Anderson Wins Title to Lead City High at Liberty High Invitational
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
NORTH LIBERTY – Some encouragement from her cross country coach Ryan Ahlers was enough for Erin Anderson to give wrestling a try last winter.
A solid first season was all it took for Anderson to get hooked on the sport.
There was something missing for Anderson as the City High senior looked to take the next step as a wrestler.
She lacked a vast knowledge of the sport.
“I really didn’t know anything about it,” Anderson said. “Last year was my first year ever and none of my family members have wrestled.”
Where did Anderson go for a crash course on wrestling?
Social media of course.
“I look on social media a lot, all of my Tiktoks and Instagrams are all wrestling,” Anderson said. “I’ll see things on there and then ask about it at practice and I think it helps.”
The videos on social media may have helped but so too has increased mat time, more intense practices and Anderson credits City High coaches plenty too.
All of it has added to some impressive results for Anderson.
The senior continued a strong stretch over the past two weeks winning the 125-pound title at the Liberty High Invitational on Monday in North Liberty.
“Cross country is such a team sport and I like that about cross country but with wrestling I really enjoy how you go out and it’s just you and your opponent on the mat,” Anderson said. “You have no one but yourself to blame if things go bad and I think that’s really fun.”
Things have been going well for Anderson of late.
She has won seven consecutive matches to improve to 10-3 on the season after pinning her way to the 125-pound title on Monday.
“Erin lost a wrestle off a week and a half ago and she is 7-0 since,” Ahlers said. “She was a champion and at the Maquoketa Invitational, she won her dual match the other night against Western Dubuque and she won another title today.”
Anderson pinned Taylor Moser of Central Elkader in 4:34 in the quarterfinals and needed 1:27 to pin Pleasant Valley’s Greta Herbst in the semifinals.
In the 125-pound final Anderson used a takedown and three-point nearfall in the first period to take a 5-0 lead over Linn-Mar’s Reese Roberts.
Anderson led 6-1 in the second period when she took Roberts down and pinned her.
“She is a good runner so she has natural endurance but she also has some hidden strength in there too,” Ahlers said. “She has long arms and long legs and she is using her body well for wrestling and it’s fun to see her start to click with it.”
The title from Anderson was part of a strong team effort from City High which finished sixth at the 15-team meet with 104 points.
Southeast Polk won the team title with 149 points followed by Pleasant Valley with 124 and Iowa Valley with 114.
Liberty High was 11th with 44 points and Clear Creek Amana was 15th with 27.
Anderson highlighted five top-five finishes for City High.
“A lot of our practices this year you can see that what we are teaching is clicking,” City High co-head coach Jeff Koenig said. “Last year it was so new and this year it clicks and they go out and do it in the next match of the next week and it’s work for them. You can just see them blossoming.”
Claire Brown finished third at 130 pounds for City High and Shaona Emmanuel was third at 170 pounds.
Hadassah Wolcott was fourth at 100 pounds and Nabitendo Emmanuel was fifth at 115 pounds.
“It’s fun to be a part of this, the first team ever at City High,” Brown said. “We have a great group and it’s exciting to be a part of that.”
Taylor Cavanh placed third at 100 pounds to lead Liberty High and Elizabeth Eggleston was fourth at 140 pounds for the Lightning.
Emma Descourouez finished sixth at 120 pounds to lead Clear Creek Amana and Halle Bormann was seventh at 135 pounds for the Clippers.
Liberty Invitational
At Liberty High School
Team scores – 1. Southeast Polk 149; 2. Pleasant Valley 124; 3. Iowa Valley 114; 4. Mid-Prairie 111; 5. Vinton-Shellsburg 106; 6. City High 104; 7. Independence 98; 8. Linn-Mar 97; 9. North Scott 89; 10. Williamsburg 72; 11. Liberty 44; 12. Central Elkader 43; 13. Washington 35; 14. Marion 33; 15. Clear Creek Amana 27
Championship matches; area placewinners
100 – 1. Gabi Robertson (M-P) pinned Wynter Morgan (MAR) 3:32; 3. Taylor Cavanh (ICL); 4. Hadassah Wolcott (ICH)
105 – 1. Anya Rivera (WIL) pinned Ella Kennett (IND) 1:26
110 – 1. Bree Swenson (V-S) pinned Kate Seery (L-M) 1:19; 8. Nina Yankey (ICH)
115 – Caitlin Reiter (PV) pinned Reese Berns (CE) 4:27; 5. Nabitendo Emmanuel (ICH)
120 – 1. Abigail Meyrer (PV) pinned Khylie Wainwright (NS) 1:26; 6. Emma Descourouez (CCA); 7. Sydney Wilkes (ICH); 8. Ruth Luyeye (ICL)
125 – 1. Erin Anderson (ICH) pinned Reese Roberts (L-M) 2:48; 8. Alex Sharp (ICL)
130 – 1. Chloe Sanders (V-S) pinned Riann Holt (WIL) 4:15; 3. Claire Brown (ICH); 4. Kaly Thomas (CCA)
135 – 1. Dakota Whitman (IND) pinned Cecilia Scarff (SEP) 1:29; 7. Halle Bormann (CCA); 8. Jeanica Mbuyi (ICH)
140 – 1. Grace Schlak (IV) pinned Grace Conway (M-P) 1:47; 4. Elizabeth Eggleston (ICL)
145 – 1. Emma Peach (IV) pinned Havana Griffith (IND) :35; 7. Annabelle Stelpflug (ICH)
155 – 1. Skylar Slade (SEP) pinned Teegan Sulentich (WAS) 1:59; 7. Molly Carlson (ICH)
170 – 1. Bella Porcelli (SEP) pinned Mia Garvey (M-P) :42; 3. Shaona Emmanuel (ICH); 6. Kenzi Steele (ICL)
190 – 1. Breanna Peach (IV) pinned Jaylynn Gould (PV) :25
235 – 1. Sam Stacey (M-P) pinned Abigial Carr (ICL) 1:05
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