Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – Perhaps the only greater motivation for a high school wrestler than reaching the state tournament is returning to the state tournament a second time.

Gage Marty felt that motivation in the days leading up to the Class 2A, District 7 meet in Solon.

“Once you’ve made it to state all you think about is getting back there,” Marty said. “There was no way I wasn’t making it back.”

Despite a loaded bracket that featured a trio of top-10, defending state medalists Marty made sure he earned his return trip to the state meet on Saturday.

Marty (32-8) scored four points in the final 40 seconds of an 8-5 semifinal win over sixth-ranked Christian Nunley of West Delaware on his way to a runner-up finish at 220-pounds on Saturday to secure a second consecutive trip to the Class 2A state meet.

“There was a lot of pressure on that first match and I knew he was going to give a good fight,” Marty said. “Once I got through that match I knew I was fine.”

Marty joins two-time defending state champion Hayden Taylor as a state qualifier for the Spartans.

Taylor (35-0) extended his winning streak to 107 with a pair of first-period pins on his way to the 160-pound title.

The two juniors will wrestle at the 2A state meet next Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

“It’s just another stepping stone to the state tournament,” Taylor said of Saturday. “You can’t take anyone lightly you have to treat everyone the same it doesn’t matter what their record is.”

While Taylor was posting pins at 160 the drama for the Spartans on Saturday was at 220 where Marty needed a late flurry to down Nunley in the marquee semifinal of the meet.

With the score tied 4-4 and Nunley attempting to ride out Marty the Solon junior slipped through for a reversal and 6-4 lead with 38 seconds left.

“If I didn’t get out that time I was going to wait until the last 30 seconds and try again,” Marty said. “I just gave it my all the last 40 seconds and somehow pulled it off.”

After a Nunley escape with 20 seconds left Marty secured the win when he smoothly countered a Nunley attack for the match-clinching takedown with 12 seconds left.

The 8-5 win for Marty came after Nunley won the only regular season meeting between the two via fall back on December 10.

“He stayed after practice almost every day and watched the match with Nunely, who is a really good kid,” Solon coach TJ Bevans said. “He watched that match and he knew what he had to do to beat him.”

Marty earned a medal in his state meet debut last season placing seventh at 195.

The road back to state was even more challenging as the District 7 bracket featured three returning medalists in Nunley, Marty and second-ranked and defending 2A runner-up Kobe Simon.

“We are proud of him and we are happy with where he is,” Bevans said. “We knew getting there would be hard and he can make some noise down there for sure.”

Marty nearly pulled off another upset in the finals falling to Simon for the fourth time this season, 6-5 in the title match.

Simon (33-3) scored the go-ahead takedown with 41 seconds left to escape with the 6-5 win over Marty.

The four wins for Simon this season over Marty have come by a combined total of nine points.

“I worked really hard this year and I was so close against all those guys so it felt really good to win a close one in the semifinals,” Marty said. “The next step is getting one against Kobe but I am getting closer and closer.”

There was no such drama for Taylor.

The top-ranked junior pinned Zatyk Holub of Moutn Vernon in 1:23 in the semifinals and need just 1:37 to pin West Liberty sophomore Drake Collins in the final.

“I felt good,” Taylor said. “I just went out there and executed some stuff and got off the mat.”

Solon got third-place finishes from Nash Altman at 285 pounds and Lucas Kampman at 170 with both wrestlers dropping wrestle back matches to miss qualifying for the state meet.

Lucas TePoel was fourth at 182 pounds.

Class 2A, District 7

At Solon

Team scores – 1. West Delaware 105; 2. Camanche 82; 3. West Liberty 62; 4. Solon 50; 5. Mount Vernon 46; 6. Central DeWitt 39.5; 7. Monticello 36; 8. Anamosa 27.5; 9. Center Point-Urbana 16; 10. Tipton 10; 11. Maquoketa 8

Individual qualifiers; Area placewinners

106 – 1. Jaxon Bussa (CAM) pinned Colin Cassady (WL) :50; 2. Brayden Maury (WD)

113 – 1. Carson Less (WD) dec. Royce Butt (CD) 4-3

120 – 1. Keaton Zeimet (CD) dec. Cole Whitehead (CPU) 3-2

126 – 1. Blake Engel (WD) pinned Alec Beaver (WL) 3:58

132 – 1. Reily Dolan (WD) dec. Jackson Jaspers (MV) 6-2

138 – 1. Kain Luensman (MON) dec. Straveley Maury (WD) 12-6

145 – 1. Eric Kinkaid (CAM) dec. Logan Peyton (WD) 8-1

152 – 1. Jadyn Peyton (WD) pinned Alex Casey (ANA) 2:46; 4. Caleb Ebert (SOL)

160 – 1. Hayden Taylor (SOL) pinned Drake Collins (WL) 1:37

170 – 1. Jared Voss (WD) tech. fall Logan Waltz (CAM) 21-6; 3. Lucas Kampman (SOL)

182 – 1. Cade Everson (CAM) pinned Cael Meyer (WD) 4:38; 4. Lucas TePoel (SOL)

195 – 1. Wyatt Voelker (WD) pinned Nathan Keating (ANA) 2:27

220 – 1. Kobe Simon (WL) dec. Gage Marty (SOL) 6-5

285 – 1. Carson Petlon (WD) dec. Keean Kamerlin (MV) 6-2; 3. Nash Altman (SOL)

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