Indianola, IA – The Indian Hills Men's Wrestling squad opened up its 2022-23 campaign with a strong showing at the Luther Hill Invitational on Saturday. 14 different Warriors placed on the day, including six top-three finishes in the season-opener.
"It felt like we made a lot of mistakes, but still managed to have a decent amount of success," stated head coach Cole Spree. "We have a big learning curve but I'm excited about some of the potential these guys showed."
Lucas Henderson (Centerville, IA/Centerville) paved the way for the Warriors with a first-place finish in the 174lb weight class in the freshman/sophomore division. Henderson opened up the day with a 5-2 decision before scoring back-to-back falls, including a pin in 1:45 in the semifinal round. Henderson eventually took home top honors in the bracket by way of a medical forfeit in the final round, but made his presence felt throughout the day.
"Lucas had a great tournament," stated Spree. "He's a guy that we are going to lean on a lot this year and it was great to see him break out."
Competing in the open division, freshman Riley Bettich (Stevensville, MI/Crown Point) took home a second-place finish in the 125lb weight class. Bettich cruised through the early stages of the bracket to earn a spot in the finals. Bettich posted a fall in 1:41 in the opening round before a 6-0 decision in the second. The freshman standout took Iowa Western's Jakason Burks, the 2022 125lb national runner-up to overtime in the championship bout but fell by way of sudden victory, 3-1.
"Riley Bettich is a new face to our team but I think people are going to become familiar with him real soon" Spree added. "He made the finals in the open division and looked solid all day."
Five different individuals competed in the 133lb weight class in the freshman/sophomore division. Freshman Te'Andre Allen (Cleveland, OH/Orange) took home a second-place finish, allowing just four points in the first three rounds before falling in the title bout. Allen scored a pair of decisions and a major for the Warriors.
Sophomore Cade Linn (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia Area) made a run to the finals in the 174lb open division after a series of impressive individual matchups. Linn scored consecutive falls to open the day, including a pin in just 27 seconds in the second round. Linn added a 7-5 decision in the semis before falling in the finals.
Returner Jack Smith (Dubuque, IA/Hempstead) placed third in the 174lb freshman/sophomore division. Sophomore Morgan Hartz (Atalissa, IA/West Branch) scored three pins and a decision in the 184lb freshman/sophomore bracket to place third overall.
Other Warriors to place on the day included Syrron White (Minneapolis, MN / Patrick Henry) with a fourth-place finish at 184lbs and Joshua Gaye (Des Moines, IA/Mooseheart Academy) with a fourth-place finish in the heavyweight division.
The Warriors are back in action Tuesday night with the team's first Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) dual of the regular season. Indian Hills will host North Iowa Area Community College at the Multi-Purpose Building on the Indian Hills Centerville Campus at 7:00 PM or 30 minutes following the women's dual which opens up at 6:00 PM.
RESULTS
1st- Lucas Henderson-174
2nd- Riley Bettich-125 (Open)
2nd- TeAndre Allen-133
2nd- Cade Linn-174 (Open) (Unattached)
3rd- Jack Smith-174
3rd- Morgan Hartz-184
4th- Syrron White-184
4th- Joshua Gaye-285 (Open)
5th- Dawson Townsend-141
5th- Israel Foston-165 (Unattached)
5th- Treyshawn White-285 (Open)
6th- Manuel Limon-133
6th- Blake Swearingen-149
6th- Tobias Bell-197(Open)
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