Kennedy Wrestling

Paulson resigns as Kennedy wrestling coach

Brent Paulson resigned Wednesday as the wrestling coach at Kennedy High School after nine seasons.

Paulson compiled a 95-77 record as Kennedy's head coach and had four state champions.

Paulson was an outstanding wrestler for the Cougars during his high school career with a 110-10-1 record, capped by the 119-pound state title as a senior in 1992.

Paulson met with his wrestlers Wednesday afternoon and informed them of his decision to step down.

"The Kennedy program is a place that is so important to me and my family," he said in a statement released by the school. "It is a place that I've spent many, many hours of my life.

"To be honest, Kennedy wrestling is the place where I learned how to be a man."

The 2011-12 season was a difficult campaign for the Cougars. Jeff Clark, one of Kennedy's assistant coaches, died suddenly early in the season, making a profound impact on Paulson and the wrestlers.

Paulson will continue as a physical education instructor at Wright and Nixon elementary schools.

Witte repeats as state champ; Walters, Kremer 2nd

DES MOINES - Prairie senior Zach Witte was a bloody mess after winning the 152-pound title at the Class 3A state wrestling tournament Saturday night.

Bloody forehead, bloody nose and bloody proud.

Witte became the sixth multiple state champion in school history when he defeated Dylan Blackford of Southeast Polk, 5-3, before a packed house at the Wells Fargo Arena.

Witte captured the 145-pound title last year and did not lose a single match as a junior or senior.

"I had a goal all year and last year. I accomplished it, so it feels really good," he said.

Witte (23-0) began the championship match with white tape around his head, covering a gash on his forehead, but the blood seeped through several times and trainers had to make hasty repairs.

He also suffered a bloody nose during the match, requiring more repairs, and there were red splotches all over his chiseled body after the match ended.

"That's the way it's supposed to be, right?" he said with a big, happy smile.

Witte's victory clinched fifth place in the team standings for Prairie, giving the Hawks a slight edge over West Des Moines Valley in the final tally.

Prairie sophomore Chris Walters was defeated by Tyler Willers of Pleasant Valley, 3-1, in the championship match at 120 pounds. Walters finished the campaign at 40-4. Willers (51-2) won the 103-pound title in 2010 as a sophomore and finished his career with two state crowns.

Kennedy senior Luke Kremer was trimmed by Dakota Bauer of Iowa City West, 6-4, in the finals at 132 pounds. Kremer (39-6) placed sixth at the state meet as a sophomore, finished third last year and placed a notch higher this time around.

Witte joined Barry Davis, Dan Dubishar, Matt Hatcher, Dan Osborn and Jim Zalesky as Prairie wrestlers with multiple state titles. Davis won three crowns in 1978-79-80 while all the others finished their careers with two titles.

Witte place second at the state meet as a freshman in 2009, but failed to qualify as a sophomore. That proved to be a turning point in his career.

"That definitely motivated me," he said. "I was not happy. I don't think anyone would be happy after that. I made my goal not to let that ever happen again."

Prairie Coach Blake Williams said Witte returned to the wrestling room as a junior with great determination.

"He wanted to remember that feeling. And he did," said Williams. "And from last year (after winning the state title), I said 'Now remember THAT feeling.' He remembers both of those."

Williams thought Witte's considerable state tournament experience was a pivotal factor Saturday night. Blackford placed fourth as a freshman in 2010, but could not match Witte's track record.

Witte trailed, 1-0, after two periods, but kept his cool, kept wrestling and got two takedowns in the third period.

"Zach didn't panic, he didn't come out of his game plan or anything," said Williams. "He stayed in position and did what he does best.

"The great thing about Zach, being in that situation (the state finals) two times before, he was so relaxed and so loose. He knew exactly what he needed to do and he went out and did it.

"It's great, a great way to go out for him," said Williams.

Witte missed the first six weeks of the season with a broken bone near his left wrist, thanks to a mishap during the football season, but returned in January and began his quest for another title.

Witte, who will wrestle at Northern Iowa next year, was a happy guy Saturday night. He was also a hungry guy after maintaining his weight all season.

"I'm going to have a steak and potatoes," he said. "And a nice dessert."

STATE TOURNAMENT
At Des Moines
(Wells Fargo Arena)

Saturday's Results

CLASS 3A

Team Standings 
(Final)

1. Bettendorf 170.0
2. Southeast Polk 156.5
3. Iowa City, West 126.5
4. Linn Mar, Marion 126.0
5. Prairie, Cedar Rapids 86.5
6. Valley, West Des Moines 84.0
7. Mason City 70.0
7. Pleasant Valley 70.0
7. Waverly-Shell Rock 70.0
10. Lewis Central 64.0
11. Urbandale 59.5
12. Ankeny 58.5
13. Indianola 44.0
14. Spencer 43.0
15. Burlington 39.0
16. Johnston 33.5
17. Des Moines, Roosevelt 28.0
18. Fort Madison 26.5
19. Cedar Falls 22.0
20. Cedar Rapids, Kennedy 21.0
21. North Scott, Eldridge 19.5
22. Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines 18.0
23. Clinton 17.0
23. Sioux City, East 17.0
25. Fort Dodge 16.0
26. Keokuk 15.0
26. Oskaloosa 15.0
28. Epworth, Western Dubuque 13.0
29. Dubuque, Hempstead 12.5
30. Cedar Rapids, Washington 9.0
30. Davenport West 9.0
30. Sioux City, North 9.0
33. Iowa City, City High 8.0
33. Knoxville 8.0
35. Des Moines, North-Hoover 7.0
36. Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson 6.0
36. Decorah 6.0
36. Muscatine 6.0
39. Dubuque, Senior 5.0
40. Davenport Central 4.0
40. Mount Pleasant 4.0
42. Ames 3.0
42. Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 3.0
44. Marshalltown 2.0
44. Xavier, Cedar Rapids 2.0
46. Boone 1.0
46. Davenport North 1.0
46. Des Moines, East 1.0

Championship Bouts

106 pounds
Matt Wempen (Linn Mar, Marion) 48-2 won in overtime over Travis Willers (Pleasant Valley) 50-3 (OT 3-1)

113
Phillip Laux (Iowa City, West) 50-3 won by decision over Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf) 42-2 (Dec 3-1)

120
Tyler Willers (Pleasant Valley) 51-2 won by decision over Chris Walters (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) 40-4 (Dec 3-1)

126
Cory Clark (Southeast Polk) 46-1 won by decision over Eric DeVos (Waverly-Shell Rock) 44-4 (Dec 6-2)

132
Dakota Bauer (Iowa City, West) 52-2 won by decision over Luke Kremer (Cedar Rapids, Kennedy) 39-6 (Dec 5-4)

138
John Meeks (Des Moines, Roosevelt) 45-0 won by decision over Connor Ryan (Bettendorf) 39-5 (Dec 9-6)

145
Gabriel Moreno (Urbandale) 41-0 won by decision over Ross Lembeck (Linn Mar, Marion) 48-3 (Dec 8-1)

152
Zach Witte (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) 23-0 won by decision over Dylan Blackford (Southeast Polk) 44-4 (Dec 5-3)

160
Zeb Wahle (Lewis Central) 50-2 won by decision over Justin Koethe (Iowa City, West) 53-2 (Dec 3-2)

170
Alex Meyer (Southeast Polk) 46-1 won by decision over Colbey Vance (Bettendorf) 39-6 (Dec 10-4)

182
Jared Bartel (Mason City) 49-0 won by decision over Mark Atwater (Linn Mar, Marion) 31-4 (Dec 5-0)

195
Ross Larson (Ankeny) 41-0 won by pin over Bud Smith (Southeast Polk) 37-5 (Pin 1:21)

220
Willie Miklus (Southeast Polk) 47-0 won by pin over Zach Renshaw (Lewis Central) 48-3 (Pin 1:49)

285
Nate Shaw (Bettendorf) 31-1 won in overtime over Don Dawson (Indianola) 37-3 (OT 6-4)

Consolation Bracket

Fourth Round

106
Kaz Onoo (Mason City) 41-8 won by decision over Tanner Rohweder (Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines) 34-6 (Dec 4-1)
Jake Koethe (Valley, West Des Moines) 45-4 won by decision over Bryce Meyer (Fort Madison) 36-6 (Dec 6-1)

113
Alijah Jeffery (Linn Mar, Marion) 44-6 won by decision over Hunter Genco (Clinton) 38-6 (Dec 5-3)
Josh Wenger (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) 45-5 won by decision over Joe McGinnis (Indianola) 39-11 (Dec 2-0)

120
Andres Gonzalez (Mason City) 40-2 won by decision over Ernest Willis (Iowa City, West) 40-14 (Dec 4-2)
Colby Knight (Urbandale) 32-2 won by decision over John Gioffredi (Indianola) 38-10 (Dec 2-1)

126
Tyler McWilliams (Sioux City, East) 45-7 won by decision over John Christopherson (Spencer) 27-3 (Dec 5-2)
Jack Hathaway (Iowa City, West) 50-4 won by pin over Trey Blaha (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) 35-7 (Pin 3:31)

132
Joel Northrup (Linn Mar, Marion) 44-6 won by decision over Randy McPhee (Davenport West) 18-7 (Dec 3-1)
Kyle Larson (Valley, West Des Moines) 39-2 won by decision over Logan Ryan (Bettendorf) 37-12 (Dec 5-1)

138
Jack Randall (Spencer) 44-4 won by pin over Nate Harms (Urbandale) 30-5 (Pin 5:10)
Dakota Gray (Fort Madison) 36-5 won by pin over Alex Caldwell (Clinton) 40-7 (Pin 2:15)

145
Kolton Rottink (Waverly-Shell Rock) 37-9 won by major decision over Austin Boyd (Burlington) 35-9 (Maj 11-2)
Bubba Hernandez (Bettendorf) 37-8 won by decision over Gradey Gambrall (Iowa City, West) 39-13 (Dec 2-1)

152
Trey Lewis (Valley, West Des Moines) 23-5 won by decision over Dalton Witte (Burlington) 35-10 (Dec 9-6)
Drake Chase (Bettendorf) 20-10 won by decision over Tanner Schaefer (Spencer) 35-4 (Dec 10-5)

160
Nick Hagedorn (Cedar Falls) 19-8 won by decision over Clint Underwood (Valley, West Des Moines) 39-12 (Dec 11-5)
Brady Letney (Pleasant Valley) 38-14 won by decision over Max Krieger (Mason City) 42-7 (Dec 4-3)

170
Carson Powell (Ankeny) 37-5 won by pin over Cameron Rathje (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) 38-7 (Pin 0:40)
Ben Schwery (Lewis Central) 50-2 won by decision over Mitch Wantock (Linn Mar, Marion) 26-4 (Dec 5-2)

182
Matt Seabold (Burlington) 36-4 won by decision over Adam Walther (Waverly-Shell Rock) 39-11 (Dec 8-6)
Bryan Levsen (Bettendorf) 39-5 won by major decision over Casey Marnin (Southeast Polk) 37-11 (Maj 10-0)

195
Dane Jones (Oskaloosa) 35-7 won by decision over Keaton Jurevitz (Bettendorf) 31-9 (Dec 5-3)
Tarin Phillips (Valley, West Des Moines) 43-2 won by decision over Cegan Long (North Scott, Eldridge) 44-11 (Dec 3-2)

220
AJ Garcia (Linn Mar, Marion) 42-11 won by pin over Jake Melik (Pleasant Valley) 36-11 (Pin 2:24)
Joe Scanlan (Johnston) 34-5 won by decision over Andrew Netolicky (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) 41-8 (Dec 4-0)

285
Bryce Fisher (Southeast Polk) 41-7 won by pin over Tyler Burrell (Cedar Rapids, Washington) 39-4 (Pin 5:14)
Jake Scanlan (Johnston) 34-6 won by decision over Shaquille Wells (Urbandale) 31-15 (Dec 3-1)

Placement Matches

106
3rd Place - Jake Koethe (Valley, West Des Moines) 46-4 won by decision over Kaz Onoo (Mason City) 41-9 (Dec 3-0)
5th Place - Tanner Rohweder (Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines) 35-6 won in overtime over Bryce Meyer (Fort Madison) 36-7 (OT 13-11)
7th Place - Chase Lynn (Dubuque, Senior) 35-7 won by decision over Alec Vogel (Muscatine) 27-7 (Dec 3-2)

113
3rd Place - Alijah Jeffery (Linn Mar, Marion) 45-6 won by decision over Josh Wenger (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) 45-6 (Dec 5-3)
5th Place - Joe McGinnis (Indianola) 40-11 won by decision over Hunter Genco (Clinton) 38-7 (Dec 10-9)
7th Place - Bryce Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock) 35-14 won by decision over Jay Fresh (Knoxville) 33-10 (Dec 4-2)

120
3rd Place - Andres Gonzalez (Mason City) 41-2 won by decision over Colby Knight (Urbandale) 32-3 (Dec 4-2)
5th Place - Ernest Willis (Iowa City, West) 41-14 won by decision over John Gioffredi (Indianola) 38-11 (Dec 9-3)
7th Place - Andrew Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock) 41-10 won by decision over Damon Griffin (Linn Mar, Marion) 41-11 (Dec 4-0)

126
3rd Place - Jack Hathaway (Iowa City, West) 51-4 won by pin over Tyler McWilliams (Sioux City, East) 45-8 (Pin 1:28)
5th Place - John Christopherson (Spencer) 28-3 won by pin over Trey Blaha (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) 35-8 (Pin 6:23)
7th Place - Jacob Woodard (Bettendorf) 28-14 won by pin over Miles Bostic (Davenport Central) 33-12 (Pin 3:12)

132
3rd Place - Kyle Larson (Valley, West Des Moines) 40-2 won by decision over Joel Northrup (Linn Mar, Marion) 44-7 (Dec 7-3)
5th Place - Logan Ryan (Bettendorf) 38-12 won by decision over Randy McPhee (Davenport West) 18-8 (Dec 5-4)
7th Place - Zach Henning (Decorah) 34-9 won in overtime over Nick Steger (Epworth, Western Dubuque) 47-6 (OT 8-6)

138
3rd Place - Jack Randall (Spencer) 45-4 won by pin over Dakota Gray (Fort Madison) 36-6 (Pin 5:03)
5th Place - Nate Harms (Urbandale) 31-5 won by pin over Alex Caldwell (Clinton) 40-8 (Pin 3:12)
7th Place - Kegan Wakefield (Iowa City, West) 26-8 won by decision over Spencer Derifield (Waverly-Shell Rock) 35-16 (Dec 8-1)

145
3rd Place - Bubba Hernandez (Bettendorf) 38-8 won by decision over Kolton Rottink (Waverly-Shell Rock) 37-10 (Dec 10-7)
5th Place - Gradey Gambrall (Iowa City, West) 40-13 won by decision over Austin Boyd (Burlington) 35-10 (Dec 6-4)
7th Place - Brayton Taylor (Fort Dodge) 11-3 won by injury default over Brian Warren (Des Moines, North-Hoover) 36-6 (I-D)

152
3rd Place - Trey Lewis (Valley, West Des Moines) 24-5 won by decision over Drake Chase (Bettendorf) 20-11 (Dec 6-5)
5th Place - Dalton Witte (Burlington) 36-10 won by decision over Tanner Schaefer (Spencer) 35-5 (Dec 10-8)
7th Place - Derek Rose (Keokuk) 31-6 won by decision over Dustin Fuller (Sioux City, North) 39-10 (Dec 7-3)

160
3rd Place - Brady Letney (Pleasant Valley) 39-14 won by decision over Nick Hagedorn (Cedar Falls) 19-9 (Dec 6-4)
5th Place - Max Krieger (Mason City) 43-7 won by major decision over Clint Underwood (Valley, West Des Moines) 39-13 (Maj 10-1)
7th Place - Isaiah Patton (Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines) 24-22 won by decision over Duke Egli (Fort Dodge) 33-9 (Dec 4-3)

170
3rd Place - Carson Powell (Ankeny) 38-5 won by pin over Ben Schwery (Lewis Central) 50-3 (Pin 2:52)
5th Place - Mitch Wantock (Linn Mar, Marion) 27-4 won by decision over Cameron Rathje (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) 38-8 (Dec 11-6)
7th Place - Parker Sturges (Mason City) 16-9 won by decision over Justin Kreiter (North Scott, Eldridge) 37-16 (Dec 11-8)

182
3rd Place - Bryan Levsen (Bettendorf) 40-5 won by major decision over Matt Seabold (Burlington) 36-5 (Maj 8-0)
5th Place - Casey Marnin (Southeast Polk) 38-11 won by pin over Adam Walther (Waverly-Shell Rock) 39-12 (Pin 1:00)
7th Place - Brad Boden (Indianola) 23-5 won by decision over Layton Fritsch (Dubuque, Hempstead) 29-8 (Dec 4-3)

195
3rd Place - Tarin Phillips (Valley, West Des Moines) 44-2 won by decision over Dane Jones (Oskaloosa) 35-8 (Dec 3-1)
5th Place - Keaton Jurevitz (Bettendorf) 32-9 won in double overtime over Cegan Long (North Scott, Eldridge) 44-12 (2-OT 3-2)
7th Place - Nick Jepsen (Urbandale) 34-14 won by decision over Austin Lear (Lewis Central) 35-20 (Dec 5-4)

220
3rd Place - Joe Scanlan (Johnston) 35-5 won by pin over AJ Garcia (Linn Mar, Marion) 42-12 (Pin 1:33)
5th Place - Andrew Netolicky (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) 42-8 won by pin over Jake Melik (Pleasant Valley) 36-12 (Pin 5:24)
7th Place - Brett Haas (Dubuque, Hempstead) 28-3 won by pin over Colton Aplara (Mount Pleasant) 28-12 (Pin 0:59)

285
3rd Place - Bryce Fisher (Southeast Polk) 42-7 won by decision over Jake Scanlan (Johnston) 34-7 (Dec 2-1)
5th Place - Tyler Burrell (Cedar Rapids, Washington) 40-4 won by decision over Shaquille Wells (Urbandale) 31-16 (Dec 2-1)
7th Place - Nick Terpstra (Cedar Falls) 37-16 won by decision over Colin Foerstner (Iowa City, West) 29-25 (Dec 4-3)

6 Metro wrestlers going for the gold

DES MOINES - They've lived in hotel rooms since Tuesday night and have spent a major chunk of time at Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines, hoping and praying for a chance to wrestle for a state title before a huge crowd on Saturday night.

The time is here.

Six wrestlers from the Cedar Rapids Metro area will be in the spotlight Saturday night when they battle for individual titles at the 92nd annual state tournament.

Matt Wempen of Linn-Mar, Chris Walters of Cedar Rapids Prairie, Luke Kremer of Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Ross Lembeck of Linn-Mar, Zach Witte of Prairie and Mark Atwater of Linn-Mar have all reached the pinnacle of prep wrestling in Iowa.

One more match, one more victory and they'll climb to the top of the victory stand, something they've cherished since they were peewee wrestlers in grade school.

"It's a great feeling, a great crowd, our team is doing well. I can't ask for much more right now," said Atwater, the Linn-Mar football star who has proven he's an excellent wrestler as well. "I'd like to cap off my senior season with a state championship. It's something I've always dreamed of."

Linn-Mar is sitting in fourth place in the team standings heading into the final day with 101 points, just 1.5 markers behind Iowa City West in a tight battle for third. The Lions and Trojans both have three wrestlers in the finals, so it's up for grabs.

"We have to score more points," said Linn-Mar Coach Doug Streicher, putting it succinctly.

The Prairie Hawks are in fifth place in the standings and have a good chance to stay there, with two grapplers in the finals and an 11.5 point lead over Waverly-Shell Rock. One of those finalists is Witte, who will be bidding to become a two-time champion when he battles for the 152-pound crown.

Bettendorf and Southeast Polk are scrapping for the team championship, probably too far ahead and too powerful for anyone else to catch them on Saturday.

Witte claimed the 145-pound title last season and is looking to end his career with another trip to the top. He didn't get much sleep before the finals last year and anticipated another restless night in Des Moines Friday night.

"You're thinking a lot. I'll try to sleep good, but I doubt I will," he said.

Witte was sporting a minor shiner under his right eye and all sorts of cuts and bruises on his forehead. "I'm looking pretty cool," he said, smiling, proud of his battle scars.

The championship round is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Saturday with the Grand March and the finals in Class 3A, 2A and 1A. The finals will be televised in eastern Iowa by KCRG 9.2 (Mediacom 109, Imon 709).

The fun will start right away with Wempen (47-2) facing Travis Willers of Pleasant Valley (50-2) for top honors at 106 pounds, the lightest weight class in the tournament.

Walters (40-3) will meet Tyler Willers of Pleasant Valley (50-2) for the championship at 120 pounds. Kremer (39-5) has a formidable date with Dakota Bauer of Iowa City West (51-2) for bragging rights at 132 pounds.

Lembeck (48-2) faces undefeated Gabriel Moreno of Urbandale (40-0) for the 145-pound crown, then Witte (22-0) will meet Dylan Blackford of Southeast Polk (44-3) for bragging rights at 152 pounds.

Atwater (31-3) will finish the Metro parade onto center stage when he tangles with undefeated Jared Bartel of Mason City (48-0) for honors at 182 pounds. There are 14 weight classes, and Metro wrestlers will be competing in six of them.

Kremer finished sixth in the state tournament in 2010 as a sophomore and placed third last year. He's clinched no worse than second place this season, but he won't be happy with that. "No, not at this point," he remarked.

Kremer trimmed Joel Northrup of Linn-Mar in the semifinals, 4-2, in overtime in an all-Metro battle that squared their season series at two wins apiece.

"Two great kids battling out there," noted Kennedy Coach Brent Paulson. "It's what the sport is all about."

Ten other Metro wrestlers will be competing in the wrestle-backs on Saturday, including nine grapplers who could finish as high as third place with two more victories.

The potential third-place finishers are Alijah Jeffery of Linn-Mar (113), Josh Wenger of Prairie (113), Trey Blaha of Prairie (126), Northrup of Linn-Mar (132), Cameron Rathje of Prairie (170), Mitch Wantock of Linn-Mar (170), A.J. Garcia of Linn-Mar (220), Andrew Netolicky of Prairie (220) and Tyler Burrell of Washington (285). Damon Griffin of Linn-Mar (120) will be wrestling for seventh place.

Solid effort sends Prairie to district title

It wasn't spectacular, but it was solid.

Prairie crowned seven champions and qualified nine wrestlers for next week's state wrestling meet during Saturday's Class 3A district meet at Kennedy.

Prairie won the district meet with 277 points. Western Dubuque was second with 220, Kennedy (140) third, Jefferson (125.5) fifth, and Washington (118) sixth.

Prairie will wrestle in the dual meet state tournament on Wednesday. The traditional meet starts Thursday and runs through Sunday. Both meets are at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Prairie 152 pound wrestler senior Zach Witte was the most dominant Hawk and likely the most dominant wrestler at the meet.

“It felt like a solid day,” Witte said. “I can’t complain.”

Witte made quick work of his three opponents with fast pins to capture first place and a state berth at 152 pounds after winning the state championship last year at 145 pounds.

“I added some weight. I wrestled at 145 for two years so I needed to go up,” Witte said on the jump to 152. “I feel good at 152.”

Witte hopes to repeat but said he feels feels no pressure.

“My one and only goal is to do what I did last year," he said. "I don’t feel any pressure though. It’s a new year and a new weight.”

Prairie’s other champions were Josh Wenger (113), Chris Walters (120), Trey Blaha (126), Peyton Wagner (145), Cameron Rathje (170) and Austin Gould (182). Casey Becker (160) and Andrew Netolicky (220) also qualified with second-place finishes.

Prairie Coach Blake Williams was satisfied with the day but would have liked to have qualified a few more wrestlers.

“It was a good day but you’re never satisfied at districts," he said. "We would have liked to get one or two more in.”

Prairie finished tied for 12th at last year's state meet, but has hopes for higher finish this time around.

“Our number one goal is to place everyone then see how high they can get,” Williams said. “We want to score as many points as possible down there.”

Prairie's Becker spoiled the day of Kennedy senior Shane Williams, ranked sixth at 160, when he pinned him in the semis.  Williams, with more than 100 career victories, finished third but missed the cut for the state meet.

“It proves that on any given day anyone can be beat,” Williams said of his loss to Becker. “He can be very dangerous when he hits his moves. I am happy for him.”

Despite the disappointment at 160, the Cougars crowned two champs: Luke Kremer at 132 and Ryan Rodriguez at 138.

“For the most part I thought we wrestled hard. There are two or three matches throughout the day we would like to have back,” Kennedy Coach Brent Paulsen said. “Williams' semi would be one. It was nothing he did, it just didn’t work out the way we wanted.”

Kremer had to go two overtimes to beat Western Dubuque's Nick Steger. Kremer qualified for his fourth state meet and will be out to improve on his third place finish from a year ago.

“Hopefully I can win it. I want to be in the finals,” Kremer said of his goal at state.

Kremer rode Steger to start the second overtime, denying him a point, and then got a reversal for the win.

“I was confident on the bottom, but a little worried about being able to ride him,” Kremer said. “It was an intense and tiring match.”

Rodriguez got revenge on Prairie's Skyler St. John to take first at 138 and head back to state.

“He beat me twice this year,” Rodriguez said of St. John. “The first two early takedowns got my confidence up.”

Kennedy had a chance to send another pair to state in wrestlebacks, but Ben Feuerhelm got beat at 145 and Sean Knox had to drop out at 152 due to injury.

“He just came back about a week ago,” Paulsen said. “It was the right thing to do. He is only a freshman we didn’t want to risk his future.”

Washington's Tyler Burrell won the 285 pound title and the Warriors also qualified Jordin Eicher (126) and Kaisar Herz (152).

Burrell is ranked first in 3A and finished sixth at state last year.

“My expectation has always been to win the championship, even last year,” Burrell said.

Washington Coach Matt Hatcher thought his team performed at the level they expected and was proud of all his guys.

“It was about what we expected," Hatcher said. "I am proud of everyone and happy for the guys that made it.”

Jefferson had high expectations, but qualified only one wrestler for state.

“It is the biggest train wreck I have been on,” Jefferson Coach Dick Briggs said. “It is very disappointing. I knew we were on the bubble but thought we could have done better.”

PJ Rashed took second at 113 to advance to state, but that was about the only bright spot for the J-Hawks.

“It is exciting but I wish I had company,” Rashed said. “I thought I deserved it. I worked really hard to get here and felt like I needed to go.”

“I’m proud of him. He worked really hard last summer,” Briggs said. “You get what you earn.”

Jefferson has youth on its side though and could have great things to come in the future.

“We will see how they react to this. If they accept it and don’t do anything to improve we don’t get anything out of today,” Briggs said. “I am excited about our future though.”

CLASS 3A DISTRICT WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
At C.R. Kennedy

TEAM SCORES
(State qualifiers in parentheses)

1. CR Prairie (9) 277
2. Western Dubuque (8) 220
3. CR Kennedy (2) 140
4. Dubuque Senior (2) 127.5
5. CR Jefferson (1) 125.5
6. CR Washington (3) 118
7. Marshalltown (1) 82.5
8. Dubuque Hempstead (2) 56

106 Pounds
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Chase Lynn of Dubuque Senior
2nd Place - Austin Hosch of Western Dubuque
3rd Place - Griffin Bollman of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
4th Place - Dax Dills of Cedar Rapids Washington
5th Place - Zack Fiser of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
6th Place - Kobi Cowen of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
1st Place Match
Chase Lynn (Dubuque Senior) dec. Austin Hosch (Western Dubuque) 4-3
2nd Place Wrestleback
Austin Hosch (Western Dubuque) over Griffin Bollman (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), RULE
3rd Place Match
Griffin Bollman (Cedar Rapids Jefferson) dec. Dax Dills (Cedar Rapids Washington) 12-5
5th Place Match
Zack Fiser (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) major dec. Kobi Cowen (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) 12-0

113 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Josh Wenger of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
2nd Place - Patrick Rashed of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
3rd Place - Nathan Waterhouse of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
4th Place - Andy Dougherty of Western Dubuque
5th Place - Troy Neagle of Cedar Rapids Washington
6th Place - Ian Hurst of Dubuque Hempstead
1st Place Match
Josh Wenger (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) pinned Patrick Rashed (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), 3:52
2nd Place Wrestleback
Patrick Rashed (Cedar Rapids Jefferson) over Nathan Waterhouse (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), RULE
3rd Place Match
Nathan Waterhouse (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) dec. Andy Dougherty (Western Dubuque), 2-1
5th Place Match
Troy Neagle (Cedar Rapids Washington) dec. Ian Hurst (Dubuque Hempstead), UTB 2-2

120 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Chris Walters of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
2nd Place - Jake Gotto of Western Dubuque
3rd Place - Colten Phillips of Marshalltown
4th Place - Trey Schuler of Cedar Rapids Washington
5th Place - Kemmy Betwell of Dubuque Senior
6th Place - Taylor Moss of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
1st Place Match
Chris Walters (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) major dec. Jake Gotto (Western Dubuque), 12-4
2nd Place Wrestleback
Jake Gotto (Western Dubuque) over Colten Phillips (Marshalltown), RULE
3rd Place Match
Colten Phillips (Marshalltown) pinned Trey Schuler (Cedar Rapids Washington), 4:27
5th Place Match
Kemmy Betwell (Dubuque Senior) pinned Taylor Moss (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 5:48

126 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Trey Blaha of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
2nd Place - Jordin Eicher of Cedar Rapids Washington
3rd Place - Michael Moncivais of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
4th Place - James Ruzicka of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
5th Place - Brandon Feldman of Dubuque Hempstead
6th Place - Jordan Peterson of Dubuque Senior
1st Place Match
Trey Blaha (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) pinned Jordin Eicher (Cedar Rapids Washington), 1:10
2nd Place Wrestleback
Jordin Eicher (Cedar Rapids Washington) over Michael Moncivais (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), RULE
3rd Place Match
Michael Moncivais (Cedar Rapids Jefferson) pinned James Ruzicka (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 1:36
5th Place Match
Brandon Feldman (Dubuque Hempstead) dec. Jordan Peterson (Dubuque Senior), 12-6

132 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Luke Kremer of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
2nd Place - Nick Steger of Western Dubuque
3rd Place - Zack Becicka of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
4th Place - Trevor Luebe of Cedar Rapids Washington
5th Place - Matt Hesselman of Dubuque Senior
6th Place - Spencer Brosseau of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
1st Place Match
Luke Kremer (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) dec. Nick Steger (Western Dubuque), 3-1 (2OT)
2nd Place Wrestleback
Nick Steger (Western Dubuque) over Zack Becicka (Prairie, Cedar Rapids), RULE
3rd Place Match
Zack Becicka (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) dec. Trevor Luebe (Cedar Rapids Washington), 6-3
5th Place Match
Matt Hesselman (Dubuque Senior) pinned Spencer Brosseau (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), 4:23

138 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Ryan Rodriguez of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
2nd Place - Dylan Gansen of Western Dubuque
3rd Place - Skyler St. John of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
4th Place - Luke Sedlacek of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
5th Place - Zach Slocum of Marshalltown
6th Place - Enoc Alvarenga of Dubuque Senior
1st Place Match
Ryan Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) dec. Skyler St. John (Prairie, Cedar Rapids), 7-2
2nd Place Wrestleback
Dylan Gansen (Western Dubuque) dec. Skyler St. John (Prairie, Cedar Rapids), 4-2
3rd Place Match
Dylan Gansen (Western Dubuque) dec. Luke Sedlacek (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), 6-2
5th Place Match
Zach Slocum (Marshalltown) dec. Enoc Alvarenga (Dubuque Senior), 8-7

145 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Peyton Wagner of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
2nd Place - Dawson Nemmers of Western Dubuque
3rd Place - Ben Feuerhelm of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
4th Place - Jake Steffen of Dubuque Senior
5th Place - Kelly May of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
6th Place - Tyler Burkle of Cedar Rapids Washington
1st Place Match
Peyton Wagner (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) major dec. Dawson Nemmers (Western Dubuque), 9-0
2nd Place Wrestleback
Dawson Nemmers (Western Dubuque) dec. Ben Feuerhelm (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 6-2
3rd Place Match
Ben Feuerhelm (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) dec. Jake Steffen (Dubuque Senior), 4-3
5th Place Match
Kelly May (Cedar Rapids Jefferson) dec. Tyler Burkle (Cedar Rapids Washington), 7-3

152 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Zach Witte of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
2nd Place - Kaisar Herz of Cedar Rapids Washington
3rd Place - Bryce Hoerner of Western Dubuque
4th Place - Sean Knox of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
5th Place - Jack Freese of Dubuque Senior
6th Place - Agustin Ortiz of Marshalltown
1st Place Match
Zach Witte (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) pinned Kaisar Herz (Cedar Rapids Washington), :40
2nd Place Wrestleback
Kaiser Herz (Cedar Rapids Washington) pinned Bryce Hoerner (Western Dubuque), 1:13
3rd Place Match
Bryce Hoerner (Western Dubuque) over Sean Knox (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), injury default
5th Place Match
Jack Freese (Dubuque Senior) major dec.Agustin Ortiz (Marshalltown), 10-0

160 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Morgan Hall of Western Dubuque
2nd Place - Casey Becker of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
3rd Place - Shane Williams of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
4th Place - Shavez Butler of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
5th Place - Derek Mann of Marshalltown
6th Place - Mitch McElmeel of Dubuque Senior
1st Place Match
Morgan Hall (Western Dubuque) pinned Casey Becker (Prairie, Cedar Rapids), 3:05
2nd Place Wrestleback
Casey Becker (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) over Shane Williams (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), RULE
3rd Place Match
Shane Williams (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) pinned Shavez Butler (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), 2:43
5th Place Match
Derek Mann (Marshalltown) pinned Mitch McElmeel (Dubuque Senior), 4:20

170 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Cameron Rathje of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
2nd Place - David Hughes of Marshalltown
3rd Place - Blake Kass of Western Dubuque
4th Place - Josh Allen of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
5th Place - Drake Hickok of Cedar Rapids Washington
6th Place - Curtis Stacey of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
1st Place Match
Cameron Rathje (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) dec. David Hughes (Marshalltown), 5-0
2nd Place Wrestleback
David Hughes (Marshalltown) over Blake Kass (Western Dubuque), RULE
3rd Place Match
Blake Kass (Western Dubuque) dec. Josh Allen (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), 15-8
5th Place Match
Drake Hickok (Cedar Rapids Washington) pinned Curtis Stacey (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), :32

182 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Austin Gould of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
2nd Place - Layton Fritsch of Dubuque Hempstead
3rd Place - Brennan Koerperich of Western Dubuque
4th Place - Mario Torres of Marshalltown
5th Place - Rob Blake of Dubuque Senior
6th Place - Dalton Kuehl of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
1st Place Match
Austin Gould (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) dec. Layton Fritsch (Dubuque Hempstead), 7-4
2nd Place Wrestleback
Layton Fritsch (Dubuque Hempstead) over Brennan Koerperich (Western Dubuque), RULE
3rd Place Match
Brennan Koerperich (Western Dubuque) dec. Mario Torres (Marshalltown), 13-7
5th Place Match
Rob Blake (Dubuque Senior) pinned Dalton Kuehl (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), 2:34

195 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Riley Demmer of Western Dubuque
2nd Place - Mitch Powers of Dubuque Senior
3rd Place - Trent Schulte of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
4th Place - Brandon Leary of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
5th Place - Dakoda Aldrich of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
6th Place - Matt Vandegrift of Marshalltown
1st Place Match
Riley Demmer (Western Dubuque) dec. Mitch Powers (Dubuque Senior), 14-12
2nd Place Wrestleback
Mitch Powers (Dubuque Senior) over Trent Schulte (Prairie, Cedar Rapids), RULE
3rd Place Match
Trent Schulte (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) dec. Brandon Leary (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), 5-3
5th Place Match
Dakoda Aldrich (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) pinned Matt Vandegrift (Marshalltown), 2:25

220 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Brett Haas of Dubuque Hempstead
2nd Place - Andrew Netolicky of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
3rd Place - Jesse Blus of Dubuque Senior
4th Place - Drake Allen of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
5th Place - Zack Goodall of Cedar Rapids Kennedy
6th Place - Justin Curtis of Western Dubuque
1st Place Match
Brett Haas (Dubuque Hempstead) dec. Andrew Netolicky (Prairie, Cedar Rapids), 11-4
2nd Place Wrestleback
Andrew Netolicky (Prairie, Cedar Rapids) over Jesse Blus (Dubuque Senior), RULE
3rd Place Match
Jesse Blus (Dubuque Senior) dec. Drake Allen (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), 8-7
5th Place Match
Zack Goodall (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) dec. Justin Curtis (Western Dubuque), 1-0

285 Results
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Tyler Burrell of Cedar Rapids Washington
2nd Place - Dakoda Elledge of Western Dubuque
3rd Place - Mic Vesey of Cedar Rapids Jefferson
4th Place - Tony Kavanagh of Prairie, Cedar Rapids
5th Place - Malcom Hawk of Marshalltown
6th Place - Christian Anderson of Dubuque Senior
1st Place Match
Tyler Burrell (Cedar Rapids Washington) dec. Dakoda Elledge (Western Dubuque), 3-2
2nd Place Wrestleback
Dakoda Elledge (Western Dubuque) over Mic Vesey (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), RULE
3rd Place Match
Mic Vesey (Cedar Rapids Jefferson) pinned Tony Kavanagh (Prairie, Cedar Rapids), 3:43
5th Place Match
Malcom Hawk (Marshalltown) dec. Christian Anderson (Dubuque Senior), 9-2