Iowa Lakes Men’s Wrestling Competes at the Yellow Jacket Open

Iowa Lakes Men’s Wrestling Competes at the Yellow Jacket Open
The Iowa Lakes Community College men's wrestling team opened its season with a full roster competing in the Freshman/Sophomore division at the Yellowjacket Open, gaining significant early-season experience against a strong field of NCAA Division II, NAIA, and NJCAA programs. The Lakers saw multiple athletes earn wins throughout the day, highlighted by two placewinners and several competitive performances across the lineup.

149 lbs: Penn Leads the Lakers With Sixth-Place Finish

Freshman William Penn delivered the team's top performance, placing 6th at 149 pounds after a demanding six-match run. Penn opened the day with a dominant 15–0 technical fall and continued his momentum in the consolation rounds with multiple bonus-point victories, including a 20–7 major decision in the consolation semifinal. His consistent scoring earned Iowa Lakes 12.5 team points, the highest individual total for the program. At the same weight, Davin Wieland added a strong early win with a 14–12 decision, while Marquis Bates gained valuable mat time against a deep bracket.

285 lbs: McCarty Earns Eighth Place

In the heavyweight division, Lincoln McCarty claimed 8th place, going 2-2 on the day, securing two falls on the day, including a 1:03 pin in the consolation bracket. Teammates Jeremiah Chuol and Rafael Diaz also competed at 285, each picking up byes and facing high-level opposition in their respective rounds.

Strong Performances at 141 Pounds

At 141, Anthony Garritano recorded one of the Lakers' most impressive wins of the morning session, producing a 13–3 major decision in the opening round to win his first college match.  Logan McDonald added two competitive bouts at the same weight class, including a high-scoring 20–14 match in the consolation round.

Additional Highlights Across the Lineup

Building Toward the Season Ahead

Head Coach Corey Meyer expressed that the Yellowjacket Open served as an important evaluation tool for a young roster:
" In early season tourments like the Yellowjacket Open were looking for feedback. We want to learn where the team needs to grow, what we're doing right, and what we need to continue to spend more time developing. I belive this tourament did just that, and I'm really poroud of the growth the team has made in such a short time and I'm looking forward to the upcoming touramnts to cheeck in on the development. "
With two placewinners and several encouraging performances across multiple weight classes, Iowa Lakes leaves the tournament with a clearer understanding of its strengths, areas of growth, and lineup potential moving forward.

Next Competition

The Lakers will return to action at DWU Open on November 8th as they continue building toward the 2025–26 season.