The Panther wrestlers came away 2-1 at the Rochester Invitational Dual Meet Tournament Monday, Dec. 1. The team took third place.

The Panthers won against Rochester John Marshall 41-30, then lost to Stewartville 21-46, and beat Rochester Mayo 39-34. 

Two Panther wrestlers were unbeaten on the day. Dillon Kubiatowicz went 2-0 with 2 falls, and Todd Erickson was 1-0 with 1 fall.

 “Any time we can finish the day 2-1 with a third place finish,” said Panther coach Shawn Larson, “it will not be considered a bad day.”

Larson declared himself happy overall, but “not content.”

“We were able to win 2 duals, but in those duals and especially in our loss to Stewartville, we learned that we have weaknesses we need to work hard to correct. Our athletes are eager to get back to the practice room to get better.”

On NRHEG’s loss to Stewartville, Larson said, “They were prepared very well for a match this early in the season. This team was extremely physical and they were in good condition. They also performed well in the finals match against the defending state champion in AA, Simley-Inver Grove Heights.”

The Panthers will compete next at the Saint James Classic in Saint James on Saturday, December 6, at 9:00 am.