Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – It’s a little uncommon for the veteran team leader offering up sage advice and calming nerves before the biggest meet of the year to be a sophomore with less than 30 career matches under his belt.

However, that’s exactly what City High sophomore Ben Kueter was doing prior to Saturday’s Class 3A, District 5 wrestling meet at West High.

“Cale Seaton said this morning that he was nervous and I tried to talk to him and tell him there was no reason to be nervous,” Kueter explained. “I feel like the guys come to me a lot about certain things and I really like being there for them and being in that spot. It’s something I enjoy trying to be a leader for those guys.”

A sophomore as the unquestioned team leader may seem uncommon but then again, nothing Kueter does on a wrestling mat can be considered common.

After spending the morning helping settle down his freshman teammates off the mat Kueter was his usual dominant self on it on Saturday.

The defending state champion kept his career record perfect with a pair of impressive wins on Saturday returning to the state meet with a second-period pin of Liberty High freshman Vinny Lima in the 195-pound title match.

“He’s a huge leader for us in every way,” City High coach Cory Connell said of Kueter. “Ben took Kale Kurtz out running just about every day this week and I think that really helped Kale just seeing what it takes to be a state champ and just gave him a lot of confidence in what he could do as well.”

Freshmen Kurtz and Seaton joined Kueter as district champions on Saturday as City High qualified five wrestlers for the Class 3A state meet that opens next Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Kurtz (12-0) pinned his way to the 106-pound title while Seaton overcame his early bout of nerves to win the 113-pound championship.

Seaton credits his quick conversation with Kueter before warmups in helping to settle the butterflies that were building in his stomach before the first postseason match of his career.

“I was nervous and he just told me that I was better than all these kids and just needed to wrestle my matches and I would be just fine,” Seaton said. “It really helped because he’s someone that’s been here and won a state title so having him really helped.”

Tenth-ranked Seaton (11-1) responded with pin of Fort Madison sophomore Emmett Kruse in the semifinals and secured his first trip to state with a 7-3 win over Corbin Grace of Ottumwa in the title match.

“It’s a big relief,” Seaton said. “This is what I’ve dreamed of my whole life, I want to be a state champ and I have a chance at it now.”

Kurtz was equally impressive in securing his first shot at a state title.

The fifth-ranked 106-pounder posted back-to-back first period falls over Braden Doyle of West High and Jasmine Luedtke of Ottumwa to lock up a trip to state.

“I knew that wrestling Cale in the room I was prepared for this, I was ready to go today,” Kurtz said. “It feels great. It’s a lot bigger than little kid districts so it feels really good.”

After offer words of encouragement earlier Kueter led by example for his young teammates on the mat with back-to-back impressive performances to win the 195-pound title.

Kueter (7-0) won a 20-5 tech fall over Austin Davis of Burlington and needed 3:01 to pin Lima in the championship.

“I felt good, I felt confident,” Kueter said. I was kind of bummed because I was hoping to have three matches today instead of two but It was still the same game plan. I felt quick, I felt strong. I just need to start getting ready for this week and having fun.”

Freshman Carsen Newton and sophomore Ryan Ott each secured spots at state with runner-up finishes on Saturday.

Newton (4-1) was second at 120 pounds pinning Ottumwa junior Dawson Goodwin in 1:12 in the semifinal before falling to West High junior Parker McBride in the title match.

Ott (11-3) lost to Oskaloosa senior Leland Evans by tech fall in the final at 145 pounds but rebounded to win a wrestle back over Pella’s Jackson Van Kley 8-6 in sudden victory to secure his first trip to state.

“It’s been a crazy year and I thought they went out there and competed,” Connell said. “I thought our kids competed, I thought they went hard, we need to get better but we are young and we had a lot of good things happen today.

Class 3A, District 5

At West High  

Team scores – 1. West High 237; 2. Pella 179; 3. Ottumwa160; 4. City High 154.5; 5. Fort Madison 123.5; 6. Liberty High 110; 7. Oskaloosa 90.5; 8. Burlington 78.5

Individual qualifiers; Area placewinners

106 – 1. Kael Kurtz (ICH) pinned Jasmine Luedtke (OTT) 2:00

113 – 1. Cale Seaton (ICH) dec. Corbin Grace (OTT) 7-3; 5. Thomas Pierce (ICW)

120 – 1. Parker McBride (ICW) pinned Carsen Newton (ICH) 3:04; 4. Jaxon Morris (ICL)

126 – 1. Grant O’Dell (ICW) pinned Owen Kruse (FM) 1:21; 6. Ian Brownsberger (ICL)

132 – 1. Kael Scranton (ICW) pinned Braylor Griffiths (OTT) :36; 4. Ariel Collins (ICH); 5. Gavin Benton (ICL)

138 – 1. Hunter Garvin (ICW) pinned Gavin Wiseman (FM) 3:11; 6. Austin Franklin (ICL)

145 – 1. Leland Evans (OSK) tech. fall Ryan Ott (ICH) 16-1; 5. Phillip Jackson (ICL)

152 – 1. Graham Gambrall (ICW) pinned Zachariah Shoemaker (OTT) 3:16; 6. Elijah Terwilleger (ICL)

160 – 1. Trestin Sales (BUR) pinned Ryan Van Donselaar (PEL) 1:38; 3. Gable Mitchell (ICH); 4. Jarrod Alger (ICL)

170 – 1. Ashton Barker (ICW) pinned Trevor Summers (OTT) 1:13; 3. Drew Snyder (ICL); 6. Sam Kueter (ICH)

182 – 1. Mason Applegate (ICW) pinned Nolan Simpson (BUR) 3:42; 4. Darius Willis-Newell (ICL); 5. Nick Marker (ICH)

195 – 1. Ben Kueter (ICW) pinned Vinny Lima (ICL) 3:01

220 – 1. Brett Pelfrey (ICW) pinned Fritz Spencer (ICH) 1:24; 2. Caden Yoerger (ICL); 3. Spencer (ICH)

285 – 1. Kody Huisman (PEL) pinned Julius Harris (BUR) 1:09; 3. Errol Alden (ICW); 5. Avery Goodrich (ICH)

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