Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Ryan Schott wants to wrestle the best.

That doesn’t mean the Regina senior gets input on the schedule but even if he did Schott couldn’t have planned things any better.

Schott picked up his 100th career win, won an individual title and improved to 16-0 on Saturday and he did it all in front of his home fans at the Regina Invitational on Saturday.

“It’s fun having it happen at home,” Schott said. “It’s nice to accomplish that big of a goal that I have been working for in front of everyone.”

Schott got career win number 100 with a first-period pin of JT Cunningham from Columbus in his opener on Saturday morning.

He added a 5-1 decision over North Cedar sophomore Tyler Thurston in the semifinals and claimed the 170-pound title with a 9-2 win over Marshalltown’s Brian Trowbridge.

Schott had two takes in the first and third periods of the title match and finished with a 4-0 takedown advantage in the win over Trowbridge.

“He keeps progressing,” Regina coach Adam Martensen said. “I think every week he is getting better and he keeps improving.”

Schott has already had a strong career, hence the 102 career victories.

Injuries forced Schott to get a late start last season but he finished 22-4 and was a state qualifier going 1-2 at 160 pounds at the 1A state meet.

This season has brought a different Schott and the change starts with a mindset.

Schott wants to face the best.

“I think the biggest thing from last year to this year is my mindset,” Schott said. “Throughout my other years I didn’t always want to wrestle those top guys, I’d rather take the easy way out but this year I’m looking for competition. I want to wrestle those top guys.”

That mindset has brought out the best in Schott this season.

Ranked seventh at 170 pounds in Class 1A, Schott has six pins and only four of his matches have lasted three periods.  

The closest match Schott was a 3-1 win over 2A’s fifth-ranked 160 pounder Reymundo Vasquez of Clarion-Goldfield-Dows.

“He has been wrestling a really long time and he has a huge arsenal of moves that he knows he can go to whenever,” Martensen said. “It’s just a matter of fine tuning those things so that when they show up he’s looking for them and he’s hitting them right and you are seeing that improvement.”

As pleased as he was with earning his 100th career win Schott was equally proud of his 16-0 start.

Opening the season with 16 consecutive wins has been no easy feat for Schott who got a late start to the season after helping Regina to its seventh straight state title game during football season.

A linebacker that ranked second on the team in tackles despite missing time with a knee injury, Schott had a short turnaround from football to wrestling but has made it a successful one.

“Playing in the championship we lost that week or week and a half of practice that every other school had so getting into the room you know you have to work twice as hard just to catch up with those guys,” Schott said. “We worked hard and it’s paying off. I feel good.”

Schott acknowledges his conditioning needs some work but his technique feels good and his mindset is sharp.

The scary part for opponents is Martensen doesn’t think Schott is even close to reaching his potential.

“I think he is far from reaching where his ceiling is right now,” Martensen said. “He has been improving throughout his career he has a really funky style that allows him to really open up and bring a lot of new technique into it and it catches a lot of guys off guard and that’s why I think he hasn’t hit that ceiling is he has a lot of things he can go to.”

Of Schott’s 102 career wins one has come at the state meet while two of his 31 career losses have come at Wells Fargo Arena.

The final loss of last season is what stuck with Schott.

“My goal is to be on top of the podium,” Schott said. “Winning a match at state was great but I think the biggest building block was getting beat that final match because you know what the taste of defeat at state is like and you don’t want to be there.” 

Regina Invitational

Team scores – 1. Solon 212.5; 2. Mount Pleasant 161; 3. Pekin 113; 4. Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union 108; 4. Marshalltown 108; 6. Davenport West 85; 7. Fairfield 81; 8. Tipton 67; 9. North Cedar 65.5; 10. Sigourney 60; 11. Regina 39; 12. H-L-V 35; 13. Lone Tree 31; 14. West Branch 14.

(Championship matches; Area placewinners)

106 –1. Jarod Kadel (COL) pinned Travis Hodges (DW) 1:43; 5. Tyler Siemen (WB)

113 – 1. Austin Lenz (TIP) dec. Zach Bitker (MAR) 1-0.

120 – 1. Zeb Gnida (SOL) dec. Ben Emrich 12-7; 5. Henry May (ICR)

126 – 1. John Crowley (TIP) dec. Wyatte Shade (DW) 2-1; 3. Aidan Dall

132 – 1. Cam Rice (COL) pinned Christian Haight (SOL) 2:30

138 – 1. Zach Hammes (PEK) dec. Juanito Piper (COL) 2-1; 5. Andy Brokaw (SOL)

145 – 1. Nate Wallace (MP) pinned Caleb Ebert (SOL) :37; 6. Jacob Graves (WB)

152 – 1. Zack Bevans (SOL) major dec. Abe Wilson (MP) 12-4; 6. Will Bobst (ICR)

160 – 1. Jax Flynn (SOL) major dec. Keaton Baayen (PEK) 9-0; 4. Morgan Hartz (WB)

170 – 1. Ryan Schott (ICR) dec. Brian Trowbridge (MAR) 9-2; 6. Seamus Poynton (SOL)

182 – 1. Mike Hoyle (SOL) pinned Skyler Juhl (PEK) 1:37

195 – 1. Jordan Fox (MAR) pinned Zach Beason (MP) :43; 5. Adam Bock (SOL)

220 – 1. Kaleb Reeves (SIG) pinned Zach Wegmann (SOL) :47

285 – 1. Tyler Linderbaum (SOL) dec. Brendon Lunsford (FAI) 2-1 TB-1