at 195. Nickelson (23-15) was 2-1 with two pins.

Wyatt Wheeler (160) and Zeb Padget (170) were both fourth at their weights. Padget was 2-2 on the day with two pins and Wheeler was 1-2 with one pin.

Hewitt Brinegar (120) and Nate Richards (182) placed seventh at their weights. Richards was 1-2 with a pin and one of his losses was 19-18. Brinegar (24-14) was 2-2 with a major decision win.