JEFF B | Iowa Prep Illustarted / Iowa Grandtsand Sports

ESTHERVILLE — There are high’s and low’s during the high school wrestling season. The unpredictability of the Cherokee Braves brought another unsuccessful experience as the team dropped a pair of Lakes Conference duals.

Cherokee fell to Spencer 47-24 and to host Estherville-Lincoln Central 58-22.

The most recent losses bring the Braves losing streak to six straight duals, and leaves them with a 1-8 dual record this season.

Against Estherville-Lincoln Central six open weights for the Braves awarded 30 team points to the Midgets. In head-to-head competition the teams split eight matches with Cherokee gaining wins by techical fall from Linkin Benson (126) and Weston Johnson (132), and wins by pin from Sean Comstock at 215, and Cohen James at 285 pounds. James fall came in just 55 seconds against Taye Hanby.

Against Spencer, the Tigers got credited with five wins by forfeit (30 points). Benson at 126 picked up his second win by fall (3:41). Benson improves his record on the season to 6-4 and 31-22 for his career.

At 138 pounds Christian Connor picked up a win by decision (21-17), and Mallon Malausky won by decision (9-7) at 190 pounds. For Connor its his third match victory this season. Malausky improves his season match record to 3-2. For Malausky’s career win total he sits at 23 wins.

Up Next

On Saturday, Cherokee was a team participant in the traditional West Sioux Tournament. The next scheduled dual date for the Braves is Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, at the Pocahontas Area Quadrangular. Teams scheduled to compete against the Braves are Ridge View, OABCIG and the host Indians.

ESTHERVILLE-LINCOLN CENTRAL 58, CHEROKEE 22
106: Jose Aguilar-Gonzalez (ELC) forfeit over (CH), 6-0
113: Gustavo Chitic-Aguilar (ELC) forfeit over (CH), 12-0
120: Clayton Burton (ELC) forfeit over (CH), 18-0
126: Linkin Benson (CH) tech fall 16-0 (3:06) over Owen Helget (ELC), 18-5
132: Weston Johnson (CH) tech fall 22-5 (2:00) over Damian Rodriguez (ELC), 18-10
138: Brody Olson (ELC) tech fall 20-3 (1:15) over Christian Connor (CH), 23-10
144: Braxton Johnson (ELC) fall (0:23) over Eldon Hautt (CH), 29-10
150: Warren Duitsman (ELC) tech fall 19-2 (2:32) over Carter Hautt (CH), 34-10
157: Bennett Duitsman (ELC) forfeit over (CH), 40-10
165: Layton Yager (ELC) forfeit over (CH), 46-10
175: Kyle Danner (ELC) forfeit over (CH), 52-10
190: Breidyn Coulter (ELC) fall (1:38) over Mallon Malausky (CH), 58-10
215: Sean Comstock (CH) fall (1:10) over Wyatt Petersen (ELC), 58-16
285: Cohen James (CH) fall (0:55) over Taye Hanby (ELC), 58-22

SPENCER 47, CHEROKEE 24
106: Double Forfeit
113: Caden Gress (SP) forfeit over (CH), 6-0
120: Peyton Sutherland (SP) forfeit over (CH), 12-0
126: Linkin Benson (CH) fall (3:41) over Angel Hernandez-Cole (SP), 12-6
132: Weston Johnson (CH) forfeit over (SP), 12-12
138: Christian Connor (CH) dec. 21-17 over Paxton Lange (SP), 12-115
144: Easton Beehler (SPE) tech fall 15-0 (1:25) over Eldon Hautt (CH), 17-15
150: Carter Hautt (CH) fall (1:28) over Gavin Hurst (SP), 17-21
157: Logan Wurm (SP) forfeit over (CH), 23-21
165: Noah Fullhart (SP) forfeit over (CH), 29-21
175: Temi Otaniyi (SP) forfeit over (CH), 35-21
190: Mallon Malausky (CH) dec. 9-7 over Tate Zinn (SP), 35-24
215: Jacob Schipper (SP) fall (3:18) over Sean Comstock (CH), 41-24
285: tallen lorenzen (SP) fall (0:36) over Cohen James (CH), 47-24