Malta Mustang Wrestling 2020-21

The Malta Wrestling team was the only Phillips County team to see a complete ending to their 2019-20 campaign. In doing so, the team had three state placers.

This season, the team features several returning athletes, and eight total, including two state placers.

The team will be without Callan Mears, who took second place in the 160-pound championship match last season. The team also lost Kendall Moore, who had performed at state last season.

"Callan was awesome," Head Coach Jake French said. "He was a hard worker and he wanted to win. He motivated the other kids to the level that we wanted them to be at."

Coach French said that he left that impact with the rest of the team.

The Mustangs welcome back sophomore Cameron Mikesell, who took home third place in the 113 class at state last season, and sophomore Camryn "Reggie" Mears who was sixth in the 145 class.

"We have some older kids that are coming back this year," Coach French said. "They are more than motivated because two freshmen placed and they did not. Hopefully, they are motivated to work harder because they can beat those state placers in practice."

Colt French, a senior who has been to state in previous years, also returns for Malta. Spencer Gibbs, a sophomore, will be returning at the 170 weight class. Although Gibbs is only a sophomore, Coach French said that he and Cam Mears have been leaders of the team during practice, and have been named captains.

The team also welcomes back senior Jaden Keeling, who wrestled with Malta during the 2019 season. Keeling will be wrestling as a heavyweight this season. Sophomore Tye Jones rounds out the returning wrestlers.

The team welcomes seniors Shawn Gilkerson (138 pounds) and Parker Mortenson (205); and freshmen Colton Mears.

Coach French said that Colt French has been instrumental in helping the new senior wrestlers get acclimated with the sport.

"He is catching them up to speed," Coach French said. "It's kind of nice for them to have a kid to go to instead of just a coach getting after them."

Dre Oshio, a sophomore, will not be with the team this season, because he was accepted into a program associated with the United States military.

Wrestlers across the country have been limited due to the COVID-19 virus, so the team was unavailable to travel and perform at meets around the state and country as they have in previous summer months. The team only had one open gym during the school year.

"We are kind of working on the fly here with all of the COVID restrictions," Coach French said. "We are still trying to figure that out, as far as getting matches goes."

The Malta Wrestling Coaching staff will include Steve French, as an assistant coach.

The Mustangs will host four events in the 2021 season. The dates are Friday, January 15; Friday, January 29; Friday, January 30; and Saturday, February 13.