Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Grant O’Dell entered his quarterfinal match at the Class 3A state wrestling tournament believing he was the best in his bracket.

If he keeps wrestling the way he did on Friday morning the West High junior may end up being correct.

Third-ranked O’Dell made his case in emphatic fashion with a second-period pin of fourth-ranked Carter Fecht of Waverly-Shell Rock in a 126-pound quarterfinal at Wells Fargo Arena.

“I just went in with the mindset that I’m the baddest (man) on the planet,” O’Dell said. “I have that mindset that nobody is going to beat me in this tournament.”

So far, nobody has found a way to beat third-ranked O’Dell this season.

O’Dell ran his record to 14-0 with the pin of Fecht and set up a semifinal showdown with eighth-ranked Thurman Christensen (19-4) of Waukee on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.

The pin from O’Dell started off a strong West High quarterfinal showing that saw the Trojans go 4-1 with a pair of pins and a major decision.

Top-three ranked wrestlers Hunter Garvin (138), Graham Gambrall (152) and Ashton Barker all joined O’Dell in the semifinals with quarterfinal wins as West High remained fourth in the 3A team standings.

The success on Friday morning all started with an attitude – the same one O’Dell brought into his 126-pound quarterfinal.

“When we come here we all believe we are the baddest guy and it comes from coaches preaching it every day,” Gambrall said. “If you start believing that you are a bad man that mindset is going to carry over to the match.”

O’Dell set the quarterfinal tone with his win over Fecht.

The junior needed overtime to edge Fecht 3-1 in a regular season meeting last month but didn’t even need three full periods to advance on Friday.

After a scoreless opening quarter O’Dell started the second on top and immediately went to work.

“I just had a bar arm and I ran it right over,” O’Dell said. “I’ve been doing that all year and I know I can pin anybody in it.”

It took a little more than a minute for O’Dell to get Fecht turned, once he did it was over in seconds.

“He’s tough on bottom, a lot of people go over right away with that bar,” O’Dell said. “I knew if I kept running it he would go over.”

Top-ranked Garvin (14-0) followed with a pin of Ankeny sophomore Jace Anderson in 4:32 in the 138-pound quarterfinals.

Third-ranked Gambrall (10-2) defeated No. 8 Abass Kemokai of Linn-Mar 6-2 in the 152-pound quarters and No. 3 Ashton Barker (14-0) won an 19-11 major decision over Tristen Duncan of Norwalk at 170 pounds.

“We preach mental toughness and believing in yourself,” Gambrall said. “When you are warming up there is always going to be a coach in your ear telling you really good things and stuff to get you mentally ready.”

West High will have an opportunity to expound on its statement from the quarterfinals on Friday morning in the semifinals on Friday night.

Gambrall and Barker each faced top-ranked wrestlers in their semifinals.

Gambrall gets top-ranked Aiden Riggins (32-0) of Waverly-Shell Rock while Barker faces defending state champion and top-ranked Des Moines Lincoln junior Mickey Griffith (24-1).

Garvin will take on third-ranked Carter Martinson of Southeast Polk.

Class 3A State Wrestling Tournament

At Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Waukee 78; 2. Waverly-Shell Rock 75.5; 3. Southeast Polk 69.5; 4. Fort Dodge 48.5; 5. West High 48; 6. Bettendorf 46.5; 7. North Scott 46; 8. Ankeny 45.5; 9. Linn-Mar 40; 10. Norwalk 30.5; 13. City High 22.5; 50. Liberty High 1

Quarterfinals (Area Wrestlers)  

106 – Blake Gioimo (CR Prairie) dec. Kael Kurtz (City High) 9-8 TB-1

113 – Nathanael Jesuroga (Southeast Polk) major dec. Cale Seaton (City High) 19-8

126 – Grant O’Dell (West High) pinned Carter Fecht (Waverly-Shell Rock) 3:33

132 – Ryder Block (Waverly-Shell Rock) major dec. Kael Scranton (West High) 8-0

138 – Hunter Garvin (West High) pinned Jace Anderson (Ankeny) 4:32

152 – Graham Gambrall (West High) dec. Abass Kemokai (Linn-Mar) 6-2

170 – Ashton Barker (West High) major dec. Tristen Duncan (Norwalk) 19-11

195 – Ben Kueter (City High) pinned Cade Sheedy (Davenport North) 3:38

Second Round Consolation

106 – Kale Kurtz (City High) tech. fall Ella Schmit (Bettendorf) 15-0

113 – Cale Seaton (City High) dec. Nate Bierma (West Des Moines Valley) 15-11

120 – Lane Cowell (Fort Dodge) major dec. Parker McBride (West High) 17-6

132 – Connor Kelley (Waukee) dec. Kael Scranton (West High) 4-3

182 – Evan Surface (Western Dubuque) dec. Mason Applegate (West High) 3-1 SV-1

195 – Gabe Hemsted (Carlisle) pinned Vinny Lima (Liberty High) 1:28

Friday’s Semifinals

126 – No. 3 Grant O’Dell (14-0) Jr., West High vs. No. 8 Thurman Christensen (19-4) Sr. Waukee

138 – No. 1 Hunter Garvin (14-0) Jr., West High vs. No. 3 Carter Martinson (21-5) Jr., Southeast Polk

152 – No. 3 Graham Gambrall (10-2) Sr., West High vs. No. 1 Aiden Riggins (32-0) Jr., Waverly-Shell Rock

170 – No. 3 Ashton Barker (14-0) Sr., West High vs. No. 1 Mickey Griffith (24-1) Jr., Des Moines Lincoln

195 – No. 1 Ben Kueter (9-0) Soph., City High vs. No. 7 Tanner Spyksma (19-4) Jr. Waukee

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