The Panthers undefeated in Carroll quad

CARROLL — The the girls wrestling season Tuesday in a quad with Carroll, Clarinda and Red Oak. Creston went 1-2 on the night, losing to Carroll and Clarinda and defeating Red Oak. Clarinda was 3-0 on the night after a close dual with Carroll.

Creston defeated Red Oak 58-12, winning three contested matches and losing one.

Senior Grace Keeler was undefeated on the night, pinning Red Oak’s Arete Blystone in 0:47.

“That’s kind of what we expect of Grace now that she’s a senior,” coach Maggie Arnold said.

Also undefeated were Eva Chesnut and Kaylee Wells, though all of them received at least one forfeit.

Junior Alainah Galanakis won her bout over Jadeyn McAlphin in a 13-2 major decision.

Rounding out contested wins was Wells pinning Bryleigh Mauer early in the second period.

With just 11 wrestlers in the lineup, the Panthers have to forfeit three matches.

“We start every meet 18 down in points,” Arnold said. “In the Carroll dual, that was the difference-maker was giving up those.”

Caroll topped the Panthers 48-31.

At 105, Chesnut defeated Destiny Riesselman in a 16-3 major decision.

“She had a great night, finished 3-0 for us on the evening,” Arnold said. “She’s going to be a good little freshman for us.”

Galanakis posted another win in an 11-4 decision over Camren Miller. Keeler pinned Maggie Dirkx in 1:30. Kora Lohoff also had a pin, winning in a 1:17 fall over Skylar Bloyer.

“I really think Kora Lohoff as a freshman, she wrestled 155 for us, I really think she is going to be good,” Arnold said.

Clarinda topped the Panthers 54-30, Creston winning two contested bouts.

Winners were Chesnut in a first-period pin over Abigail Lightly and Lohoff in a 41-second pin over Bella Johnston.

Galanakis’s only loss of the day was from Kylar Downey of Clarinda.

“I know Alainah will be anxious to get another rematch with her,” Arnold said.

Overall, the night went well for the first night of a new season.

“It looked like a first night of wrestling,” Arnold said. “We saw some good things, we saw some things we need to work on, but with six freshman in the lineup, I really was impressed with the way they handled themselves.”

This year, the Panthers have been bumped up to Class 2A as the larger class was expanded.

“The girls union reclassified this year,” Arnold explained. “There were a lot of regionals in 2A that didn’t have full brackets. They wanted to expand that to the top 80 teams. We’re number 77 or 78.”

Creston returns to action in Urbandale Saturday.