Universal Slam!

The Malta Wrestling squad had a strong showing at the AAU Scholastic Duals in Kissimmee, Flo. at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The three day event took place from Tuesday, June 13 to Friday, June 16.

The team was comprised of 15 wrestlers, nine of which were from Malta. The team was led by Malta's Trey Simanton and Brandon Held of Glendive who both took home a silver medal, having lost only one match in their respective weight classes.

Malta's Kaden Moore and Hardin's Bryce Roan took home a copper medal having lost three matches in their weight classes.

"We had Ceaton Mears, who was one match away from medaling. Kolter Schipman and Callan Mears were both also one match away from medaling," Coach Ryan LaBrie said. "We had a pretty competitive team."

The team took fifth place in their pool after winning the final three rounds of the seven round event. They fell behind early losing 51-21 to the Genreoa Wrestling Club in the first round. They then lost a close 38-34 round to Team Iowa White.

The team wouldn't see their first victory until the fifth round totals when they defeated MXW White 60-17. The wins kept coming as Malta was able to overcome Team Monster in a 42-39 win which was followed by a 59-15 win over Orange City Wrestling.

"There were teams that we wrestled that had taken third and fourth," Coach LaBrie said. "We were giving up six points in the 220 class because we were missing one guy in our lineup. We were really competitive as far as the way the brackets were."

The individual wrestlers were Jordan Darby of Sidney in the 106 class, Gavin Horn of Harlem in the 113 class, Alexander Burnison of Sidney in the 120 class, Ca. Mears in the 126 class, R.C. Skiff in the 132 class, Schipman in the 132 class, Moore in the 138 class, Simanton in the 145 class, Ce. Mears in the 152 class, Cordel Salsbery in the 160 class, Held of Glendive in the 160 class, Roan of Hardin in the 170 class, Travis Epperson in the 182 class, Miles Bunk in the 195 class and Curtis Humphreys in the 285 class.

Skiff and Salsbery will be freshmen next season and Coach LaBrie was impressed at how they handled themselves.

"I saw a lot of good things with those two," he said. "Just the intensity of the camp and the competition, I was very pleased with how they reacted. A lot to look forward to for the upcoming season for sure."

Before the event, the Mustangs were at Wrestling Camp at Sidney, before those competing in the AAU Duals drove to Bismarck, N.D., where they flew directly to Orlando.

The team had a chance to check some local things unrelated to wrestling as well.

"We were in or around the Orlando area for a week," Coach LaBrie said. "We caught the Tampa Bay Rays baseball game and watched them play the Athletics on Sunday night."

They also hit up a few amusement parks.