The final session of the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s State Wrestling Tournament saw four area wrestlers in the finals. The finals culminated three days of play-by-play of 40 area wrestlers on all three Raccoon Valley Radio Stations and streamed on www.raccoonvalleyradio.com.
Cody Fisher of Woodward-Granger shut out previously undefeated Kobe Simon of West Liberty by a 6-0 score to win his second straight state title, both at 220 lbs. Fisher ended his senior season 52-0 and is the only State Champion in the history of Woodward-Granger High School. He’s also a rare four-time finalist on the State Tournament level, and will enroll at Iowa State University and wrestle for the Cyclones.
Blake Haub of Ogden (40-3) won the 1A title by a 4-3 count over Tyler Thurston of North Cedar (Stanwood) with a late escape. Haub is head coach Jesse Sundell’s first State Champion, something Sundell was four times at Ogden High School.
ADM senior Kaden Sutton was in the 285 title match vs. Taven Rich of Maquoketa trailing 1-0with just over one minute remaining in the third period when he was able to get a take down and two point near fall for the deciding points in a 4-2 victory. Sutton becomes the eighth State wrestling champion in the Tigers’ history, including the third in the past five seasons.
Greene County freshman McKinley Robbins at 106 lbs. lost the title match to top ranked and undefeated Camron Pextoumphone (42-0) of Webster City by a 5-0 final. After a scoreless first period, the Lynx scored two near fall points in the second and added an escape and take down in the third for the final score. Robbins was shut out for the first time this season and he finishes his first season of high school wrestling 37-2 with both losses to the Webster City wrestler.
The placing matches were held Saturday afternoon. Placings according to Class are as follows:
Class 3A
Dallas Center-Grimes: Trey Wells 132 fifth place.
Waukee: 120 Thurman Christensen third place; 126 Connor Kelley seventh place; 152 Cody Anderson third place; 182 Griffin Gammel third place.
Class 2A
Perry: 113 Cole Nelson sixth place.
Panorama: 145 Emry Colby fourth place; 152 Wyatt Appleseth third place.
Winterset: 132 Bryce Hatten fourth place; 138 Kruise Kiburz third place; 145 Jack West seventh place; 152 Tyler Brown fifth place.
Van Meter/Earlham: 120 Riley Harger eighth place; 170 Caleb Swalla third place; 285 Derrin Sesker third place.