Shawnee ? It didn’t take long for new Lawrence High wrestling coach Mark Dulgarian to record his first dual victory.

The Lions matched their total number of dual wins in the last year and half – one – Saturday in their second match of the day at the Shawnee Mission East Invitational and didn’t stop there.

After knocking off Highland Park 48-30, Lawrence defeated host SME 46-15 before falling to Wichita Heights in the fifth-place match of the dual-match tournament, 61-21.

“If we can get a couple of wins and build on that, then I think that’s all right,” Dulgarian said. “I just ask them to work hard.”

Lawrence, winless all of last season in dual matches, had three wrestlers earn first-place finishes. Aaron Madill at 160, Chris Hultine at 152 and 275-pounder Kenny Poeverlein each went 5-0 on Saturday.

“It’s definitely a nice way to start this season,” Madill said. “It’s been such a long time since we’ve won a dual, that this gives us quite a bit of confidence. It also is the first step with our new coach and a young team.”

Baldwin High, ranked 10th in 4A, didn’t struggle against some of the top squads in Class 6A and 5A. The Bulldogs went 3-1 in pool play before falling to fourth-ranked Emporia in the third-place match, 54-20.

“We held our own real well,” Baldwin coach Kit Harris said. “In wrestling, smaller schools can compete just fine.”

Harris was pleased his squad made the most of its mat time.

“This was good for us to get out there on the mat five times in one day,” Harris said. “There were some positives and negatives, which is great because we can start to set our goals from here.”

Two Bulldogs – sophomore 112-pounder Joe Bonner and 171-pound junior Kyle Flory – were a perfect 5-0. Junior Derek Lang went 4-1 – his only loss coming against 5A’s top 160-pounder, Shawnee Heights’s Phil Hart. Baldwin 189-pounder Dan Hamilton also went 4-1.

“It was a tough way to start the year, but also a great way to start the year,” said Harris. “We got to go against some state-ranked guys and some other quality opponents who helped prepare us physically.”

Free State places eighth

Arkansas City – The Free State High wrestling team, “took its lumps” at the Arkansas City Invitational on Saturday, placing eighth in the eight-team tournament.

“We were expecting to come in and do a little bit better than that, but it’s an awfully tough tournament,” FSHS coach Darrell Andrew said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

The Firebirds had two wrestlers sustain injuries that could keep them out until after Christmas, with Josh Sanderson and Brett Shoffner wrestling just two matches.

It wasn’t all bad, though. Grant Steinbach went 3-1 and took third at 215 pounds, and Jeremy Bustamante was 2-1 and third in the heavyweight class. Nick McGovern was 2-2, placing fourth, and Kyle Frank was 2-2, placing fifth.

The Firebirds have a home dual Wednesday against Olathe South.

Cardinal wrestlers fourth

Effingham – Eudora High’s wrestling squad finished in fourth place at a seven-team round-robin tournament Saturday at Atchison County Community High.

Luke Powers took first place at 171 and Shane Grant won top honors in the 275 division for the Cardinals. Eudora got second-place finishes from Andy Coffman at 103, Josh Barr at 189 and Mike Paxton at 215.

The Cardinals’ next action is December 14 at the Eudora Invitational.