Making up for lost time: Lashbrook, Petersen miss bouts, win Cougar titles

ACKLEY — Both Trey Lashbrook of AGWSR and West Fork’s Kale Petersen have missed part of this season for completely different reasons.

However, each have returned and have been tearing up the competition, winning their respective weight classes at the Cougar Invite, hosted by AGWSR on Saturday, Jan. 16.

Lashbrook, ranked ninth at 126, is 9-1 and won his round robin weight class by going 4-0. He has missed much of the season with a shoulder injury.

“It’s feeling pretty good,” Lashbrook said of his shoulder. “I knew coming into the season that it still couldn’t be 100 percent, but I’ve been getting through it. Trying to get to the matches that are more important.

“I feel like I’m a little behind everyone. Everyone is at their best right now that I’m facing. They’ve had a month or two of actual wrestling and I haven’t wrestled for a long time. I was out all Summer because of it. I had surgery, so I mean, I hadn’t stepped onto a mat in a year.”

Petersen has had to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure.

“Yeah, I missed quite a few matches, probably like six or so, so I would like to have a few more,” Petersen said. “I feel good, but it makes a difference here.”

Petersen also knows the pain of missing time due to injury, missing the start of 2019-20 with a knee injury.

“It’s going pretty good now, my knee feels great,” Petersen said. “I don’t think it’s ever been better in like, two or three years, so I’m feeling great and wrestling hard.”

Petersen is 12-1.

Lashbrook, along with Kaden Abbas (120) and Bo Gerbracht (132) won titles for the Cougars, which went from fourth to runner-up after the final round.

“So yeah, I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do,” Lashbrook said. “I feel like it’s coming along just fine.

“This tournament has been good with testing my wind. I haven’t really been worried about my shoulder, I’ve been worried about having my mat legs in. My wind. I’ve been doing pretty good, better than I expected. So, I think it is coming along perfectly.”

With a number one ranking after finishing sixth as a freshman at the weight class, there is a target on Petersen’s back, but he’s ready.

“Very (motivated),” Petersen said. “It’s humbling (to be No. 1) to go out and compete and do what I do, not let other kids stop it, I guess. Not let them get in my mind, do my thing.”

A three-time state medal winner, Lashbrook knows that the latter part of the season is the most important.

“Going to conference, getting some revenge on someone who has beaten me and beaten me last year (Meyer and Ridout). Both of them,” Lashbrook said. “Getting better, in better shape every day, getting Sharper every day. That’s what needs to happen for me right now.”

Petersen joined teammates Rafe Arbegast (113) and Levi Janssen (285) with titles for the Warhawks.

He won twice by technical fall and was well on his way to another in the final before he took charge and pinned Belle Plaine’s Brayden Peterson in 3 minutes, 33 seconds.

“Yeah, that was the plan (to score points) for today,” Petersen said. “I wanted to score a lot of points so with the matches I missed, I wanted to make up them points by getting techs and working my stuff.”

Cougar Invite

Team Scoring

1. Belle Plaine 162; 2. AGWSR 153; 3. Southeast Warren/Melcher-Dallas 145.5; 4. Mason City Newman 123; 5. Northwood-Kensett 117; 6. Riceville 110; 7. Belmond-Klemme 104; 8. West Fork 37; 10. Rockford 26.

Area results

106— Championship match, Kale Petersen (WF) pinned Brayden Peterson (BP) 3:33.

113— Rafe Arbegast (WF) finished 4-0 to win title.

120— Kaden Abbas (AGWSR) finished 4-0 to win title.

126— Trey Lashbrook (AGWSR) finished 4-0 to win title.

132— Championship match, Bo Gerbracht (AGWSR) dec. Pete Miller (MCN) 10-3.

138— Zach Johnson finished 3-1 and is runner-up.

145— Third-place match, Jaedrek Bowles (AGWSR) pinned Bryson Warren (B-K) 5:02.

160— Third-place match, Scott Heinselman (MCN) pinned Ben Puente (AGWSR) 4:11.

170— Fifth-place match, Jacob Haley (AGWSR) pinned Dakota Lau (WF) 0:53.

285— Championship match, Levi Janssen (WF) dec. Brandon Acuna (B-K) 5-3.