Solon senior Graeson Dall By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

SOLON – Every team wants to head into the holiday break coming off a win.

Solon didn’t just want to get wins in its final action before a two-week break the Spartans wanted to make a statement.

They did both on Thursday.

Class 2A second-ranked Solon went 3-0 at its home quadrangular in its final performance of 2016, cruising past Keokuk, Wilton and Prairie City-Monroe in impressive fashion.

“We always want to go into the break on a good note,” Solon senior Trevor Nelson said. “Tonight, our first tournament at home, we just wanted to dominate in front of our home crowd and show them what Solon wrestling is all about and I think we did that.”

Solon lost just six matches in its three dual wins on Thursday, two in each match and had 21 pins among its 36 victories.

The Spartans downed Keokuk 69-11 and Wilton 65-12 before defeating PCM 60-10 in the final match of the night.

“We were on fire tonight,” Solon senior Graeson Dall said. “There was definitely a different atmosphere, everybody came out ready to go and fought all the way. We wanted to go out with a bang tonight and go into break with a bunch of momentum.”

Dall and Nelson were among 10 Spartans to post perfect 3-0 records on Thursday.
Solon senior Trevor Nelson
“This is what we are definitely capable of doing and we have to be a lot more consistent with it and do it every time out,” Solon coach Blake Williams said. “The kids got on a roll.”

After opening with wins over Keokuk and Wilton Solon capped its performance with a rousing win over a PCM squad that featured four ranked wrestlers.

A pair of forfeits at 113 and 120 and three consecutive pins by Drew West, Christian Haight and Ben Carr gave Solon a 30-0 lead.

Solon secured the win by winning three of the next four matches all against PCM wrestlers ranked in the top 10.

Fifth-ranked Xavier Miller got PCM on the board with a pin of Collin Linden at 145 pounds but Dall flipped the momentum back to Solon with 7-6 win over sixth-ranked West Cummings at 152 pounds.

“It was a dog fight all the way, he’s a good wrestler and we both wrestled our hardest,” Dall said. “I think that got the momentum going for a team.”

Eighth-ranked Dall broke a 5-5 all in the third period with a takedown with 50 seconds left and fended of a pair of late takedown attempts from Cummings to hold on for the win.

“In this same gym last year that guy took it to Graeson,” Williams said. “I don’t know what the score was but he really took it to them and today you could tell Graeson was going to win that match because every time they went out of bounds Graeson hustled back and you could tell that guy was a little tired and as an athlete that just pumps you up.”

The match of the night came at 160 where top-ranked Nelson edged third-ranked Lucas Roland 7-4.

Roland scored a takedown less than 30 seconds in and led 2-1 after the opening period but it was all Nelson the rest of the way.

“We knew there were going to be a bunch of good matches coming up and when Graeson got that win I know it got me going,” Nelson said. “Whenever Graeson wrestlers really well I feel like I really wrestle well. It just motivates you to follow it up.”

Mike Hoyle followed with an 11-6 win over tenth-ranked Jarron Trausch at 170 pounds.

Dillon Diltz, Zach Wegmann and Tyler Linderbaum all record first-period pins in the 60-10 win.

“We wanted to wrestle our best right before break,” Hoyle said. “I felt like I did my part to help us do that.”

Solon 69, Keokuk 11
106 – Zeb Gnida (SOL) pinned Joel Johnston :29
113 – Aidan Dall (SOL) maj. dec. Dalton Boudewyn 13-3
120 – Bryce West (SOL) won by forfeit
126 – Drew West (SOL) tech. fall Ashton Meyers 17-2
132 – Brant O’Shea (KEO) tech fall. Christian Haight 17-1
138 – Ben Carr (SOL) pinned Matt Wyatt :30
145 – Andy Brokaw (SOL) won by forfeit
152 – Graeson Dall (SOL) pinned Dylan Jeffers 1:28
160 – Trevor Nelson (SOL) pinned Shane Reid :38
170 – Mike Hoyle (SOL) won by forfeit
182 – Dillon Diltz (SOL) won by forfeit
195 – Zach Wegmann (SOL) won by forfeit
220 – Jerry Glenn (KEO) pinned Michael Broghammer :46
285 – Tyler Linderbaum (SOL) won by forfeit

Solon 65, Wilton 12
106 – Zeb Gnida (SOL) pinned Hunter Stoll 2:24
113 – Aidan Dall (SOL) pinned Colton Berggren 3:30
120 – Bryce West (SOL) pinned Reid Johnson 2:00
126 – Drew West (SOL) pinned Cory Anderson 5:08
132 – Christian Haight (SOL) pinned Chantz Stevens 3:39
138 – Ben Carr (SOL) dec. Jerome Mays 4-1
145 – Trey Brisker (WIL) pinned Joe Lovan 1:12
152 – Graeson Dall (SOL) tech. fall Eli Faison 15-0
160 – Trevor Nelson (SOL) pinned Coy Baker :52
170 – Mike Hoyle (SOL) pinned Derek McQuillen 3:18
182 – Bryce Oveson (WIL) won by forfeit
195 – Zach Wegmann (SOL) pinned Calib Lilly 1:07
220 – Jackson Walker (SOL) dec. John Rife 14-9
285 – Tyler Linderbaum (SOL) pinned Dylan Leinen :27

Solon 60, PCM 10
106 – Zeb Gnida (SOL) dec. Payton Drake 8-1
113 – Aidan Dall (SOL) won by forfeit
120 – Bryce West (SOL) won by forfeit
126 – Drew West (SOL) pinned Jakeb Fenton 2:19
132 – Christian Haight (SOL) pinned Nathan Fagg 1:16
138 – Ben Carr (SOL) pinned Chase Shirk 1:59
145 – Xavier Miller (PCM) pinned Collin Linden :59
152 – Graeson Dall (SOL) dec. Wes Cummings 7-6
160 – Trevor Nelson (SOL) dec. Lucas Roland 7-4
170 – Mike Hoyle (SOL) dec. Jarron Trausch 11-6
182 – Dillon Diltz (SOL) pinned Dalton Schlangen :57
195 – Zach Wegmann (SOL) pinned Leevi Telfer 1:27
220 – Clayton Welch (PCM) maj. dec. John Lilleodden 13-5
285 – Tyler Linderbaum (SOL) pinned Jace Smith :53