By Cassidy Steines-
Kyle Jilovec, a junior, takes a Dewitt wrestler to the mat at the wrestling meet against West Delaware and Dewitt in the Mount Vernon High School gym on Thursday, Dec. 8. Kyle, a varsity wrestler, won the match with a pin and Mount Vernon beat Dewitt 40-19. “Well it was my first match wrestling at 120 [pounds]. I had been wrestling at 126 [pounds] previously, so I felt like I would have been a little sluggish from cutting all of that weight. But, that was not the result,” he said.

Kyle said that as a team, they wrestled a lot better than they did against Lisbon. “We went out there and got at it,” said Kyle. “Mental and physical toughness is what it takes to come out on top.” Although Mount Vernon won the dual against Dewitt, Kyle said that the team could still improve tremendously. “It’s early in the season,” said Kyle. He believes the team will become great.

Mount Vernon wrestled again Saturday, Dec.10, at 10 a.m. against Anamosa, Clear Creek Amana, Marion, East Buchanan, Lisbon, Louisa Muscatine, Mid-Prairie, West Liberty, and Sigourney-Keota in the Mount Vernon High School gym. Mount Vernon placed second, with 203.5 points. Lisbon placed first with 216 points, and Louisa-Muscatine was third at 132.

James Wenzel (106), Trey Ryan (145), Tyler Rawson (170), and Mitchel Jilovec (182), were all tournament champions.

MOUNT VERNON INVITATIONAL RESULTS:

1. Lisbon 216
2. Mount Vernon 203.5
3. Louisa-Muscatine 132
4. West Liberty 111.5
5. Marion 91
6. East Buchanan 83.5
7. Clear Creek Amana 74
8. Anamosa 69
9. Mid-Prairie 61
10. Sigourney-Keota 45.5

Mount Vernon’s next meet is Thursday, Dec. 15 at Beckman Catholic High School against Beckman Catholic and Solon at 6 p.m.