GARNETT — The Iola Mustangs proved they could hold their own with programs big and small while competing at the Anderson County Invitational Saturday.
With 18 participating programs varying in size from 1A Osage City to 6A Olathe North, Coach John Taylor felt great about Iola’s seventh-place finish, saying his up-and-coming program is just getting started.
“The team as a whole did great today,” Taylor said, noting the success came despite the absence of the team’s two starters, Kale Pratt and Beau Erickson.
Sophomore 144 Ibs. Kevon Loving (4-2) secured a career-best third place. He opened with a first-period pin of Pleasant Ridge’s Jaden Shigley-Barnes, then scored a 15-0 technical fall of Neodesha’s Houston Lowry, then a 9-5 decision over Osage City’s Colton Collins.
“I felt great. Wrestling for third is always good but I’m just glad I could end on a win,” Loving said.
Loving took his first and only loss of the day in the semifinals by first-period pin to tournament runner-up Royce Ulrich of Central Heights. He ended the day with a dominating 7-1 decision over Anderson County’s Weston Wright for third place.
“It was a tough battle, but I’m glad I could do it,” Loving said. “The match before my last, it could have been different if I just did one thing. I’m just glad to be where I am today. This is the highest I’ve ever placed in a varsity tournament.”
Juniors Alston “Ollie” Nelson and Evan LaCrone finished in fourth place. LaCrone won his first two matches with second period pins of Wellsville’s Collin McClendon and teammate Landon Shelton by second-period pins. He fell in his next three matches by first-period pin to tournament runner-up Dodge Browning of Osawatomie by second-period, then eventual champion Reyce Boone of Cherryvale and fell in the third-place match by second-period pin to Anderson County’s Brody Kohlmeier.
Shelton took fifth after opening with losses to Browning, LaCrone and McClendon but punched his ticket into the medal round for fifth place with a 15-6 major decision over Kayden Tate of Independence. He took fifth place by forfeit after McClendon no-showed the match.
Nelson took fourth in the 215 lbs. weight class after opening his first three matches with pins of Pleasant Ridge’s Alex Burris, Girard’s Austin Call and Wellsville’s Jayce Hunt. In the semifinals, Nelson fell by first-period pin to West Franklin’s Chandler Scott, then ended the day with an 11-1 major decision loss to Osage City’s Brycen Hopkins. 
Franklin Kerr, Iola 190 Ibs. junior, sticks a risky pin during Saturday’s Anderson County Invitational.
Senior 126 lbs. Trapper Boren took fifth with a few fireworks while taking his final match with an 18-0 tech fall. Boren opened with a loss to eventual tournament runner-up Kane Leon of Pleasant Ridge by first-period pin. Boren rebounded with his own first-period pin of Pleasant Ridge’s Maddox Clouse, then ended the day by trouncing Wellsville’s Tyson Benjamin in the fifth place match.
A few weight classes higher at 138 lbs., Ruger Boren took fifth. Boren fell to eventual champion Denton White of Jayhawk Linn by first-period pin. Boren fell to Osawatomie’s Caden Peterson by second-period pin before finding his footing with a first-period pin of Ottawa’s Bralind Oakes. A first-period pin of Neodesha’s Maxton Cole put him in the medal round, where Boren had a second-period pin of Wellsville’s Carson Moore.
Heavyweight Ramon Ballin ended the day on a high note after opening with a pair of losses. Ballin picked up his first win with a first-period pin of Independence’s Brayden Higgs. He fell to West Franklin’s Jayden Morrison by first-period pin, then ended the day with his hand raised for seventh place. Ballin countered a head-and-arm throw with a body-lock for a first-period pin of Anderson County’s Andrew Kiatoukaysy.
At 190 lbs., Franklin Kerr lost 2 of 5 matches but both of his wins came in the final three rounds. His first win was a third-period pin of Anderson County’s Cowen Wittman. He fell to a second period pin by Independence’s Jeremiah Melugin but ended the day with a 4-1 decision over Parsons’ Bryan Huie.
Tripp Mathes, competing at 157 lbs., went 1-4 with his only victory coming by third-period pin of Ottawa’s Wesley Ranzenberger.
“We did very well as a team today, but we left a lot of matches out there that we should have won by just doing little things,” Coach Taylor said. “That’s good. We have room for growth. I’m excited to get back in the wrestling room. As a team, we’re not very good on bottom. That is going to be the focus all week.”
