By Cort Reynolds

VAN BUREN - Five members of the Ada varsity wrestling team competed at the two-day, 30-team Van Buren Invitational meet Friday and Saturday.

Ada finished 26th with nine points. Eastwood won the team title with 210 points, followed in second by Allen East with 150 points.

Five teams had to withdraw Saturday due to the very inclement weather conditions.

Bulldog senior Noah Arnett went 2-2 in the heavyweight division to lead Ada. 

"Noah Arnett has improved tremendously over the course of this year," said Ada first-year head coach Eric Perkins. "He was the only (Ada) wrestler who made it to the second day this weekend. 

"He did a lot of good things in one of the toughest weight classes in the tournament. I didnít feel like he was overmatched in either loss, he just made one mistake each time that cost him," Perkins added.  

Arnett beat Bluffton's Trent Howard by pinning him at 49 seconds for his first win of the VBI on Friday.

After a loss to Jacob Graham of Wayne Trace, Arnett defeated Dalton Teafort from New Bremen by pin at 34 seconds on Saturday in the first consolation round. He then lost by pin at 1:44 to Brodie Stevens of Swanton.

Arnett is now 9-4 this season.

Ada sophomore Colton Biederman decisioned Noah Hart of Riverdale 6-2 to register a win in the 120 lb. division.

"Colton has been wrestling up a weight class most of the year, he got one win and had a chance to get a second one," observed Perkins.

Biederman went 1-2 at the event while Ethan Hull (170), Luke Westover (152) and Reece Evans (160) each were 0-2.

"Luke and Ethan got some valuable experience and made noticeable improvements from their first matches to their second ones," said Perkins.