By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

In his 160-pound district championship match last week Carter Rohweder demonstrated the difference a strong start can make.

Rohweder needed just nine seconds to record the first of his four takedowns in a 9-2 win over fourth-ranked Tyger Whitters of Cedar Rapids Prairie that sent the West High senior back to the state tournament.

This week at state Rohweder plans to show he’s capable of a strong finish as well.

Rohweder brings a 42-7 record into the Class 3A state meet that begins Thursday at 9 a.m. at Wells Fargo Arena.

“(Last weekend) I had nerves of course, trying to make sure I got to state but the butterflies pushed me forward,” Rohweder said. “This is my last state tournament and I am just having fun and trying to wrestle as tough as I can.”

The district title last Saturday secured a second consecutive state meet berth for Rohweder who placed seventh at 160 pounds last year.

It also showed how dominant the West High senior can be.

Rohweder took Whitters down nine seconds into the match and led 2-0 after one period.

He needed just five seconds to record his first takedown of the second period and led 7-1 after another takedown with five seconds left in the period.

 “You never want to overthink it, I knew I could score points, I scored points in the first match, I knew what I could get to,” Rohweder said. “It just wears on your mind when you are in catch up mode. If you can get out quick, it just puts more pressure on them so that’s what I wanted to do.”

The win in the district final was Rohweder’s second in nine days over Whitters after an 8-4 win in a dual meet at Prairie on December 2nd and capped an impressive string for Rohweder.

Eight of the last 15 matches for Rohweder leading up to the state tournament have come against ranked opponents.

Rohweder has gone 13-2 during that stretch, capturing six wins against ranked foes.

The two losses were to top-ranked Joel Shapiro of West Des Moines Valley and third-ranked Matt Culver of Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

“When he’s ready to go, he is good, he has proven that,” West High coach Mark Reiland said. “He’s shown he can go with the best in the state.”

Over that 15-match stretch that began in mid-January, No. 7 Rohweder defeated Culver 3-2 and added wins over 3A sixth-ranked Tad Griffith of Des Moines Lincoln, 3A ninth-ranked Thaddeus Breitsprecker of Southeast Polk and 2A No. 9 Kolton Bartow to go with his wins over Whitters.

Rohweder will face North Scott senior John Behrens (5-1) in his state meet opening on Thursday.

“I’ve wrestled all the way up to the best kids, I know where I am and I know where I can go,” Rohweder said. “I have the potential to win a state championship I just have to put the work in.”

Of the seven losses this season for Rohweder, four have come against out-of-state competition.

“He just needs to go out and wrestle,” Reiland said. “He has proven that he can go with some of the best but he has to do it on a consistent basis and not lose his confidence when things don’t go right.”