The Austin wrestling team opened its season up with a pair of losses as it fell to Northfield 76-0 and lost to GMLOS 69-0 in a triangular in Ove Berven Gym Thursday.

Austin had much of its lineup wrestling at the varsity level for the first time and the Packers went winless on the night.

“We learned a lot tonight,” Austin head coach Jacob Nelson said. “We need to get a little more conditioned for the third period and we’ve got to move a little bit more on the bottom.”

The Packers (0-2 overall, 0-1 Big Nine) had a pair of close losses against the Bulldogs.

Austin eighth grader Tommy Fritz took a 4-0 lead into the third period against GMLOS’s Corbin Ludeman, but Ludeman scored a take down and near fall early in the third to get the advantage he needed in a 5-4 win at 126-pounds.

Austin senior Josh Belden jumped up 4-1 in the first period at 160-pounds, but GMLOS’s Christian Jacobson took a 5-4 lead in the second and Jacobson used an early takedown in the third to take over the match, which he won by a score of 10-4.

Nelson said it would’ve been better for the Packers to get their feet wet in a tournament setting, but Austin wasn’t able to compete in Faribault last weekend due to poor weather conditions.

“I would’ve rather have gotten into that tournament that we missed last weekend. That would’ve been a better start for these kids,” Nelson said. “Staring against Northfield and GMLOS is a hard start for some of these kids with their first varsity matches. It’s getting baptized with fire, but all we can do now is build on this and learn from it.”

GMLOS went 2-0 on the night as the Bulldogs also topped the Raiders. GMLOS sophomore Noah Sayles, who has been wrestling on varsity since he was an eighth grader, picked up a quick first period pin against Austin’s Mason Silbaugh at 170 pounds.

“Northfield was pretty tough and they’re a good team and it’s good to get a win against Austin,” Sayles said. “We just want to get better every day and keep improving.”

AUSTIN RESULTS

GMLOS 69, Austin 0

106: Cohen Wiste (GMLOS) won by forfeit

113: James Jacobsen (GMLOS) won by forfeit

120: Wes Soltau (GMLOS) pinned Sean Donovan (A) (1:56)

126: Corbin Ludeman (GMLOS) 5-4 dec. over Tommy Fritz (A)

132 Donovan Felten (GMLOS) 7-2 dec. over Gavin Brady (A)

138: Daniel Smith (GMLOS) won by forfeit

145: Jackson Hale (GMLOS) won by forfeit

152: Reese Voigt (GMLOS) won by forfeit

160: Christian Jacobson (GMLOS) 10-4 dec. over Josh Belden (A)

170: Noah Sayles (GMLOS) pinned Mason Silbaugh (A) (:35)

182: Isiah Morse (GMLOS) pinned Angel Aguilera Lemus (A) (1:51)

195: Cameron Sneed (GMLOS) pinned Jordan Derry (A) (1:21)

220: double forfeit 

285: Clayton Luthe (GMLOS) pinned Enrique Martinez (A) (1:38)

Northfield 76, Austin 0

106: Beau Murphy (N) won by forfeit

113: Chase Murphy (N) won by forfeit

120: Jake Messner (N) pinned Sean Donovan (A) 

126: Sam Holman (N) 9-1 dec. over Tommy Fritz (A) 

132: Trayton Anderson (N) pinned Gavin Brady (A) 

138: Drew Woodley (N) won by forfeit

145: Darrin Kuyder pinned Brennan Winkles (A)

152: Ethan Johnson (N) won by forfeit

160: Kolby Olson (N) 9-5 dec. over Josh Belden (A)

170: Jack Stanton (N) pinned Mason Silbaughh (A) 

182: Mason Pagel pinned Angel Aguilera Lemus

195: Jack Holman pinned Jordan Derry

220: David Toonjum (N) won by forfeit

285: Antonio Carter dec. over 7-0 Enrique Martinez