The Lake Mills wrestling team enters the second half of the season with high hopes.

The Bulldogs enter break as the fifth-ranked dual team in class 1A and have a 10-4 dual record, according to a press release.

“Even though our record is not too flashy, I am satisfied with it because we have wrestled a very hard schedule,” said coach Alex Brandenburg. “Out of 14 duals, 12 have been against good teams.”

The Bulldogs made school history in the first half of the season by defeating Blue Earth Area for the first time ever. The squad also has two wins each against Osage and Clear Lake, who are two of the most tradition-rich programs in north central Iowa.

Lake Mills has relied on a balanced attack from top to bottom.

“We like our squad in duals because we have no open weights and have a solid kid at each weight,” Brandenburg said. “Our junior varsity wrestlers are solid as well and spread out in weight, so that has helped a lot in duals.”

The Bulldogs will look to continue the success in the second half of the season and position themselves to make a run at the state dual tournament.

“Our kids have done a nice job picking up some big dual wins and putting us in a good spot in the rankings,” said Brandenburg. “It is very important to stay in the top eight in the rankings, as the state works hard to split up those teams for regional duals.”

Many individuals have lofty goals for the end of the season as well, as they will try to reach the district tournament and then the state individual tournament.

The lone Bulldog in the individual rankings is Slade Sifuentes, who is undefeated and ranked third at 195 pounds.