Lions will send 10 to Districts

(Above) Clear Lake’s Dalton Mennenga won the 182-pound title at the Sectional Meet on Saturday. Mennega pinned Osage’s Chris Schneider in 1:35.  -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

The Clear Lake Lions will send 10 grapplers to Districts this Saturday, Feb. 10, at Aplington-Parkersburg.  First and second place winners in each weight class will advance to the State Meet Feb. 15-17 in Des Moines.

The Lions won the Sectional Meet with 244 points, easily outdistancing runner-up Iowa Falls-Alden with 218.  Osage was third with 201.5, followed by Forest City with 122, Roland-Story 108.5, and Garner-Hayfield-Ventura with 83.  With the win, the Lions advanced to the Regional Duals last night (Tuesday, Feb. 6) at New Hampton.  In the semi-final round, top ranked New Hampton was slated to take on unrated Charles City.  The Lions, ranked 23rd in Class 2A, were paired against number 35 Iowa Falls-Alden. The winner of the four-team meet will qualify for the State Dual Team Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

“Sending 10 to Districts is a big accomplishment for our team.  They have improved continuously throughout the year and are peaking at the correct time,” said Coach Mike Lester.  “It is a huge testament to how hard the wrestlers have worked, avenging as many matches as we did Saturday.  The are competing phenomenally well and their mindset is amazing.”

Earning Sectional titles for the Lions was Sam Nelson (106), Eric Faught (126), Braxton Doebel (145), Kade Hambly (195) and Jake Keith (285).  Finishing as runner-up and also advance to District was Conner Morey (113), Jackson Hamlin (138), Rhys Glidden (152), Ben Finn (160 and Dalton Mennenga (182).

Bryan Hillyer (132) and Chance Poley (170) just missed a chance to advance, finishing third at their weights.  AJ Stevenson contributed points to the team by placing fourth (220).

Nelson’s championship at 106 pounds included an impressive win over fourth ranked Averee Abben, of Osage.  The Clear Lake freshman won with an 11-6 decision.

“Sam wrestled a very aggressive, smart match and dominated the match,” commented Coach Lester.

Lester noted Connor Morey fell just shy of a title, but enroute to his second place finish at 113, he avenged a loss earlier in the year against Iowa Falls-Alden’s Jack Ites.  Morey won that semi-final match ins sudden victory, 5-3.

Eric Faught stayed on track for his State title run by pinning his way through Sectionals.  The Lion junior, who is ranked first in the state at 126, had an opening round bye.  He pinned Osage’s Ryan Adams in 3:10 and won the championship with a fall in just :34 over Quinton

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Buresh, of Iowa Falls-Alden.

Bryan Hillyer went down fighting in his wrestle back at 132.  The junior threw a headlock late in the third period that went out of bounds as time expired against Darrin Lemke, of Iowa Falls-Alden.  Hillyer won his opening match by fall in 1:33 over Brett Walton, of Forest City.  He lost by an 8-0 major decision to eventual champion Brody Roll, of Osage, sending him to the wrestle back.

Coach Lester said he thought senior Jackson Hamlin wrestled a very smart tournament, resulting in his second place finish at 138.  Hamlin started the day by pinning GHV’s Luke Brown in 4:38.  He advanced to win by fall over Nolan Byrnes, of Osage in 5:32, but fell in the semis to Koby Hassebrock, of Roland-Story, 8-1.  The loss sent him to a wrestle back against Riley Burke, of IF-A.  “Jackson wrestled his style, which helped divide the split in the year between the two wrestlers,” said Coach Lester.

At 145, Braxton Doebel dominated Osage’s Spencer Mooberry in the finals, 9-2, to avenge a loss at the Osage duals.  “Doebel was in complete control the whole match and won in dominating fashion,” said Lester.  After an opening round bye, Doebel pinned Kristian Gunderson, of Forest City, in 1:57, to reach the finals.

Rhys Glidden also avenged a loss to claim second place and a District berth at 152.   The Clear Lake senior had an opening round bye, then topped Osage’s Mitchell Schotanus, 9-5, to reach the finals. Jared Shaw, of GHV claimed the title over Glidden in a hard-fought 13-7 match.

Ben Finn had a first round bye, then pinned GHV’s Adam Heflin in 0:51 to advance to the 160-pound title bout.  He finished second to Osage’s Zach Williams, who got the fall in 5:27.

At 170, Chance Poley fell short of a District appearance, losing a close match to IF-A’s Alberto Salmeron in the semifinals.  Salmeron advanced to the championship match with an 8-5 win.  Poley, who had a first round bye, did not have a chance for a wrestle back, as Salmeron lost in the finals to Colin Muller, of Osage, 6-3.

A wrestle back worked in favor of Clear Lake’s Dalton Mennenga at 182-pounds. The senior had a first round bye and then pinned Chris Schneider, of Osage, in 1:35.  He was edged in the finals by Riley McWherter, from IF-A, 4-3, but won his wrestle back with a 13-5 major decision over Tim Buck of Forest City.

Kade Hambly kept his aggressive style rolling to a sectional title at 195.   “His sights are set for a District title, as we run into Hampton’s Chipp,” said Coach Lester.  Hambly pinned his way through Sectionals, putting Forest City’s Gabe Staudt and IF-A’s Nicholas Hamilton on their backs in the semis and championship respectively.

Clear Lake’s 285-pounder Jake Keith picked a fine time to win his first tournament.  “Jake Keith is on a roll,” said Lester.  “He won it in great fashion, avenging a loss from earlier in the year by the Iowa Falls wrestler.  “Jake has improved and shows great strides,” added the coach.  Keith built on his first round bye with a pin in the semis.  He stuck Evan Larson, from Forest City, in 4:47.  In the finals Keith, a junior, defeated McKade Eisentrager, from IF-A, by a score of 6-4.

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