Mount Vernon’s return to state duals highlighted by weight adjustment and milestone win

MOUNT VERNON — A 25-pound adjustment proved to be “icing on the cake” for the Mount Vernon boys’ wrestling team.

Class 2A’s second-ranked Mustangs were strong in a 46-15 regional duals victory over No. 14 Solon Tuesday night. The Mustangs head to the state duals tournament Saturday at Xtream Arena in Coralville for the second straight year.

The differentiating match for Mount Vernon was at 190, where Kael Riniker dropped down a class and recorded a first-period pin.

“The last couple times we’ve wrestled a good team, someone different has come through with a big win,” Mount Vernon Coach Vance Light said. “Tonight we got a big win out of a kid who usually wrestles 215, but our 190-pounder, we’re not sure if he’ll be back or not. So he (Riniker) dropped down and got a big win for us.

“It was kind of some icing on the cake because we’re pretty good at heavyweight and pretty good at 106. We had those weights left and had a lead.”

Tuesday’s match began with two straight Solon decisions at 126 and 132. Then the Jaspers boys — Jase with a decision at 138 and Jackson with a pin at 145 — gave the Mustangs a lead they didn’t relinquish.

Following a Michael Ryan first-period pin at 150, Jackson Hird wrestled his way to a significant milestone, recording a 10-0 major decision for the 100th win of his career.

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“I was pretty nervous, but my mindset was like, it’s just another match,” Hird said. “I’m going to wrestle it as I wrestle every match and try to get as many points for my team as I can. The whole week I’m like, I’m going to get 100 wins. It’s my goal and nothing’s going to stop me.

“I was just really excited.”

As happy as he was for his special moment, he was just as ecstatic for what his teammate did at 190.

“Kael Riniker, it was insane,” Hird said. “That was the greatest match I’ve ever seen. He looked like a new man. I think he made weight by like a pound to spare. He’s like, ‘These guys are feeling way lighter than normal.’”

At 106, top-rated Klayten Perreault made quick work of his opponent with an eight-second pin. Jake Haugse then wrapped up the evening with a pin of his own.

Now, the Mustangs will turn their attention to the state duals tournament, where they finished fourth in 2023.

“I think our team is kind of seeing their potential,” Hird said. “It’s just, every day we’re in the wrestling room working for one goal. It’s one team coming together to be the best we can be. It’s all working toward one goal like a machine. I think that’s what it’s going to be like.”

Light said the goal is to place higher than last season.

“Hopefully we wrestle well enough, we’ll get a shot at Osage,” Light said. “They’re the returning champs and we’d like nothing better than to get a shot at them in the finals. But we have to make it there first.”