Led by wins from Blaine Ortiz and Sam Murphy, the McDonald County High School wrestling team took third place at the 53rd Annual Kinloch Classic held on Dec. 28 at Parkview High School in Springfield.
The Mustangs' third-place finish came despite just having seven wrestlers in the 14 weight classes.
Ortiz went 3-0 in the 113-pound weight class. Two of his wins came by pin before he claimed a 5-1 decision over Quentin Long of Lebanon for the title.
Ortiz improved to 17-1 overall for the season.
Murphy went 2-0 with two pins in his pool matches to advance to the championship bracket. The 220-pound freshman was even more impressive in the bracket, winning by pin in 14 seconds in the semifinals and then by pin in 16 seconds in the championship match.
Murphy is now 19-1 for the season.
Levi Smith added a second-place for McDonald County. The 138-pound sophomore won two pool matches by pin and added a 20-7 decision to advance to the championship bracket.
Smith, 18-3, won his semifinal match with a pin over Caleb Spencer of Buffalo. But in the finals, Smith lost by pin to undefeated Braxton Strick of Ozark.
Colter Vick and Jayce Hitt both took third place.
Vick went 3-2 at 152 pounds, including a 10-6 decision over Harrison Holt of Kickapoo in the third-place match.
Hitt, a 285-pound freshman, went 3-2 in his six-man pool to earn his third-place finish.
Also competing for McDonald County were Ryan Donica, 126, 1-4, and Cross Spencer, 132, 2-3.
Lebanon won the team title with 306 points, followed by Ozark with 284.5, McDonald County 130, Kickapoo 129, Rolla 124, Republic 116.5, Buffalo 102 and Springfield Central 46.5.
McDonald County's next action is at Marshfield on Jan. 5.