Let’s focus on the positive.

Mikey Ryan and Ethan Wood won WaMaC titles Saturday, Feb. 1, at the conference meet at Benton Community High School in Van Horne.

Top-seeded and ranked No. 2 in the state at 150 pounds, Ryan won by pin in the quarterfinal and by technical fall in the semifinals. That set up a final against No. 5 Nile Sinn of Williamsburg.

“He’s a great competitor in all sports; a great guy,” Ryan said of Sinn. “It is tough when you know each other like that. We’ve been wrestling since my freshman year, and it is a battle every time.”

Ryan hit two takedowns in the first period for a quick 6-2 lead. He expanded that to 10-3 after two periods, and won by major decision, 13-4.

“He wrestled him really well,” Mount Vernon Coach Vance Light said. “He kind of opened the gap from last year, and that is always good.”

“It felt good,” Ryan said. “I was happy with my attacks. If I’m getting to my attacks, nobody can stop me, I think. If I get to my stuff, good things happen.”

Top-ranked and top-seeded Wood didn’t need multiple attacks in his final at 285 pounds. Just one attack.

Wood got into Owen Pettlon of West Delaware a few seconds into the match, used a lat drop to take him to the mat, turned him, and pinned him in 26 seconds.

“That guy charged into Ethan and went right into his wheelhouse,” Light said. “That was a mistake.”

Wood reached the finals with a pin in the quarterfinals and a 9-2 decision over Grant Wilson of Solon in the semifinals.

Now, the bad news.

No. 4 Mount Vernon was missing several starters, including top-ranked junior Jase Jaspers at 144, and had to use some JV wrestlers in their lineup.

The Mustangs finished sixth in the team race with 152 points. Williamsburg won it all with 225.5 points, 30 points ahead of second-place Independence and No. 7 West Delaware (195.5). No. 10 Benton was fourth and Clear Creek Amana was fifth.

“With Jase out, that’s some pretty big points, right there,” Light said. “Williamsburg was tough. I’m not sure we could have caught them.”

Light said the wrestlers were missing with illness or injury, and hoped to have them back for the regional dual Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Davenport Assumption, or the Class 2A District Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 15, at Ballard.

“Our young guys wrestled well,” Light said. “They did about as well as you can ask them to do.”

Will Goodlove (157) placed third and Jake Haugse (120) and Caysen Curran (190) placed fourth. Andrew Dix (215) placed fifth and Nolan Mercer (132), Caleb Keegan (165) and Jaxon Anderson (175) placed sixth. Keegan got hurt in the semifinals, and had to injury default his final three matches.

“We don’t really have our full team right now, but our guys went out and competed,” Wood said. “We’re battling though it.”

“We’ve just got to keep coming together,” Ryan said. “As a team and individually. Try to get as many guys through to state as we can.”

On Thursday, Jan. 30, Mount Vernon lost a home dual to Alburnett, the No. 1 team in Class 1A. The Pirates won, 51-22. The Mustangs were short-handed that night, as well.

WaMaC Tournament

Team scores – 1. Williamsburg 225.5; 2. Independence 195.5; 3. West Delaware 195.5; 4. Benton Community 191; 5. Clear Creek Amana 173; 6. Mount Vernon 152; 7. Solon 135.5; 8. (tie) Grinnell 66.6 and South Tama County 66.5; 10. Center Point-Urbana 49.5; 11. Vinton-Shellsburg 46; 12. Marion 45.

MOUNT VERNON

106 – Cooper Krob, 1-2. 113 – Matthew Goodlove, 0-2. 120 – Jake Haugse, 2-2, fourth. 126 – CJ Martin, 1-2, seventh. 132 – Nolan Mercer, 2-3, sixth. 138 – Chasen Caskey, 1-2. 144 – Stanley Korb, 0-2. 150 – Mikey Ryan, 3-0, first. 157 – Will Goodlove, 3-1, third. 165 – Caleb Keegan, 1-3, sixth. 175 – Jaxon Anderson, 4-2, sixth. 190 – Caysen Curran, 2-2, fourth. 215 – Andrew Dix, 3-2, fifth. 285 – Ethan Wood, 3-0, first.

Alburnett 51, Mount Vernon 22

132 – Nolan Mercer (MV) dec. JJ Callahan 4-3. 138 – Preston Klostermann (A) tech. fall Chasen Caskey 17-2 2:29. 144 – Cooper Franklin (A) pinned Stanley Krob :44. 150 – Mikey Ryan (MV) dec. Reece Klostermann 9-4. 157 – Will Goodlove (MV) pinned Dawson Becker 5:38. 165 – Hunter Sauer (A) pinned Caleb Keegan 3:03. 175 – Shayden Washburn (A) pinned Jaxon Anderson 3:31. 190 – Caysen Curran (MV) maj. dec. River Williams 10-1. 215 – Eaghan Fleshman (A) pinned Andrew Dix 1:12. 285 – Ethan Wood (MV) pinned Sevy Redel 3:49. 106 – Jaxson Port (A) tech. fall Cooper Krob 18-0 3:26. 113 – Atlee Dewitt (A) pinned Matthew Goodlove 1:27. 120 – Owen Henriksen (A) tech. fall Jake Haugse 20-3 5:46. 126 – Rowdy Neighbor (A) pinned CJ Martin 1:31.