Fairfield wrestling competes at Bob Murphy Invitational

MANCHESTER — This last weekend was a busy one for Fairfield wrestling.

The Trojans hit the road to West Delaware High School to compete in the Bob Murphy Invitational.

It was a tough event featuring 12 teams including the Trojans.

When all was said and done, the Trojans finished with just one top place finisher in Cael McCabe at 106.

McCabe received a first-round bye and followed up with three straight wins to take the title.

He pinned Dike-New Hartford’s Dax Weedman in 39 seconds, then topped that by pinning Benton Community’s Garrett Kuch in 31 seconds.

For the title, McCabe won by decision 6-0 against Indianola’s Carson Cooper.

The next highest finisher for the Trojans was Cason Miller. Miller took second at 152.

Miller opened with a bye and then won by fall over Indianola’s Bryce Hageman in 1:24. He then defeated Red Oak’s Adam Baier in a tightly contest 3-2 decision match.

In the title match, Miller came up short to Benton Community’s Brenden Heying by 10-3 decision.

At 120, Jacob Crew finished seventh. Crew lost his opening match by fall in 3:23 after a first-round bye.

In the second round consolation bracket, Crew fell in 1:40. He would received back-to-back bye’s to take seventh.

At 126, Ben Sirdoreus was pinned in his opening match but bounced back with back-to-back wins on a bye and a fall over Dike-New Hartford’s Colton Foast.

In the third round consolation match, Sirdoreus was pinned.

Julian Pumphrey fell in his first match at 138 by fall. He would followed with two bye’s before being pinned in the round three consolation match.

At 160, Aiden Lyons opened up with a 5-2 decision victory over Jared Lopez of Muscatine.

Lyons would fall in the quarterfinals by fall and again in the second round of the consolation bracket. He would end his day with a victory in the third round over Isaac Baer of Dike-New Hartford, a major decision win, 12-2.

Dain Burkhart wrestled at 182. Burkhart won by fall in 1:13 over Dayton Gusman of Red Oak after his first round bye.

Burkhart came up short in the semifinals by 7-3 decision and again in the third round consolation match, but he would bounce back in the fifth-place bout defeating Gusman one again for the fifth spot.

At 195, Dillan Post fell in his opening match by fall. After two byes, he came up short in his third round consolation match.

Dre Smithburg wrestled for the Trojans at 220. Smithburg was defeated by decision, 4-0, in his opening match, but would win his next three.

He had a bye and then defeated West Delaware’s Owen Pettlon by fall in 3:30 and Sawyer Falck on medical forfeit.

In the seventh-place match, Smithburg was defeated by decision, 7-1.

At heavyweight, Brandon Brinkschroeder received a first-round bye, but was defeated in back-to-back matches by fall before another bye.

In his final match of the night, Brinkschroeder was topped by fall.

The Trojans will return to the mat on Thursday night as they will host Washington and Ottumwa in a triangular.