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Wrestling: Flivvers, Mountaineers post unbeatens at Munising Duals

Wrestling

MUNISING — Iron Mountain registered a 4-1 team record along with four unbeaten wrestlers in the Munising Super Duals on Friday.

Unbeaten Kingsford wound up with the runner-up trophy in the West bracket.

The Mountaineers (12-4) knocked off St. Ignace, 42-40; Munising, 40-30; Rudyard, 54-12; and Westwood, 41-33. The only loss came to Gladstone, 54-28.

“I’m proud of my guys and how they wrestled today,” said IM Coach Cory McLaren. “That was a big win for us against St Ignace. They’re always a tough team to wrestle.”

Caleb Burklund (189) climbed to 16-3 on the season by posting five wins Friday. Parker Stroud (13-7 record at 119 pounds), Tre Sabotta (13-4 at 135) and Dow Dawson (11-1 at 140) also went unbeaten.

Iron Mountain avenged a 56-30 loss to Westwood from earlier in the season.

“Westwood was an exciting match-up for us,” McLaren said. “We knew we could wrestle them better then that.

“Dow Dawson (140) got us going with a pin in the third period. Next big match was a pin from Parker Stroud (125).”

Stroud defeated Wyatt Carlson, who had pinned the Mountaineer to start the season at the Westwood Super Duals.

Trever Malburg’s second-period pin over Alana Norula at 130 clinched the match.

“The match was back and forth until the pin,” McLaren said.

Iron Mountain, much improved over last year’s 8-9 record, visits Kingsford on Thursday for a quad with Gladstone and Negaunee.

The Flivvers posted a 5-0 team mark and five wrestlers finished 5-0.

“We had a great day of wrestling,” said Flivvers coach Darren Groleau.

The Flivvers downed Rudyard, 46-6; Manistique, 42-12; Newberry, 30-27; Sault Ste. Marie, 42-21; and Menominee, 42-15.

“Overall, I am happy with how our day went,” said Groleau, noting that “younger guys” Ethan Gribble and Logan Crago at 171 notched their first wins. “Big Ben Stanish stepped up big going 5-0 with three huge pins (at 189/215). Ben hasn’t had much mat time but he’s a huge asset to this team and he makes a difference when he’s out on the mat.”

Logan Crago went 5-0 with one pin at 189/215; Trevor Povolo, 5-0 with two pins; Eddie Cardew, 5-0 at heavyweight; and August Early, 5-0 at 125.

Early’s pin sealed the Newberry match.

“August needed bonus points for us to win,” Groleau said of the senior team captain. “He went out on that mat to close the match for us. August steps up when we as a coaching staff ask him to do so. He delivered when feeling under the weather. We couldn’t be any more prouder of him and the effort he put out there on the mat.”

The Wilcox boys, Ethan (130) and Toby (145), both dropped some tough matches but also picked up some big wins, Groleau noted.

“Michael Hill-Scott put in a valiant effort to keep us in the Newberry match for August to get the win,” Groleau said. “Ethan Gribble had a tough day but he did pick up his first win and we are happy with his progress.”

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