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State wrestling: Comet trio advances

Charles City wrestlers extend their stay at state championships

CC 195-pounder Nick Jacobs, right, tries to balance on one leg while Mason Meitzenheimer of Cherokee-Washington as a hold of the other during their Class 2A match. Jacobs won, 5-1. Press photo by John Burbridge
CC 195-pounder Nick Jacobs, right, tries to balance on one leg while Mason Meitzenheimer of Cherokee-Washington as a hold of the other during their Class 2A match. Jacobs won, 5-1. Press photo by John Burbridge

 

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

DES MOINES — Austin Staudt has his whole Friday planned out.

“I’m going to drink a lot of water and then I’m going out for a run,” the Charles City 138-pounder said after besting Brennan Swafford 8-5 in the opening round of the Class 2A State Wrestling Championships, Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena.

So where are you going to run, Austin?

“I think I’m going to use that skyway walkway they have here,” he said.

You almost didn’t have the heart to tell him that the skyway has been partitioned due to the construction in the city.

Nonetheless, things are already better than last year for Staudt, who walked out the arena with no wins and two losses in his state appearance as a junior.

“It didn’t go as well as I hoped it would,” said Staudt, who got rest of Thursday off and won’t wrestle until a little after 2:30 p.m. today when the Class 2A quarterfinals commence.

“It feels good when you get an early win under belt here,” said Staudt (28-6), who was one of three Comets to win their first-round bouts.

Included is Max Forsyth, who  — just like Staudt — was two and done in last year’s state championships. The second-ranked 145-pounder advanced after pinning his first-round opponent, Charlie Engelbrecht of Mount Vernon, in the first period while improving his record to 36-3.

Of the returning Charles City state qualifiers, senior Nick Jacobs has had the best success in Des Moines. Last season, despite losing 18 matches, Jacobs gelled in the postseason and eventually placed sixth at state.

He’s on his way to match that and then some as he advanced with a 5-1 first-round win over Mason Meitzewheimer of Cherokee-Washington in the 195-pound bracket.

“Yeah, I usually peak about this time of the year,” said Jacobs, who improved to 33-13.

“I didn’t wrestle much in the summer because I was doing basic training,” said Jacobs, who recently joined the Army National Guard. “With a full wrestling season behind me, I feel I made up for the lost time.”

Charles City almost got a fourth wrestler out of the first round with 126-pound junior Nate Lasher.

Against Trevor Anderson of Glenwood, Lasher had a 5-2 lead late in the second period before Anderson scored an escape and subsequent takedown to tie it at 5-5.

Lasher later earned an escape to retake the lead, but Anderson scored a takedown with 59 seconds remaining in regulation and held on for the 7-6 decision.

Lasher later edged Tyler Rupp of MOC-Floyd Valley, 5-4, in the consolation to stay alive in the tournament.

Charles City 220-pounder AJ Maloy also bounced back in the consolation bracket. Losing a 7-3 decision to Levi Duwa of Mid-Prairie Wellman in the opening round, Maloy defeated Travis Poffenbarger of Knoxville, 8-4, in the consolation round.

The night ended on a bad note for Charles City heavyweight Brody Tupy.

After being dropped to the consolation bracket by Mount Vernon’s Tristan Wirfs, Tupy battled Williamsburg’s Quinten Miller in what proved to be the last bout of the evening. Tupy lost 4-3 in extended overtime, finishing his final high season at 38-7.

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