Short-handed PCM loses to Mount Vernon

SOLON — Prairie City-Monroe’s wrestling team did not put out its top lineup for a Class 2A regional dual semifinal Tuesday night.

Third-ranked senior Xavier Miller (145), freshman Payton Drake (106) and seniors Leevi Telfer (195) and Clayton Welch (220) did not step on the mat, and the Mustangs lost to Mount Vernon, 63-17.

District qualifiers Lucas Roland and Jarron Trausch earned bonus points for the Mustangs, while senior Jakeb Fenton also won his match by fall at 126.

Trausch (41-5) won his match by fall over Coy Martin at 170 pounds. Before that, fifth-ranked Roland (30-2) scored a technical fall over Nolan Hinrichs.

Those two wins gave PCM a short-lived lead at 11-6. The only other win on the night for PCM came at 126 when Fenton pinned Garret Akers in 44 seconds.

Mount Vernon came into the dual with three ranked wrestlers.

Seventh-ranked Sam Moore and seventh-ranked Jack Cochrane each took forfeits at 195 and 220, respectively.

Second-ranked Tristan Wirfs, an Iowa football offensive lineman recruit, pinned PCM freshman Jace Smith in 23 seconds at 285 pounds.

Mount Vernon was given five forfeits on the night. It won six of the nine matches on the mat.

Five PCM wrestlers compete for a berth into the Iowa High School State Wrestling Championships at noon on Saturday in Knoxville. That list includes Drake (38-6), junior Chase Shirk (23-18), Miller (43-2), Roland and Trausch.

The state wrestling meet takes place Feb. 16-18 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.