Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – There isn’t a wrestler out there that doesn’t stress starting strong.  

Graham Gambrall is included on that list of wrestlers that place an emphasis on striking first.

The West High sophomore also has another motto when he hits the mat – no looking back.

That second saying served Gambrall well on Saturday.

Gambrall overcame an early deficit following a first-period takedown earning his second straight Mississippi Valley Conference title with a 6-5 win over eighth-ranked Dylan Falck of Cedar Rapids Kennedy in the 138-pound title match at the MVC Super Meet at West High.

“You just have to break the rearview mirror,” Gambrall said. “You have to keep going forward, you can’t look back at the last takedown.”

Gambrall (32-9) scored the final two takedowns of the match, including the eventual winner with 45 seconds remaining to secure a second MVC title in as may tries.

He won the 132-pound title last season as a freshman.

“After last year it was in the back of my head that I could do it so it’s a confidence booster a little but it’s a brand new year and a new bracket,” Gambrall said. “Last year is over, I had to take it one match at a time.”

Gambrall joined freshman sensation Hunter Garvin in winning MVC championships as West High finished tied with Dubuque Hempstead for seventh in the team standings with 145 points.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy crowned four champions on its way to its first ever MVC Super Meet title with 221 points, 36 more than runner-up Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Before Gambrall added to his MVC title haul on Saturday Garvin impressed in his first appearance at the conference meet.

Second-ranked Garvin didn’t have a match go the distance on Saturday pinning his way to the 120-pound final where he won a 17-2 tech fall over fifth-ranked Jacob Penrith of Cedar Falls.

“It was just another tournament,” Garvin said. “MVC is just a name so I just try to treat every match like it’s the biggest match there is and wrestle hard and to the best of my ability.”

Garvin (32-3) reached the title match with pins of Austin Steuhm of Cedar Rapids Prairie and Bryce Parke of Linn-Mar.

In the title match Garvin bolted to a 7-1 lead after the opening period thanks to a pair of takedowns and a three-point nearfall.

Garvin led 14-2 after two periods and ended the match less than 40 seconds into the third with his fifth takedown.

“I just try to do what I do and hit what I can,” Garvin said. “I try to go out there and attack. I want to go out and attack every match.”
 

Gambrall was equally impressive in reaching the title match but had significantly more championship drama than Garvin.

A pair of pins and a 10-4 semifinal decision over Jack Plagge sent Gambrall to the 138-pound title match.

Falck struck first with a takedown just 44 seconds into the match and led 2-1 after the opening period.

Gambrall took his first lead at 4-2 with his own takedown with 35 seconds left in the second period and broke a 4-4 tie with what proved to be the winning takedown with 45 seconds left in the final period.

“The one at the end I actually came across and went to a double leg where earlier in the match I was just sticking with the single,” Gambrall said. “I felt that there was space on the right side so I cut across and sure enough it was definitely easier to finish.”

Gambrall becomes the 22nd West High wrestler with two MVC Super Meet titles.

“I look forward to it every year and it’s definitely one that I want to win,” Gambrall said. “It’s on the calendar as one that I’m excited for.”

Seniors Keaton Speicher and Landon Green each added third-place finishes for West High.

Speicher was third at 126 while Green placed third at 220 pounds for the host Trojans.

“Every 16 years it is here so it is pretty awesome that I was part of the team when it was here today,” Garvin said. “It was exciting for everyone on our team to get to wrestle this tournament here.”

MVC Super Meet

Team scores – 1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 221; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 185; 3. City High 171; 4. Western Dubuque 166; 5. Cedar Falls 164; 6. Linn-Mar 148; 7. Dubuque Hempstead 145; 7. West High 145; 9. Waterloo West 78.5; 10. Liberty High 52.5; 11. Dubuque Senior 52; 12. Cedar Rapids Xavier 48; 13. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 46; 14. Dubuque Wahlert 45; 15. Cedar Rapids Washington 26; 16. Waterloo East 9

(Individual Champions; Area Medalists)

106 – 1. Ethan Wood-Finley (ICH) dec. Brandon O’Brien (L-M) 2-1; 5. Grant O’Dell (ICW)

113 – 1. Austin Kegley (CRP) major dec. Dawson Bierman (WD) 15-5; 5. Parker McBride (ICW)

120 – 1. Hunter Garvin (ICW) tech. fall Jacob Penrith (CF) 17-2; 6. Garrett Bormann (ICH)

126 – 1. Ty Pfiffner (CRK) dec. Dylan Whitt (CF) 4-2; 3. Keaton Speicher (ICW); 8. Michael Santoro (ICH)

132 – 1. Conrad Braswell (CRP) major dec. Joe Pins (DH) 13-5

138 – 1. Graham Gambrall (ICW) dec. Dylan Falck (CRK) 6-5; 7. Ryan Ceynar (ICH)

145 – 1. Noah Cunningham (CRK) pinned Tyler Murphy (DH) 6:45; 4. Reece Caven (ICH)

152 – 1. Kyle Hefley (ICH) dec. Elijah Demmer (WD) 5-0; 7. Mason Applegate (ICW)

160 – 1. Ryker Kurimski (WD) major dec. Brandon Lalla (ICH) 22-10; 7. Drew Snyder (ICL); 8. Joe Dixon (ICW)

170 – 1. Jake Hosch (WD) dec. Ryan Plummer (L-M) 5-2; 3. Ashton Barker (ICL); 7. Joe Ring (ICH)

182 – 1. Jacob Wempen (L-M) dec. Devin Ludwig (WD) 4-3; 6. Will Hoeft (ICW); 7. Gavin Luze (ICL)  

195 – 1. Ashton Stoner-DeGroot (CRP) major dec. Cade Parker (CRK) 8-0; 4. Jason Lemus (ICH); 7. Brett Pelfrey (ICW)

220 – 1. Cam Jones (CRK) pinned Tanner Schultz (L-M) 1:43; 3. Landon Green (ICW); 8. Davryn Stewart (ICH) 5:08

285 – 1. Josh Vis (CRK) pinned Jacob Murry (ICH) 3:15