The Hawk wrestling team is finishing strong during their last competitions before Christmas break.

Last Thursday, Dec. 15, the wrestling team traveled to Beckman High School for their third dual meet of the season. Receiving forfeits at 132, 182, and 285, the wrestlers pinned their way through seven out of 14 weight classes. The dual ended with a 60-24 win. Every match ended in a pin or forfeit, allowing the wrestlers to leave Dyersville around 7:30 p.m. compared to the normal 9 p.m. departure.

“I’ve never been to a dual where every match was a pin,” sophomore Ryan Phillips said. “It was nice to be able to leave that early since we had to wrestle the next morning.”

The Hawks showed their skills again the following day at the Battle of Waterloo, a dual tournament. Hosting 32 teams, The Battle of Waterloo provided the wrestling team with tough competition.

West Delaware left the tournament Friday with a record of 2-1, defeating Nashua Plainfield 60-23 and Charles City 40-31. They lost a close dual 45-30 against Iowa City West.

Ending the Battle of Waterloo Saturday with a record of 2-1, the Hawks beat Osage 54-25 and Clear Lake 41-24. The team lost 54-30 in a dual against Lake Mills.

“I thought our team wrestled well this weekend,” Head Coach Jeff Voss said. “We won some key matchups in some of the closer duals. I saw a great team effort.”

Four wrestlers, Ryan Phillips (120), Cole Engel (138), Mitchel Mangold (145), and Harrison Goebel (182), went undefeated throughout the tournament.  Another group of wrestlers, Casey Guyer (126), Tristan Voelker (152), Brady Antons (195), and Kaleb Zieser (285), left Saturday with four wins and two losses.

Tuesday, Dec. 20, the Hawks lost a close dual to Decorah. Four pins during the first seven weight classes left West Delaware with a 24-17 lead over the Vikings. The final seven matches ended in pins, two in favor of West Delaware. The dual finished with a score of 36-47, sending the Hawks home with a tough loss.

“Over break we’re going to review our matches from these past competitions,” Voss said. “We’ll try to focus on our problem areas and hopefully this will further increase our chances of success later in the season.”