Malta Wrestlers do well at Valier-Shelby Thaw

It may be hard to believe but the wrestling season is already at it’s midpoint. And up to this point Malta Mustangs Wrestling Head Coach Ryan LaBrie is happy with where his team is after wrestling in the Valier-Shelby New Years Thaw event last Saturday.

“They’re doing really well,” Coach LaBrie told the PCN. “We’ve got a good bunch of young guys. At this New Year’s Thaw we saw our division with the exception of Harlem, Fairfield and Simms. We’re in an extremely tough division but as long as we stay healthy and stay focused, I believe they will come out all right.”

According to Coach LaBrie Malta has seen some pretty tough competition this season and because of the quality of wrestlers they have faced early in the year wins are not as high as they can be in the division.

“A lot of it’s just being healthy, staying focused and putting the time in that we need during practice and going forward from there,” Coach LaBrie said.

Malta fared well at the New Years Thaw, with four of seven Malta Grapplers winning their pools with 3-0 records.

“That’s a testament to their work ethic in practice and in competition,” Coach LaBrie said.

At 132 pounds Kaden Moore and Ceaton Mears both won their pools. Trey Simanton won the 126 pound pool and Kolter Schipman won the 120 pound pool.

“It went really well,” Coach LaBrie said. “It was kind of a long trip over the break but getting back into action before these next two big weekends is pretty important.”

Jordan Pierce was 1-2 in the 182 pound pool as was Keenan Schipman in the 138 pound pool. Mark Missildine was 0-3 in the 120 pound pool.

“Jordan Pierce had some tough matches,” Coach LaBrie said. “Not only tough divisional matches but tough state caliber matches against Steeler French, who’s the defending State Champion and a few others that we will see at Divisionals in the next couple of weeks.”

Malta is one of the bigger teams in the Northern B Division, however a few wrestlers were not able to attend the “Thaw.”

“We had a good week of practice,” Coach LaBrie said. “We were a few short. A couple of guys stayed home. Those that went wrestled really well.”