Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – For the returning state qualifiers in an experienced West High lineup the district meet has become just a stepping stone to the state meet.

“That’s how I approach it going into districts every year as a little warmup,” West High senior Graham Gambrall said. “I expect to win it and if I just get to my offense I will win it so that’s what I work on.”

Gambrall and five other Trojans secured return trips to the state meet with district titles on Saturday but thanks to a couple of first-time district winners and state qualifiers the Trojans’ state haul will be even heavier than last season.

Juniors Mason Applegate and Brett Pelfrey each won their first district titles on Saturday as West High crowned eight champs and ran away with the team title at the Class 3A, District 5 meet in Iowa City.

“Even if some of us have won this meet before it’s a lot of fun to see those guys win and know they are going to state,” Gambrall said. “Just the ride up to state is going to be full of energy. Last year was pretty good, we had seven and this year we have eight and all these guys got a bracket today. Some guys had never won a bracket before and they won a bracket at the district meet.”

West High sent seven wrestlers to the state meet a year ago when it posted its highest finish since 2012 placing fourth in Class 3A.

If Saturday is any indication the Trojans appear poised for another strong showing next week.

West High has five ranked wrestlers among its eight district champs, including four wrestlers ranked in the top three at their respective weights.

They were all dominant on Saturday.

“We are ready to make a run and make a statement,” Gambrall said. “Nobody really cares about rankings right now we are just trying to go out there and show what we’ve been working on for the last couple of months. We are determined to get a trophy and we are going there to battle.”

A four-time state qualifier and one of two defending champs in the West High lineup, third-ranked Gambrall (8-2) rolled to the 152-pound title with a semifinal tech fall and a second-period pin of Zachariah Shoemaker of Ottumwa.

Defending state champion and top-ranked Hunter Garvin (12-0) needed a total of four minutes and 29 seconds of mat time to post three pins on his way to the title at 138 pounds.

“I approach it as getting back into my style of wrestling and my groove going into the state tournament,” Gambrall said. “I am focusing on my attacks and feeling really good on my feet.”

Senior Ashton Barker (12-0) had a pair of first-period pins and a tech fall on his way to the 170-pound title and eighth-ranked Kael Scranton (9-2) used back-to-back first-period pins to win the 132-pound title.

Third-ranked junior Grant O’Dell (12-0) posted three consecutive first-period falls to win the 126-pound title and junior Parker McBride pinned his way to the 120-pound title.

“It’s awesome to have more guys going,” O’Dell said. “We just have to take care of business next week.”

The first six titles for the Trojans on Saturday all came from past state qualifiers and were expected.

The final two each wrestlers to punch their tickets to the state meet are first-timers that raised some eyebrows on Saturday.

Applegate (5-2) and Pelfrey (7-4) each entered the postseason with .500 records but won three consecutive matches to capture district titles.

Pelfrey was third a year ago but pinned Boston Barnhart of Oskaloosa in 12 seconds in the quarterfinals and won a 10-2 decision over Liberty High junior Caden Yoerger in the semifinals before pinning Fritz Spencer of City High in the title match.

“It was really exciting,” Pelfrey said. “Last year getting third was tough so I was training this year to get better and showing up today felt really good.”

Applegate came into the district meet with four matches all season but was impressive on Saturday.

He pinned Noah Parsons of Pella in the quarterfinals and won a 13-3 decision over top-seed Darius Willis-Newell of Liberty High in the semifinals.

Applegate secured the district title with a second-period pin of Burlington junior Nolan Simpson in the title match.

“I was really excited, I didn’t know how today would go to be honest,” Applegate said. “I wasn’t seeded too high but coming here and getting some confidence really helped me.”

Liberty High qualified a pair of wrestlers on Saturday with freshman Vinny Lima and Yoerger each securing the first state meet appearances of their careers with runner-up finishes.

Lima (13-4) was runner-up at 195 pounds while Yoerger secured his spot at state with a 4-3 win over City High’s Spencer in the 220-pound wrestle back match.

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; 3. Braden Doyle (ICW)

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 (ICH) 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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