The Mound Westonka wrestling squad took to the mats after Winter Break, participating in a triangular at Watertown Mayer High School on January 6 and the Eden Prairie/Waconia Duals on January 8.  The White Hawks went 1-1 at Watertown Mayer, picking up a 40-33 win over section rival Orono and suffering a 51-15 loss to the host Royals. 

“We didn’t wrestle our best and needed to shake off a little rust from break, but it was good to get back at it,” said head coach Todd Munsterteiger. Winning both matches for the White Hawks were eighth-grader Cooper Rowe, sophomore Jack Nelson, and juniors Roo Wheeler and Sam Dioszeghy.

The White Hawks resumed action on Saturday at the inaugural Eden Prairie/Waconia Duals, which was a 12-team dual meet tournament featuring many of the top teams in the state. “We haven’t competed in a dual meet tourney for a few years, so it was fun to go and compete as a team, rather than individuals,” said Munsterteiger.

The White Hawks faced stiff competition from state-rated Willmar and Albert Lea in the first two rounds of pool play and fell 60-17 and 51-25, respectively. The White Hawks bounced back in the last round, with a come-from-behind 39-36 victory over Blaine. The White Hawks trailed late in the dual, but wins from juniors Luke Rodelius and Sam Dioszeghy set the stage for senior heavyweight Ryan Butler, who sealed the victory with a first period pin. “That was a fun one and a big win for us,” said assistant coach Eric Rodelius.

After pool play, the White Hawks were placed in the bronze division, and defeated Eden Prairie 42-33 and Osseo 34-25 to claim the title.  “We really battled in those last two duals, and it was the guys that kept it close and didn’t give up bonus points that helped win it for us," said Rodelius. "It was truly a team effort."

The White Hawks are now 1-1 in the Wright County Conference and 9-4 overall. The team will travel to Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School on Friday, January 14.  Start time is 5 p.m.