FORT MADISON - The talent level of the Fort Madison Invitational wrestling keeps growing, as does the tournament itself.
This weekend's tournament brought in 23 teams including a Fort Madison varsity and junior varsity team, and Fort Madison finished second with 342 points. Dubuque Hempstead scored 380.5 to win the event.
Junior Teague Smith (20-1) was the sole Bloodhound champion at 170 pounds. Smith scored a major decision 10-2 over Louisa-Muscatine's Kendal Pugh in the title match.
Smith scored three pins in six matches over the two-day invitational. He received a bye in the first round and benefitted from a medical forfeit in the semifinals to get to the championship match.
The junior had control for most of the title match, getting into just a few precarious spots, before time ran out in the third period.
Ike Thacher (17-3) took runner-up at 195 falling to Mediapolis' Josh Glendening by a major decision 11-0. Thacher ran the table by pinning each of his first five opponents including a :38 fall over Joe Akers of West Liberty.
Aidan Pennock also finished as runner-up at 152. Pennock racked up four pins highlighted by a :22 pin over Chale Lewis of Muscatine. That win pitted the senior against junior teammate Henry Wiseman. Pennock worked a 6-0 decision in the battle of the Bloodhounds to advance to the title match against Braylon Griffiths (17-1) of Ottumwa.
Griffiths scored a takedown at 19 seconds into the match for two points and that's all the scoring that would take place as he escaped with the title on the 2-0 decision.
Nolan Riddle finished 3rd at 145 pounds and Logan Pennock placed 4th at 126 for 37 points for the Bloodhounds.
Head Coach Ryan Smith said the Hounds lost some matches they probably shouldn't have, but tournaments like this are good measurements for districts and state.
"I was hoping for more finalists for sure and some more champs, but this is a pretty quality tournament," he said.
"In the big picture it's all preparation for district and state. Maybe we didn't get exactly what we wanted, but if we learned something we can do differently there, that's the main thing."
He said Teague Smith is way ahead of where he was last year at the same time of the season. Smith failed to get out of districts last year and has a spot on the podium in February on his mind this year.
"He's doing a good job. He's got room for improvement and he's on the right trajectory. He got third here last year and had three losses going into Christmas. This year he has one loss and that's to a state champion at 182," Smith said.
"I don't think there are many 170 pounders that are bigger or stronger than he is. He's technically 172 with the two-pound growth allowance, so that's just about perfect."
The 23 teams that showed up this year is two more than last year and Smith is hoping with the addition of the other gym that is planned with the on-going construction project, maybe the tournament can expanded further.
"Twenty years ago this was shrinking, but now we're in a really good spot," he said.
Fort Madison was in first after Friday's pool wrestling, but slipped behind Dubuque Hempstead in bracket action Saturday at the Hound Dome.
For the complete results from the Fort Madison Invitational, click here: https://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/MainFrame.jsp?newSession=false&TIM=1671326136544&pageName=%2Fpredefinedtournaments%2FTeamResults.jsp&twSessionId=dlxhodoggl.
The junior varsity results are at the following link: https://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/MainFrame.jsp?newSession=false&TIM=1671326136544&pageName=%2Fpredefinedtournaments%2FTeamResults.jsp&twSessionId=dlxhodoggl
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