Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – With nine career wins and two medals Ashton Barker has plenty off fond memories from his previous two trips to the state wrestling tournament.

It was one loss that the West High senior couldn’t shake from his memory.

That loss, a second-period pin in last year’s opening round that has stuck with Barker for more than a year.

“It’s my lock on my home screen every time I open my phone I remember that loss,” Barker said. “It’s the first thing I look at in the morning and the last thing I see when I go to sleep, every day for the last year since this time.”

Finally, on Thursday Barker got the redemption he had been waiting for.

Barker avenged that disappointing opening-round loss from a year ago with a workman like first-period pin of eighth-ranked Seth Madden at the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

The win sends third-ranked Barker (13-0) in Friday’s quarterfinal round where he will face Tristen Duncan of Norwalk when wrestling opens at 9 a.m.

“It was good for him to get the monkey off his back,” West High coach Nate Moore said. “Now we just have to keep going one match at a time is what we tell him. He’s doing great.”

It’s not as if Barker hasn’t had his fair share of success at the state tournament.

He has finished third in 3A each of the past two seasons at 170 pounds and was a semifinalist two seasons ago as a sophomore.

Last season Barker won five consecutive consolation matches following his opening-round loss to Southeast Polk’s Deveyon Montgomery.

Still, a return to the front side of the bracket on Thursday was a weight off Barker’s broad shoulders.

“I’m not going to wrestle six matches this year,” Barker said. “It’s going to be a lot easier than the last year years.”

An Iowa State signee, Barker credits his senior season success to a switch in focus that led to an attitude overhaul.

In past season Barker put all his stock in winning and failed to see the bigger picture.

Older and admittedly a little wiser, Barker has a broader view in his final go at a coveted state title.

“I think I’ve gotten better at not worrying so much about winning,” Barker said. “Last year I put a ton of pressure on myself to win and that’s when you have to sit back and realize that winning isn’t everything. I’m not just a wrestler I’m a person. I’m not just worried about winning but also having fun.”

Barker had some fun in his much-awaited opener on Thursday against Madden.

He scored a takedown just five seconds into the match and had Madden on his back less than 20 seconds later after a quick move following a restart.

“I got the takedown and I shoved him out just so we could restart,” Barker said. “I knew he was going to sit out from the last time we wrestled and I just sucked him back. A move you learn when you are a first-year wrestle.”

With the weight of the first-round memory out of his mind Barker is looking ahead toward a return to the semifinals.

“He’s had some awesome practices this year,” Moore said. “Obviously we haven’t been able to compete as much as we want but he’s doing everything we ask of him.”

Barker is one of five West High wrestlers to reach Friday’s quarterfinals in a strong opening day for the Trojans.

Top-ranked Hunter Garvin, third-ranked Graham Gambrall, third-ranked Grant O’Dell and eighth-ranked Kael Scranton all moved on with impressive wins.

Defending champions Garvin and Gambrall were dominant in openers on Thursday.

Garvin (13-0) recorded five takedowns in two periods in a 20-3 tech. fall win over Damarian Ross of Fort Dodge in a 138-pound opener.

Gambrall had seven takedowns before pinning Spencer’s Cole Rutter in 5:28.

“I find that I wrestle way better when I’m not thinking as much and I don’t let the crowd or anything get to me,” Gambrall said. “When I go out there and I’m timid and I’m thinking too much my feet stop moving and my matches become difficult and I don’t like to wrestle that style so I’m going to go out there and attack no matter what.

O’Dell won a 17-1 tech. fall over Noah Madison of Johnston at 126 pounds and Scranton defeated ninth-ranked Johnston freshman Braden Blackorby 10-4 at 132.

The opening-round wins, all by bonus points, put West High in fourth place in the 3A team standings after one day with 23 points.

“Our veterans they go out and they get after it and they score points and that’s how you win wrestling matches,” Moore said. “That’s what we preach.”

Class 3A State Wrestling Tournament

At Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Waukee 32.5; 2. Waverly-Shell Rock 28.5; 3. Southeast Polk 26.5; 4. West High 23; 5. Bettendorf 22.5; 6. Ankeny 22; 7. Fort Dodge 21.5; 8. Norwalk 20; 9. Linn-Mar 19; 10. North Scott 18

Opening Round (Area Wrestlers)  

106 – Kael Kurtz (City High) pinned Luke Stover (Dallas Center-Grimes) 1:22

113 – Cael Seaton (City High) dec. Aime Mukiza (DM North-Hoover) 8-6

113 – Max Bishop (Fort Dodge) tech. fall Jack Stevens (Clear Creek Amana) 16-0

120 – Travis Hodges (Davenport West) pinned Parker McBride (West High) 2:42

120 – Rheiner Stahlbaum (Johnston) pinned Carsen Newton (City High) 1:01

126 – Grant O’Dell (West High) tech fall. Noah Madison (Johnston) 17-1

132 – Kael Scranton (West High) dec. Braden Blackorby (Johnston) 10-4

138 – Hunter Garvin (West High) tech fall Damarian Ross (Fort Dodge) 20-3

145 – Christian Stanek (CR Xavier) pinned Ryan Ott 3:45

152 – Graham Gambrall (West High) pinned Cole Rutter (Spencer) 5:28

170 – Ashton Barker (West High) pinned Seth Madden (North Scott) :44

182 – Jayden Angle (Boone) dec. Mason Applegate (West High) 8-4

195 – Ben Kueter (City High) pinned Victor Bird (Sioux City East) 1:16

195 – Sawyer Nauman (Western Dubuque) pinned Vinny Lima (Liberty High) 1:06

220 – Carson Williams (Marshalltown) dec. Brett Pelfrey (West High) 7-0

220 – Bradley Hill (Bettendorf pinned Caden Yoerger (Liberty High) :54

First Round Consolation

113 – JJ Maihan (Ankeny) dec. Jack Stevens (Clear Creek Amana) 9-5

120 – Parker McBride (West High) pinned Christian Newton (City High) 2:53

145 – Jude Card (CB Abraham Lincoln) major dec. Ryan Ott (City High) 13-4

182 – Mason Applegate (West High) pinned Nolan Simpson (Burlington) 3:13

195 – Vinny Lima (Liberty High) dec. Abe Duval (Marion) 5-4

220 – Cael Knox (CR Kennedy) pinned Caden Yoerger (Liberty High) 1:36

220 – Luke Vonderhaar (Pleasant Valley) pinned Brett Pelfrey (West High) 3:23

Friday’s Quarterfinal Matches

106 – No. 5 Kael Kurtz (13-0) Fr., City High vs. No. 3 Blake Gioimo (17-0) Soph., CR Prairie

113 – No. 10 Cale Seaton (12-1) Fr., City High vs. No. 1 Nathanael Jesuroga (23-0) Soph., Southeast Polk

126 – No. 3 Grant O’Dell (13-0) Jr., West High vs. No. 4 Carter Fecht (28-6) Jr., Waverly-Shell Rock

132 – No. 8 Kael Scranton (10-2) Jr., West High vs. No. 1 Ryder Block (22-0) Soph., Waverly-Shell Rock

138 – No. 1 Hunter Garvin (13-0) Jr., West High vs. Jace Anderson (9-2) Soph., Ankeny

152 – No. 3 Graham Gambrall (9-2) Sr., West High vs. No. 8 Abass Kemokai (17-2) Sr., Linn-Mar

170 – No. 3 Ashton Barker (13-0) Sr., West High vs. Tristen Duncan (31-8) Sr., Norwalk

195 – No. 1 Ben Kueter (8-0) Soph., City High vs. Cade Sheedy (17-6) Jr., Davenport North

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