By Scott Bidroski The lights got a little bit brighter this past weekend, as the pressure was kicked up a notch at Sub-Districts.
The three young ladies on the Mustang Girls team took to the mat at Perkins County High School in Grant, Neb. vying for one of the top 4 spots to qualify for the next round.
All three girls got it done. Sophomores Jenifer Banister and Lainey Filmore picked up second place finishes and Kirsten Heck grabbed a third place finish to move on to the next round.
They will now need to finish in the top 4 once again at Districts to move on to the coveted State Championships in Omaha.
The boys team stayed busy as well this past week, as they competed in a pair of tournaments.
First up was the annual Western Trails Conference Tournament held at Bridgeport High School on Thursday, February 1.
The team is dealing with some injuries in several weight classes but was still able to finish strong in second place overall.
Individually, senior Tucker Banister returned to the mat in perfect fashion, finishing his day 3-0 and in first place in the 150 division.
Sophomore Jaxon Kearns and juniors Kyler Vincent and Wyatt Feddersen all earned second place finishes in their respective divisions, earning points for the team.
Freshman Broden Rawles finished in third place, posting a strong 4-1 record on the day.
Sophomore Hunter Brewer and junior Bronson Freeseman finished in fourth place and junior Lain Tausan earned a fifth place finish with a 4-2 record.
When all the points were added up, G-R took home the silver in the WTC, falling just short behind the first place Mitchell Tigers.
The team would load the bus on Saturday, February 3 to wrestle in the Black Hills Classic.
Stout competition from all over South Dakota was in attendance, giving the Mustangs a strong challenge.
Tausan would be the highest finisher for the Mustangs, earning a second place medal in the 285 bracket.
Kearns, Vincent, and Banister each took home third place and Feddersen would finish fourth.
The team will get some work and rest in this week as they prepare to begin their postseason.
On Saturday, February 10, both the boys and girls teams will head to Broken Bow to compete at Districts.
The top 4 wrestlers in each bracket will earn that coveted spot at the NSAA State Championships which will be held in Omaha, Neb. on February 15-18.