The Roland-Story Norsemen wrestling team returned to action on Thursday evening, as they made the trip to southern Story County to compete in a quad-dual at Ballard High School in Huxley. The Norsemen were joined by the host Bombers, as well as Gilbert and Woodward-Granger.
Roland-Story started the night taking on their Highway 69 rivals in the Gilbert Tigers, with Konnor Blume picking up a pin at 106. Caiden Latch would win via forfeit at 113, before Gilbert picked up back-to-back pins from Mason Wibholm and John Artz, before Kade Blumme picked up a forfeit win and Reece Fulton picked up a fall at 138 to make the score 24-12. Gilbert would get a forfeit win at 144, before Braeden Nees defeated Ben Mazyck via injury default to make it 24-24. Isaac Hall picked up a 3rd period fall to put the Norsemen back ahead, but Holden Boshart narrowed the margin with a 7-0 decision for Gilbert. The Norsemen would pick up 2 more wins at 175 and 190, as Gilbert won at 190 and 285, but Roland-Story picked enough bonus points to take the dual 42-36.
The Norsemen then took on the Ballard Bombers, with Easton Enyeart opening the dual with a pin of Konnor Blume at 106. The Norsemen would pick up a pin at 113 from Caiden Latch, as well as a Hayden Eslick forfeit win. Aiden Wilson would pin Cyrus Wilson to give the Bombers the lead back before Kade Blume picked up a forfeit win at 132 to give the Norsemen a 15-12 lead. Ballard then reeled off 5 straight wins with falls at 138, 144 and 150, a tech fall at 157 and a decision at 165, to take a 38-15 lead. Hesston Johnson would stop the bleeding with a major decision at 175, but Brody Sampson and Henry Christensen picked up pins at 190 and 215 to put Ballard up 50-19. Aaron Peyton capped the dual off positively for the Norsemen with a fall at 285 to make the final 50-25.
Thursday’s meet wrapped up with the Norsemen taking on Woodward-Granger, beginning at 120 lbs with Tanner Paustian and James Dorrian starting the meet with pins for the Hawks. Kade Blume would come back at 132 and pick up a fall over Kinnick Grimm, before Alex Saxton picked up a fall at 138 and a Will Atkinson forfeit put WG up 24-6. Anthony Jones would pick up a fall at 150, before Blake Tuel got 6 back for the Hawks with a fall at 157. Terrin Lawrenson would pick up a pin at 165, before the Norsemen reeled off 5 of their next 6 matches with falls from Hesston Johnson, Ian Tripp, Aaron Peyton and forfeits for Konnor Blume and Caiden Latch to have the final tied at 42-42, but the tiebreaker went to the Norsemen for a 43-42 win.
Roland-Story returns to action on Friday and Saturday, when they compete in the annual Cliff Keen Invitational at Independence High School.