East Marshall/GMG senior Drew Wheater (190 pounds), top, grapples with Waterloo Columbus Catholic's Andrew Wolter on Thursday, Dec. 5, during the BCLUW quadrangular in Conrad. Wheater went 3-0 as part of the Mustangs’ season debut – pinning Wolter in a swift 24 seconds, defeating West Marshall’s Ben Gonzalez by major decision 12-2, and taking a win by forfeit over BCLUW-South Hardin. PHOTO BY LAURA BRU/THE PIE LADY

WOODWARD – The East Marshall/GMG boys wrestling squad competed in the Dennis Field Wrestling Invitational last Saturday, Dec. 7, at Woodward-Granger in their first tournament foray of the season, bringing home three individual medals including gold for reigning champ Drew Wheater.

Wheater, a senior at East Marshall, went 3-0 by pinning Des Moines Roosevelt’s Damien Surrette in the quarterfinals and Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center’s Jackson Pfrang in the semis before defeating Woodward-Granger’s Oscar Potter by decision 5-1 for the 190-pound title.

The Mustangs finished with 78 points in the team standings for ninth place out of a dozen teams; Woodward-Granger won the team title with 191 points, Belle Plaine took second with 139 points, and A-C/GC took third with 126 points.

Wheater’s teammate Jordan Meling took silver at 138 pounds. After receiving an opening round bye, he won by pinfall over Des Moines Roosevelt’s Alijah Manyfields in the second period. In the title match, he lost by major decision 3-1 to Woodward-Granger’s Tanner Paustian who was ranked 11th ahead of the tournament.

EM/GMG’s Xavier Slifer earned a bronze medal at 132 pounds by going 3-1 with a pinfall win in the third-place match over Belle Plaine’s Jackson Weeda. Kolten Good went 3-2 to place fourth at 120 pounds.

East Marshall/GMG senior Drew Wheater (190 pounds), top, grapples with West Marshall’s Ben Gonzalez on Thursday, Dec. 5, during the BCLUW quadrangular in Conrad. Wheater went 3-0 as part of the Mustangs’ season debut – defeating Gonzalez by major decision 12-2, pinning Columbus Catholic’s Andrew Wolter in a swift 24 seconds, and taking a win by forfeit over BCLUW-South Hardin. PHOTO BY LAURA BRU/THE PIE LADY

The Mustangs first took to the mats this season on Thursday, Dec. 5, in a quadrangular at BCLUW High School in Conrad.

EM/GMG finished 2-1 with a 37-36 win by criteria against Columbus Catholic and a 42-33 win over BCLUW-South Hardin. Wheater, Slifer and Meling all went 3-0 for the Mustangs.