Comets take 2nd at Iowa Girls State Wrestling Championships

By John Burbridge
sports@charlescitypress.com
WAVERLY — The Charles City girls wrestling team has accomplished a lot this season.

But with every realized accomplishment, there’s usually an even greater challenge on the horizon.

That’s why if you weren’t quite informed about things, you may have been a little confused with Comet assistant coach Robert Pittman laying out the new goals for the closing season.

“Next thing on our list is to win conference,” Pittman said.

This was just after the Comet girls placed runners up at the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association State Girls Tournament held Friday and Saturday at Waverly-Shell Rock that featured some of the biggest and most revered wrestling programs in the state.

Usually conference tournaments precede state tournaments as the inaugural Northeast Iowa Conference Girls Wrestling Tournament is scheduled for Feb. 3 at Oelwein High School.

Maybe if or when the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union sanctions girls wrestling, the postseason will proceed in a more orderly fashion. But if the Comets can become the first-ever NEIC girls champion, it would be the sweetest end to an already outstanding campaign.

This is mainly because it would require toppling state-champion Waverly-Shell Rock, which won the state tournament with 156.5 points.

Charles City’s second-place total was 128; third-place finisher Dubuque Wahlert totaled 121. The top three teams amid a field of more than 30 represented schools were awarded trophies.

The Comets had six wrestlers earn medals at state. They included 132-pound freshman Lily Luft, who placed fourth in her bracket while scoring a team-high 24 points and winning six matches; senior Kalysta Rodriguez, who placed fourth in the heavyweight bracket; junior Kiki Connell, who placed sixth in the 120-pound bracket; junior Toni Maloy, who placed sixth in the 126-pound bracket; junior Allie Cross, who placed seventh in the 145-pound bracket; and junior Marissa Gallup, who placed eighth in the 106-pound bracket.

“All you can ask for athletes to do during a season is to make progress,” Pittman said, “and these girls have made progress since day one. They put in the hard work and keep getting better.”

Last year at the inaugural Girls State Tournament, Charles City finished third. It should be noted that while “progressing” to runner-up status in this year’s tournament, the Comets were facing a far more competitive field as the second tournament had more than twice as many contestants than the first.

Charles City also was one of the smaller schools placing in the Top 10.

Indicative to how girls wrestling has grown exponentially in just a few years, many fans who didn’t arrive before 9 a.m. for the Saturday round were forced to park about half mile or so away from W-SR’s gym entrance.

“The way things are growing, they may have to eventually break it up into classes and have qualifiers for the state tournament,” Pittman said. “It should be a sanctioned sport. Any parent who had a kid wrestle here should write a letter to the (IHSGAU) requesting that they should sanction girls wrestling.”

Osage junior Emma Grimm, who helped the Comets place third last season before transferring, made it to the 126-pound championship final where she lost a 6-3 decision to defending state champion Sydney Park of Davenport Central.

Nashua-Plainfield 152-pounder Toyia Griffin placed fourth in her bracket.

2020 IWCOA Girls State Meet
Results for Charles City
106
Marissa Gallup (26-8) placed 8th and scored 12.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Marissa Gallup (Charles City) 26-8 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Marissa Gallup (Charles City) 26-8 won by fall over Marissa Goodale (Iowa City, West) 0-5 (Fall 0:13)
Champ. Round 3 – Marissa Gallup (Charles City) 26-8 won by fall over Ava McNeal (Lewis Central) 8-3 (Fall 0:29)
Quarterfinal – Ella Schmit (Bettendorf) 8-0 won by fall over Marissa Gallup (Charles City) 26-8 (Fall 0:38)
Cons. Round 6 – Marissa Gallup (Charles City) 26-8 won by decision over Raelynn Smith (Cedar Falls) 9-4 (Dec 10-3)
Cons. Round 7 – Adyson Lundquist (Southwest Valley) 13-2 won by fall over Marissa Gallup (Charles City) 26-8 (Fall 0:41)
7th Place Match – Jalynn Goodale (Osage) 20-5 won by fall over Marissa Gallup (Charles City) 26-8 (Fall 1:10)
113
Elizabeth Oleson (16-14) scored 10.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Elizabeth Oleson (Charles City) 16-14 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Elizabeth Oleson (Charles City) 16-14 won by injury default over Cali Koppes (Anamosa) 10-9 (Inj. 0:40)
Champ. Round 3 – Tateum Park (Davenport North) 7-0 won by fall over Elizabeth Oleson (Charles City) 16-14 (Fall 1:46)
Cons. Round 4 – Elizabeth Oleson (Charles City) 16-14 won by fall over Olivia Sowle (Waverly-Shell Rock) 6-11 (Fall 2:37)
Cons. Round 5 – Elizabeth Oleson (Charles City) 16-14 won by decision over Radaisyia Thomas (Algona) 12-3 (Dec 11-4)
Cons. Round 6 – Rylee Rodish (Waukee) 13-9 won by fall over Elizabeth Oleson (Charles City) 16-14 (Fall 4:00)
120
Emma Perez (15-13) scored 10.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Starr Kirk (Anamosa) 8-16 won by fall over Emma Perez (Charles City) 15-13 (Fall 4:43)
Cons. Round 1 – Emma Perez (Charles City) 15-13 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – Emma Perez (Charles City) 15-13 won by fall over Jasmine Jacobson (Anamosa) 6-15 (Fall 3:32)
Cons. Round 3 – Emma Perez (Charles City) 15-13 won by fall over Ava Davis (Iowa City, West) 6-4 (Fall 3:05)
Cons. Round 4 – Emma Perez (Charles City) 15-13 won by fall over Glory Hansel (North Scott) 2-5 (Fall 0:58)
Cons. Round 5 – Dahlyn Headington (Decorah) 12-7 won by decision over Emma Perez (Charles City) 15-13 (Dec 12-7)
120
Kiki Connell (29-5) placed 6th and scored 18.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Kiki Connell (Charles City) 29-5 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Kiki Connell (Charles City) 29-5 won by fall over Hannah Reel (Dubuque Senior) 9-7 (Fall 2:30)
Champ. Round 3 – Kadence Pape (MFL MarMac) 8-4 won by decision over Kiki Connell (Charles City) 29-5 (Dec 3-2)
Cons. Round 4 – Kiki Connell (Charles City) 29-5 won by fall over Mia Garvey (Mid-Prairie) 5-11 (Fall 1:05)
Cons. Round 5 – Kiki Connell (Charles City) 29-5 won by fall over Sophie Lee (Ankeny Centennial) 6-3 (Fall 1:48)
Cons. Round 6 – Kiki Connell (Charles City) 29-5 won by decision over Ava Scranton (Anamosa) 16-8 (Dec 11-4)
Cons. Round 7 – Kiki Connell (Charles City) 29-5 won by major decision over Sayde Mull (Pleasantville) 12-4 (MD 8-0)
Cons. Semi – Ashlynn Miller (North Cedar) 12-3 won by fall over Kiki Connell (Charles City) 29-5 (Fall 4:19)
5th Place Match – Yareli Morales (Sioux City East) 7-2 won by fall over Kiki Connell (Charles City) 29-5 (Fall 5:36)
126
Toni Maloy (26-7) placed 6th and scored 17.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Toni Maloy (Charles City) 26-7 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Toni Maloy (Charles City) 26-7 won by fall over Katie Hoefer (Iowa City, West) 5-4 (Fall 2:59)
Champ. Round 3 – Toni Maloy (Charles City) 26-7 won by decision over Aundraya Hernandez (Grinnell) 4-3 (Dec 2-1)
Quarterfinal – Regan Griffith (Waukon) 8-1 won by decision over Toni Maloy (Charles City) 26-7 (Dec 11-6)
Cons. Round 6 – Toni Maloy (Charles City) 26-7 won by fall over Ivy Dearstone (Wahlert, Dubuque) 8-8 (Fall 2:24)
Cons. Round 7 – Toni Maloy (Charles City) 26-7 won by fall over Jazmyn Knutson (Valley, West Des Moines) 10-3 (Fall 5:04)
Cons. Semi – Avery Meier (Waverly-Shell Rock) 15-6 won by decision over Toni Maloy (Charles City) 26-7 (Dec 6-2)
5th Place Match – Sophie Barnes (Lewis Central) 14-3 won by fall over Toni Maloy (Charles City) 26-7 (Fall 5:33)
132
Lilly Luft (27-3) placed 4th and scored 24.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Lilly Luft (Charles City) 27-3 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Lilly Luft (Charles City) 27-3 won by fall over Molly Wilson (Iowa City, West) 2-5 (Fall 1:02)
Champ. Round 3 – Lilly Luft (Charles City) 27-3 won by major decision over Juana Jones (Notre Dame, Burlington) 8-4 (MD 12-1)
Quarterfinal – Abby Mclntyre (Glenwood) 5-0 won by decision over Lilly Luft (Charles City) 27-3 (Dec 9-5)
Cons. Round 6 – Lilly Luft (Charles City) 27-3 won by fall over Isabel Ihde (Decorah) 14-7 (Fall 3:08)
Cons. Round 7 – Lilly Luft (Charles City) 27-3 won by fall over Evah Owens (Central City) 16-2 (Fall 3:35)
Cons. Semi – Lilly Luft (Charles City) 27-3 won by major decision over Kylie Doty (Colfax-Mingo) 11-3 (MD 10-2)
3rd Place Match – Alexis Ross (Fort Dodge) 16-1 won by decision over Lilly Luft (Charles City) 27-3 (Dec 5-0)
138
Morgan Maloy (9-20) scored 6.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Morgan Maloy (Charles City) 9-20 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Morgan Maloy (Charles City) 9-20 won by fall over Kes Whalen (Dubuque Senior) 7-2 (Fall 3:04)
Champ. Round 3 – Laura Kipusu (Valley, West Des Moines) 8-2 won by major decision over Morgan Maloy (Charles City) 9-20 (MD 13-2)
Cons. Round 4 – Mairi Sessions (Decorah) 8-11 won by major decision over Morgan Maloy (Charles City) 9-20 (MD 11-3)
145
Allie Cross (23-7) placed 7th and scored 11.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Allie Cross (Charles City) 23-7 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Kennedy Eastman (Waverly-Shell Rock) 7-6 won by fall over Allie Cross (Charles City) 23-7 (Fall 2:37)
Cons. Round 2 – Allie Cross (Charles City) 23-7 won by fall over Chloe Cornelius (East Sac County) 0-5 (Fall 0:47)
Cons. Round 3 – Allie Cross (Charles City) 23-7 won by fall over Madison Kelly (Mid-Prairie) 3-11 (Fall 0:46)
Cons. Round 4 – Allie Cross (Charles City) 23-7 won by decision over Lauren Nicholas (Denver) 11-6 (Dec 7-3)
Cons. Round 5 – Mya Lindauer (Epworth, Western Dubuque) 7-4 won by fall over Allie Cross (Charles City) 23-7 (Fall 0:57)
7th Place Match – Allie Cross (Charles City) 23-7 won by fall over Bailey Weeks (Vinton-Shellsburg) 7-7 (Fall 2:34)
170
Lauren Connell (2-2) scored 7.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Lauren Connell (Charles City) 2-2 won by fall over Mallory Hoogetraat (Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson) 0-13 (Fall 5:50)
Champ. Round 2 – Bailey Walsh (Waverly-Shell Rock) 15-4 won by fall over Lauren Connell (Charles City) 2-2 (Fall 1:35)
Cons. Round 2 – Lauren Connell (Charles City) 2-2 won by fall over Nikki Pinter (Iowa City, West) 0-5 (Fall 1:10)
Cons. Round 3 – Elizabeth Fox (Sumner-Fredericksburg) 6-3 won by fall over Lauren Connell (Charles City) 2-2 (Fall 2:41)
285
Kalysta Rodriguez (9-5) placed 4th and scored 13.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Salima Omari (Iowa City, West) 3-0 won by fall over Kalysta Rodriguez (Charles City) 9-5 (Fall 0:42)
Cons. Round 1 – Kalysta Rodriguez (Charles City) 9-5 won by fall over Avery Wilson (Colfax-Mingo) 1-4 (Fall 1:19)
Cons. Semi – Kalysta Rodriguez (Charles City) 9-5 won by fall over Destiny McBride-Dannels (Colfax-Mingo) 2-2 (Fall 0:51)
3rd Place Match – Grace Brown (Newton) 4-1 won by fall over Kalysta Rodriguez (Charles City) 9-5 (Fall 1:02)