The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows wrestling team made the trip south on I-35 on Saturday, to compete in the annual Jack Mendenhall Invitational at Ames High School in Ames. The Cowboys were joined by the host Little Cyclones, (3A) #5 Ankeny, Ballard, Boone, Carroll, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Dowling Catholic, (3A) #4 Fort Dodge, Indianola, Knoxville, (3A) #6 Iowa City High, Mason City, Omaha Skutt Catholic (NE), Papillion-LaVista (NE), Perry, Pocahontas Area, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Spencer and Valley.
Caleb Seaba and Cale Kirstein were the top 2 placers for the Cowboys, with both finishing 3rd at 145 lbs and 152 lbs, respectively. Seaba defeated Papillion-LaVista’s (NE) Drew Kirk with a first period fall, before falling to Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Casey Kelley in a 4-2 decision in the quarterfinal. Seaba would then move to the consolation bracket, where he picked up a 12-4 major decision over Iowa City High’s Zach Fern and a 6-0 decision over Ballard’s Lane Kahler, before pinning Indianola’s Jake Pontier in the 3rd place match to claim a 3rd place finish. Cale Kirstein would pin Mason City’s Ethan Olsen to start the day at 152 lbs, before narrowly defeating Carroll’s Owen Klocke in an 8-7 decision in the quarterfinal. Kirstein then moved on to face (3A) #2 Jace Anderson of Ankeny, where he lost a 20-8 major decision. Kirstein would bounce back, with a 15-4 major decision over Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Logan Redig, before pinning Spencer’s Kade Johnson in the 3rd place match.
Ashtin Willms would place 5th at 220 lbs, while Mack Seaba, Mason Allen and Jackson Beisel would place 6th at 160 lbs, 182 lbs and 138 lbs respectively, while the rest of the athletes did not place. CGD returns to action on Thursday, with a home quad against Saydel, West Marshall and Perry.