Top-ranked Peña rallies for opening victory

By: 
Kristi Nixon

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WEBSTER CITY – With an early target on his back, Hampton-Dumont’s Mario Peña, who is ranked first in the pre-season wrestling rankings at 285 pounds, had to survive his opening match.

The junior, who finished seventh a year ago as a virtual unknown, didn’t realize he trailed Webster City’s Gavin Dinsdale right away in the third period.

He led 1-0 after a second period escape, but didn’t know he was called for locked hands right away and then let Dinsdale go. H-D head coach Nick Bretz made it clear to him from the sideline that he was down.

“Not for a while until I heard coach say it,” Peña admitted. “It definitely got my offense going more. My head was just rushing.”

For more on this story, see the Dec. 11 issue of the Hampton Chronicle.

Hampton Chronicle

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