Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Competition in the practice room has always been an important factor for wrestling success.

In a season like the one City High has had this winter with COVID limiting competition dates the value of a top-notch workout partner is at an all-time high.

Fortunately for ranked City High freshmen Kael Kurtz and Cale Seaton they have found the perfect practice competitor in each other.

“It’s awesome, I get a match with a top-ranked wrestler every day in the room,” Seaton said of having Kurtz as a partner. “It’s really beneficial and it’s also really fun.”

Kurtz and Seaton each continued strong starts to their varsity careers on Saturday combining for nine wins as City High went 2-3 at its own Bean City Duals.

Seaton went 4-1 with three pins at 113 on Saturday while Kurtz went a perfect 5-0 with four pins helping the host Little Hawks to a fourth-place finish at the seven-team dual tournament.

“It’s tough not having too many matches this season so today felt good,” Kurtz said. “Getting a lot of matches today was what we all needed.”

Matches are what has been missing for City High this season.

The Little Hawks didn’t compete until 2021, opening the season with a dual loss to West High on January 2.

That was followed by a more than two week layoff before City High faced Linn-Mar in a dual on Thursday.

“It’s been tough I’ve been trying to get in the room as much as I can but obviously COVID is keeping us out,” Kurtz said. “It’s a little difficult to know where you are at when you haven’t really wrestled all season.”

A lack of early-season matches was a concern for varsity newcomers like Kurtz and Seaton.

Neither Kurtz or Seaton who both have strong career resumes prior to high school have let the lack of competition stand in the way of stellar starts to their prep careers.

“We have a lot of experience but getting some high school matches in is a big thing for us,” Seaton said. “I think we are starting to do that and it’s really fun.”

Kurtz is ranked fifth in Class 3A at 106 and improved to 6-0 with five pins on the season with his unbeaten performance on Saturday.

On Saturday Kurtz had three first-period falls, a second-period pin and an 18-3 win over Ryan Hoefer of Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Seaton is ranked eighth at 113 pounds and moved to 6-1 with five pins with his four wins on Saturday.

The lone loss for Seaton was a 14-12 setback to Nolan Riddle of Keokuk at 120 pounds in the opening dual of the day.

“I was anxious to get out here so it was good to get a bunch of chances to wrestle today,” Seaton said. “It’s a new experience and it was fun.”

The key for the early success for both is the time they spend in the wrestling room together.

We push each other, if one of us is slacking off we always know it because we are there to push one another,” Kurtz said. “Just having Cale to go get a lift in or go for a run with really helps.”

City High 42, Keokuk 30

106 – Kael Kurtz (ICH) pinned Rylee Moore :54

113 – Lashawn Garrett (ICH) won by forfeit

120 – Nolan Riddle (KEO) dec. Cale Seaton 14-12

126 – Tate O’Shea (KEO) pinned Isiah Svoboda 1:00

132 – Alejandro Morales (KEO) dec. Ariel Collins 6-3

138 – Ryan Ott (ICH) tech. fall Xavier Johnson 15-0

145 – Levi Boydewyn (KEO) pinned Kale Clark :59

152 – Diego Salinas (ICH) pinned Noah Courtney 3:12

160 – Dakota Haage (KEO) pinned Paul Waikel 3:38

170 – Sam Kueter (ICH) pinned Zack Glasscock 2:56

182 – Gable Mitchell (ICH) dec. Kaleb Spurgeon 7-2

195 – Kolbe Barnes (KEO) pinned Nick Marker 3:02

220 – Fritz Spencer (ICH) pinned Aydan O’Connor :44

285 – Avery Goodrich (ICH) major dec. Jordan Salyers 8-0

City High 46, Oskaloosa 27

106 – Kael Kurtz (ICH) pinned Ryllie Siroky 1:58

113 – Lashawn Garrett (ICH) won by forfeit

120 – Cale Seaton (ICH) pinned Garrett Roethler 3:17

126 – Trey Miller (OSK) pinned Isaiah Svoboda 1:26

132 – Ariel Collins (ICH) dec. Salvador Gonzalez 4-2

138 – Ryan Ott (ICH) major dec. Phillip Abrahamson 11-0

145 – LeLand Evans (OSK) pinned Kale Clark :32

152 – Garisin Hynick (OSK) pinned Diego Salinas :34

160 – Lucas Phillips (OSK) pinned Paul Waikel :28

170 – Gable Mitchell (ICH) pinned Blake Westercamp 3:16

182 – Sam Kueter (ICH) pinned Will Campbell 3:14

195 – Nick Marker (ICH dec. Junior Ramirez 4-0

220 – Fritz Spencer (ICH) won by forfeit

285 – Warren Feudner (OSK) dec. Avery Goodrich 1-0

Cedar Rapids Xavier 52, City High 27

106 – Kael Kurtz (ICH) tech. fall Ryan Hoefer 18-3

113 – Cale Seaton (ICH) major dec. Adam Cook 20-6

120 – Ronan Thomas (CRX) pinned Lashawn Garrett 2:37

126 – Lucas Osterhaus (CRX) pinned Isaiah Svoboda 3:04

132 – Ariel Collins (ICH) pinned Connor Murray 3:04

138 – Ryan Ott (ICH) pinned Will Hacke 3:40

145 – Christian Stanek (CRX) pinned Kale Clark :45

152 – Jevin Rexroth (CRX) pinned Diego Salinas 1:57

160 – Grant Helmle (CRX) pinned Paul Waikel 2:53

170 – Caelen Shannon (CRX) major dec. Gable Mitchell 15-3

182 – Ivan Thomas (CRX) pinned Sam Kueter :54

195 – Ryan Volk (CRX) pinned Nick Marker 1:08

220 – Michael Steffen (CRX) pinned Fritz Spencer :21

285 – Avery Goodrich (ICH) pinned Caiden Tresnak :46

Dubuque Hempstead 63, City High 15

106 – Kael Kurtz (ICH) pinned Hunter McCormick :36

113 – Cale Seaton (ICH) pinned Cody Jellison 1:19

120 – Chad Bellis (DH) pinned Isaiah Svoboda :40

126 – Landon Reisen (DH) won by forfeit

132 – Adler Kramer (DH) pinned Obed Dominguez :48

138 – Ariel Collins (ICH) dec. Gable Brooks 4-1

145 – Jackson Vanderheyden (DH) dec. Ryan Ott 8-4

152 – Josiah Schaetzle (DH) pinned Diego Salinas 3:13

160 – Jack Smith (DH) pinned Paul Waikel 1:42

170 – Cole Thill (DH) pinned Sam Kueter 1:43

182 – Jack Hanson (DH) pinned Nick Marker 5:35

195 – Joseph Lewis (DH) won by forfeit

220 – Adam Ward (DH) pinned Fritz Spencer 1:34

285 – Cayden Lovett (DH) won by forfeit

Mount Vernon 57, City High 21

106 – Kael Kurtz (ICH) pinned Klayten Perreault 3:01

113 – Cale Seaton (ICH) pinned Ethan Plotz 3:04

120 – Riley Mudd (MV) pinned Lashawn Garrett 1:20

126 – Jacob Coon (MV) pinned Isaiah Svoboda 3:25

132 – Croix Shebetka (MV) pinned Obed Dominguez :57

138 – Jackson Jaspers (MV) pinned Ariel Collins 3:40

145 – Ryan Ott (ICH) dec. Henry Ryan 6-2

152 – Jackson Hird (MV) pinned Diego Salinas 4:29

160 – Zatyk Holub (MV) pinned Paul Waikel 1:08

170 – Sam Kueter (ICH) pinned Ryder Bunch 2:38

182 – V.J. Boyal (MV) dec. Nick Marker 4-2

195 –Kayden Pendergrass (MV) won by forfeit

220 – Clark Younggreen (MV) pinned Fritz Spencer 1:38

285 – Keean Kamerling (MV) won by forfeit

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