The Hillsboro High School wrestling team had two third-place finishes and a fourth-place finish Saturday at the Hesston Invitational Wrestling Tournament.

Tanner Jones went 3-1 in the 160-pound weight class. He defeated Cody Easterday of Leon Bluestem, 9-5, to claim third place.

Tyrell Thiessen also went 3-1 in the heavy weight class. He pinned Brix Brickey of Smoky Valley 45 seconds into the third-place match.

Bret Mueller finished 3-2 in the 138-pound class but lost to Austin Cook of Smoky Valley, 11-0, in the third-place match.

“Bret, Tanner, and Tyrell all looked very good at times, especially in matches where they started with a high level of confidence,” head coach Scott O’Hare said. “In matches against better opponents, particularly in the semifinals, we looked flat and tentative. As they gain confidence in what they want to do, hopefully their level of intensity will also improve.”

Jon Carey (120), Cody Delk (145), and Jesse Meier (152) also wrestled in the tournament but only Meier picked up a win.

“We went into the tournament a little short handed due to illness and injury,” O’Hare said. “Jon, Cody, and Jesse all competed hard, but their overall inexperience at this level showed at times. They must continue to learn from mistakes and be able to get a better feel for the flow of a match.”

“This was a difficult week for our team, so it’s hard to say if this tournament is a good measure for us,” O’Hare said. “However, I have no doubt they are improving.”