Varsity Wrestling Team Places 6th at Esmond Ford Memorial Tournament

The Missouri Military Academy (MMA) Colonels varsity wrestling team delivered a strong performance in their first tournament of the season at the Esmond Ford Memorial Tournament in Affton, Missouri, on Saturday, December 7. Competing against 25 teams, the Colonels secured sixth place overall.

“Competing in our first tournament of the year against solid competition helped give the team a better understanding of where they are versus where they want to be by the end of the season,” said MMA Wrestling Head Coach Levi Iman. “I am very pleased with how the team performed — they wrestled strong and accepted both wins and losses with class.”

Tournament Highlights:

• Cadet Ryan Miles (150lbs) earned a gold medal with a 5-0 record for the day, bringing his overall season record to 10-1. 
• Cadet Deonte Kerns (126lbs) secured a silver medal with a 4-1 performance, pinning his first four opponents and finishing the day with a 10-1 season record.
• Cadet Nathaniel Summers (285lbs) placed fifth with a 4-1 record.

“Saturday gave us a look at the first set of opportunities each wrestler has to improve on to progress themselves," Iman said. "Seeing the guys performing so well and finding ways to improve throughout the tournament looks very promising for their success throughout this year.”

Competition Individual Results:

• 126lbs: Cadet Deonte Kerns, 4-1, second place
• 132lbs: Cadet Tyler Isbell, 3-1
• 138lbs: Cadet Marcus Miller, 3-2, fifth place
• 144lbs: Cadet Michael Pfeifer, 3-1
• 150lbs: Cadet Ryan Miles, 5-0, first place
• 157lbs: Cadet Luis Sass-Zaragoza, 2-2
• 165lbs: Cadet Roberto Lavalle, 1-2
• 175lbs: Cadet Blake Krull, 2-2
• 190lbs: Cadet James Jackson, 1-3
• 215lbs: Cadet Adam Swenson, 1-2
• 285lbs: Cadet Nathaniel Summers, 4-1, fifth place

Congrats, cadets!