Wrestling sectional survivors

By John Burbridge
sports@charlescitypress.com
DECORAH — Being a state podium placer is a prestigious distinction, especially in these parts.

Just to make it down to state is a heck of an accomplishment.

The weeding out process has begun as more than 70 percent of the high school wrestlers in Iowa have been eliminated after this past weekend’s first step to state — sectionals.

At the Class 2A Sectional 11 hosted by Decorah, six Charles City Comets advanced to the Class 2A District 6 Tournament at New Hampton High School on Feb. 15 starting at noon by way of placing in the top two in their respective brackets.

And by way of finishing second to sectional champion Crestwood, the Comets also advanced to the Class 2A Team Dual Regional at Independence High School on Tuesday (Feb. 11) starting at 6 p.m.

The Comets will take on Gilbertsville in the first round with the winner facing the Independence-vs. Mount Vernon winner the same night.

Among the six Comet survivors were two sectional champions.

Senior 170-pounder Elliott Sinnwell improved his season record to 26-7 when he decisioned Kale Rodgers of North Fayette Valley 9-2 in the championship bout. Sinnwell is a first-time district qualifier.

In the following championship bout, Comet junior Caden Collins (27-5) defeated New Hampton/Turkey Valley’s Jacob Reicks 6-2 to win the 182-pound title. Collins is Charles City’s only wrestler who has conference and sectional titles to his credit.

Comet junior and returning state qualifier Alec Staudt (23-5) was vying to become a conference and sectional champion at 138, but was defeated by North Fayette Valley’s Joel Grimes with a 6-2 decision in the championship bout.

Charles City senior and 2018 state qualifier Jack Sindlinger (26-7) momentarily had No. 1-seed Evan Rosonke of New Hampton/Turkey Valley on his back early into their 195-pound championship bout, but Rosonke was able to gain control and build a lead on way to an 11-2 major decision.

Charles City sophomore heavyweight Chase Crooks (23-11) lost a tiebreaker to Crestwood’s Wyatt Scheidel in their championship bout. After regulation ended in a 1-1 tie and the sudden-victory period kept things at a stalemate, Crooks scored an escape from the down position in the subsequent 30-second period. But Scheidel was able to score a match-winning reversal in the latter 30-second period for the last title prize of the day.

Staudt, Sindlinger and Crooks were all declared bracket runners-up and district qualifiers due to their defeated semifinals opponents winning their third-place matches.

Charles City’s sixth state qualifier, 220-pound sophomore Tino Tamayo (23-12), was forced to due battle in a “wrestleback” to keep his season alive after losing a 5-1 decision to Crestwood’s Treyton Burnikel in their championship bout. Tamayo later punched his ticket when he pinned Austin Hemann of New Hampton/Turkey Valley in 2:21.

Comet junior 152-pounder Roush Jaeger had an opportunity to stay alive with a wrestleback when NH/TV’s Hunter Pesek, who defeated Jaeger in the semis, edged Decorah’s No. 1 seed Kyzer Engen in the championship bout. With second-place on the line, Pesek managed to build a lead over Jaeger before Jaeger crept within 3 (13-10) late in the match. With the match restarting at the standup position and the short-time towel boy looming, Jaeger chased Pesek around the circle but was unable to catch him or get an evasive stalling point from the referee.

While accumulating a first-place team total of 233 points (32 ahead of Charles City), the Cadets boasted seven sectional champions including the ones already mentioned as well as 106-pounder Nathaniel Bigalk, 113-pounder Carter Fousek who was a state champion at 106 last year, 120-pounder Cole Butikofer, 126-pounder Matthew Slifka and 132-pounder Chase Thomas.

Class 2A Sectional 11 Wrestling Tournament
AT DECORAH HIGH SCHOOL
Team Scores
1. Crestwood 233, 2. Charles City 210, 3. New Hampton/Turkey Valley 191.5, North Fayette Valley 169, 5. Decorah 151, 6. Waukon 71

Results for Charles City
106
Jacob Vais (19-17) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Jacob Vais (Charles City) 19-17 won by fall over Nelson Reicks (NH/TV) 7-17 (Fall 0:35); Semifinal – Nathaniel Bigalk (Crestwood – Cresco) 27-12 won by fall over Jacob Vais (Charles City) 19-17 (Fall 1:21); 3rd Place Match – Nick Koch (North Fayette Valley) 31-8 won by major decision over Jacob Vais (Charles City) 19-17 (MD 8-0)
113
Gage Kilby (12-17) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Gage Kilby (Charles City) 12-17 won by fall over Knute Hovden (Decorah) 5-16 (Fall 4:23); Semifinal – Carter Fousek (Crestwood – Cresco) 33-2 won by fall over Gage Kilby (Charles City) 12-17 (Fall 0:24); 3rd Place Match – Peyton Anderson (NH/TV) 25-19 won by fall over Gage Kilby (Charles City) 12-17 (Fall 2:59)
120
Drew Staudt (13-19) placed 5th and scored 8.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Owen Malone (Waukon) 15-24 won by fall over Drew Staudt (Charles City) 13-19 (Fall 1:38); Cons. Semi – Drew Staudt (Charles City) 13-19 received a bye () (Bye); 5th Place Match – Drew Staudt (Charles City) 13-19 won by fall over Dylan Usher (NH/TV) 14-26 (Fall 3:58)
126
Nathan Lopez (10-17) placed 5th and scored 8.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Lane Rolfs (Decorah) 11-19 won by fall over Nathan Lopez (Charles City) 10-17 (Fall 5:55); Cons. Semi – Nathan Lopez (Charles City) 10-17 received a bye () (Bye); 5th Place Match – Nathan Lopez (Charles City) 10-17 won by fall over Brady Speltz (NH/TV) 7-35 (Fall 2:36)
132
Bronson Forsyth (24-12) placed 3rd and scored 14.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Bronson Forsyth (Charles City) 24-12 received a bye () (Bye); Semifinal – Brady Stille (Decorah) 14-10 won by decision over Bronson Forsyth (Charles City) 24-12 (Dec 5-1); 3rd Place Match – Bronson Forsyth (Charles City) 24-12 won by fall over Alex Kriener (NH/TV) 23-18 (Fall 3:20)
138
Alec Staudt (23-5) placed 2nd and scored 16.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Alec Staudt (Charles City) 23-5 received a bye () (Bye); Semifinal – Alec Staudt (Charles City) 23-5 won by decision over Kael Glenn (NH/TV) 26-17 (Dec 11-5); 1st Place Match – Joel Grimes (North Fayette Valley) 29-5 won by decision over Alec Staudt (Charles City) 23-5 (Dec 6-2)
145
Kayden Blunt (9-22) placed 4th and scored 10.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Kayden Blunt (Charles City) 9-22 won by major decision over Derek Berger (North Fayette Valley) 16-18 (MD 16-6); Semifinal – Jackson Rolfs (Decorah) 27-5 won by fall over Kayden Blunt (Charles City) 9-22 (Fall 1:00); 3rd Place Match – Trent Pisney (Crestwood – Cresco) 21-24 won by fall over Kayden Blunt (Charles City) 9-22 (Fall 2:49)
152
Roush Jaeger (27-10) placed 3rd and scored 14.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Roush Jaeger (Charles City) 27-10 received a bye () (Bye); Semifinal – Hunter Pesek (NH/TV) 13-2 won by tech fall over Roush Jaeger (Charles City) 27-10 (TF-1.5 3:28 (17-2)); 3rd Place Match – Roush Jaeger (Charles City) 27-10 won by fall over Alex Streif (North Fayette Valley) 31-13 (Fall 1:41); 2nd Place Match – Kyzer Engen (Decorah) 13-4 won by decision over Roush Jaeger (Charles City) 27-10 (Dec 13-10)
160
Ethan Peterson (10-20) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Ethan Peterson (Charles City) 10-20 won by fall over Nathan Johnson (Waukon) 15-22 (Fall 1:36); Semifinal – Carson Babcock (NH/TV) 37-2 won by fall over Ethan Peterson (Charles City) 10-20 (Fall 0:30); 3rd Place Match – Garrett Lovstuen (Decorah) 13-14 won by fall over Ethan Peterson (Charles City) 10-20 (Fall 3:22)
170
Elliott Sinnwell (26-7) placed 1st and scored 22.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Elliott Sinnwell (Charles City) 26-7 received a bye () (Bye); Semifinal – Elliott Sinnwell (Charles City) 26-7 won by fall over Nate Rolfs (Decorah) 14-13 (Fall 5:22); 1st Place Match – Elliott Sinnwell (Charles City) 26-7 won by decision over Kale Rodgers (North Fayette Valley) 30-9 (Dec 9-2)
182
Caden Collins (27-5) placed 1st and scored 22.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Caden Collins (Charles City) 27-5 received a bye () (Bye); Semifinal – Caden Collins (Charles City) 27-5 won by fall over Chase Cooley (North Fayette Valley) 15-17 (Fall 2:50); 1st Place Match – Caden Collins (Charles City) 27-5 won by decision over Jacob Reicks (NH/TV) 27-11 (Dec 6-2)
195
Jack Sindlinger (26-7) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Jack Sindlinger (Charles City) 26-7 received a bye () (Bye); Semifinal – Jack Sindlinger (Charles City) 26-7 won by fall over Tanner Guyer (North Fayette Valley) 20-7 (Fall 0:45); 1st Place Match – Evan Rosonke (NH/TV) 33-3 won by major decision over Jack Sindlinger (Charles City) 26-7 (MD 11-2)
220
Tino Tamayo (23-12) placed 2nd and scored 20.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Tino Tamayo (Charles City) 23-12 received a bye () (Bye); Semifinal – Tino Tamayo (Charles City) 23-12 won by fall over Isaiah Corbin (North Fayette Valley) 15-25 (Fall 5:58); 1st Place Match – Treyton Burnikel (Crestwood – Cresco) 34-5 won by decision over Tino Tamayo (Charles City) 23-12 (Dec 5-1); 2nd Place Match – Tino Tamayo (Charles City) 23-12 won by fall over Austin Hemann (NH/TV) 11-24 (Fall 2:21)
285
Chase Crooks (23-11) placed 2nd and scored 16.0 team points.
Quarterfinal – Chase Crooks (Charles City) 23-11 received a bye () (Bye); Semifinal – Chase Crooks (Charles City) 23-11 won by decision over Jacob Durnan (NH/TV) 14-12 (Dec 5-1) 1st Place Match – Wyatt Scheidel (Crestwood – Cresco) 29-13 won in tie breaker – 1 over Chase Crooks (Charles City) 23-11 (TB-1 3-2)