Despite the wintry weather over the weekend, the NRHEG wrestling team traveled to Faribault on Saturday for the Dick Shiels Invitational.

The Panthers got some solid performances from a few individuals, totaling four fifth-place winners, one sixth-place finisher and coming in eighth place as a team.

Sophomore Nikolas Petsinger was one of the fifth-place winners. At 120 pounds, Petsinger went 2-2 on the day with two narrow decision victories, 11-7 and 10-9.

Another fifth-place finisher was senior Argo Gushwa at 152 pounds, who also went 2-2 at the tournament. Gushwa won one of his matches by pinfall at 2:53 and another by major decision, 13-4.

Junior Thor Routh also took fifth place, going 4-1 on the day at 160 pounds. After an opening round bye, Routh won two decisions 2-0 and 8-6, followed by a pinfall at 4:12. Routh fell in his final match by pinfall in the final minute of the third period.

Junior Conner Okland was the final fifth-place finisher for the Panthers, going 1-2 at 182 pounds. Okland’s lone win came via pinfall in the second period of his second match.

Also wrestling for NRHEG were eighth graders Parker Bunn (1-2 at 106 pounds) and Annabelle Petsinger (0-3 at 113 pounds), sophomores Clay Stenzel (0-2 at 138 pounds) and Ralph Roesler (0-2 at 170 pounds), and freshman Makota Misgen (0-2 at 285 pounds).

“This tournament was a great measuring stick for the beginning of the season,” said head coach Shawn Larson. “There were several very good teams at this tournament, which made the matches that we were able to win a better accomplishment. We were competitive at most weights, even when we were losing matches.”

The Panthers will be back on the mat Thursday when they host Gopher Conference foe WEM/JWP.