Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

WEST BRANCH – Quintyn Rocha has brought plenty to the West Branch wrestling team this season.

The junior heavyweight has solidified the 285-spot in the West Branch lineup, provided a valuable practice partner for 220-pound state qualifier Logan Wright and added experience to a lineup filled with underclassmen.

On Thursday night Rocha showed what else he brings to the Bear lineup offering a rather profound perspective following his first loss of the season at the Bear’s own River Valley Conference quadrangular.

“I feel like if it doesn’t rain you can’t grow,” Rocha said. “You lose once you learn a lot from it.”
That sentiment shown by Rocha shows why he has been something of a revelation for West Branch in the 285-spot this season.

Ranked fifth in 1A at 285-pound Rocha continued a stellar season with a 2-1 performance on Thursday evening splitting a pair of matches against ranked opponents at the quadrangular that featured RVC foes Regina, Anamosa and Class 1A fourth-ranked Wilton.

Rocha improved to 20-1 on the season with his 2-1 effort on Thursday earning a 5-2 victory over 2A eighth-ranked Cole Sigler of Anamosa and falling to 1A seventh-ranked Alexander Kaufmann of Wilton via second-period pin.

“I took him three years to beat that Anamosa kid so he is stepping in the right direction,” West Branch coach Jake Slocum said of Rocha. “The Wilton kid caught him, he’s a big kid, he’s good but Q’s big thing is you are undersized so don’t tie up with them and it works for him but it didn’t work in that match.”

Rocha won 30 matches and was a district qualifier a year ago, this season he has emerged as one of the top heavyweights in Class 1A.

Part of that success comes from working daily with Wright, who is ranked second in 1A at 220 pounds.

“It’s basically like you are wrestling a tough match every single day at practice,” Rocha said. “We learn moves off each other so it’s fun.”

The last two seasons it has been Slocum who found himself as the practice partner for Wright, who finished eighth at the state meet this season.

With Rocha in the room Wright has a new practice partner and the daily battles between the two are paying off.

“The big thing is having Q now this year, I have always been Logan’s practice partner and I weight 180 pounds soaking wet,” Slocum said. “With Q in the room now they get to wrestle against a big guy, a good wrestler. It’s helping both of those guys.

Wright continued his impressive start to the season with a 3-0 performance on Thursday.

The junior pinned Tayte Peterschmidt of Anamosa in 57 seconds and added a second-period pin of Wilton’s Aiden Hewitt.

“I feel like we had good competition tonight and I felt like I could have done better but I’m still improving,” Wright said. “First time back from break it felt good to get back but there is a lot to work on.”

The addition of Rocha has helped Wright who was 46-9 a year ago and improved to 18-1 on the season with his three wins on Thursday.

“He really pushes me a lot,” Wright said. “He’s a tough guy to wrestle because of his size and that makes me work extra hard and that makes me better.”

West Branch finished 1-2 on Thursday, defeating Regina 48-36 and falling to Wilton 54-9 and Anamosa 33-30.

Freshman Cooper Gates joined Wright in going 3-0 on the evening for West Branch at 152 pounds posting an 8-6 win over No. 11 Garrett Burkle of Wilton in his final match.

“There were good things to take away and there were things that we need to work on but what does this dual really matter, really nothing,” Slocum said. “We want to peak at the right time at districts and a lot of these guys are going to be the guys we have to beat to get to state.”

Regina finished 0-3 on Thursday falling to Anamosa 48-28 and Wilton 73-6.

Tenth-ranked Christopher Waikel led Regina going 3-0 with two pins at 195 pounds.

West Branch 48, Regina 36

106 – Sawyer Hamilton (ICR) won by forfeit

113 – Lincoln Edwards (WB) pinned Alex Jensen :45

120 – Holden Berg (ICR) pinned Maddux Rushton 3:05

126 – Cash Hatfield (ICR) pinned Xavyer Boone 3:07

132 – Logan Christoffel (WB) pinned James Whisler 1:57

138 – Auron Marsh (WB) pinned Jack Hoover 2:39

145 – Will Aitchison (ICR) pinned Cale Seydel 5:35

152 – Cooper Gates (WB) pinned Romiz Monaco 2:59

160 – Adam Gomez (WB) pinned William Farnsworth 3:02

170 – Jaxson Kaalberg (WB) pinned Eligah Fegel 1:50

182 – Ian Udell (ICR) pinned Tate Frantz 3:03

195 – Christopher Waikel (ICR) won by forfeit

220 – Logan Wright (WB) won by forfeit

285 – Quintyn Rocha (WB) won by forfeit

Anamosa 33, West Branch 30

106 – Double forfeit

113 – Lincoln Edwards (WB) pinned Carson Wild 3:42

120 – Dane Owen (ANA) dec. Maddux Rushton 9-6

126 – Caleb Bowser (ANA) pinned Xayver Boone 1:59

132 – Ayden Antonelli (ANA) dec. Logan Christoffel 10-6

138 – Easton Wheeler (ANA) dec. Auron Marsh 6-4

145 – Hudson Scranton (ANA) pinned Cale Seydel 1:41

152 – Cooper Gates (WB) dec. Miken Wheeler 9-3

160 – Austin Scranton (ANA) pinned Adam Gomez 3:23

170 – Jaxson Kaalberg (WB) pinned Drew Staab 5:43

182 – Tate Frantz (WB) pinned Logan Bell 3:52

195 – Jackson Watters (ANA) won by forfeit

220 – Logan Wright (WB) pinned Tayte Peterschmidt :57

285 – Quintyn Rocha dec. Cole Sigler 5-2

Wilton 73, Regina 6

106 – Mason Shirk (WIL) pinned Sawyer Hamilton 2:34

113 – Austin Etzel (WIL) pinned Alex Jensen 1:16

120 – Gabriel Brisker (WIL) pinned Holden Berg :43

126 – Brody Brisker (WIL) pinned Cash Hatfield 3:57

132 – Jordan Dusenberry (WIL) pinned James Whisler 1:26

138 – Trae Hagen (WIL) pinned Jack Hoover 2:38

145 – Hayden Hill (WIL) dec. Will Aitchison 12-7

152 – Garrett Burkle (WIL) pinned Romiz Monaco 1:32

160 – Owen Milder (WIL) pinned William Farnsworth :59

170 – Gatlin Rogers (WIL) major dec. Eligah Fegel 10-1

182 – Kaden Shirk (WIL) pinned Ian Udell 2:00

195 – Christopher Waikel (ICR) pinned Kane Willey 3:24

220 – Aiden Hewitt (WIL) won by forfeit

285 – Alexander Kaufmann (WIL) won by forfeit

Wilton 54, West Branch 9

106 – Mason Shirk (WIL) won by forfeit

113 – Austin Etzel (WIL) dec. Lincoln Edwards 11-6

120 – Gabriel Brisker (WIL) pinned Maddux Rushton 2:41

126 – Brody Brisker (WIL) won by forfeit

132 – Jordan Dusenberry (WIL) dec. Logan Christoffel 9-7

138 – Trae Hagen (WIL) pinned Auron Marsh :47

145 – Hayden Hill (WIL) Cale Seydel

152 – Cooper Gates (WB) dec. Garrett Burkle 8-6

160 – Owen Milder (WIL) dec. Adam Gomez

170 – Gatlin Rogers (WIL) dec. Jaxson Kaalberg 5-3

182 – Kaden Shirk (WIL) pinned Tate Frantz 3:20

195 – Kane Willey (WIL) won by forfeit

220 – Logan Wright (WB) pinned Aiden Hewitt 5:10

285 – Alexander Kaufmann (WIL) pinned Quintyn Rocha 3:54

Anamosa 48, Regina 28

106 – Gavin Weitz (ANA) pinned Sawyer Hamilton :33

113 – Carson Wild (ANA) pinned Alex Jensen 2:15

120 – Holden Berg (ICR) pinned Dane Owen :37

126 – Cash Hatfield (ICR) pinned Caleb Bowser 1:30

132 – Ayden Antonelli (ANA) pinned James Whisler :50

138 – Easton Wheeler (ANA) pinned Jack Hoover :48

145 – Hudson Scranton (ANA) dec. Will Aitchison 6-2

152 – Miken Wheeler (ANA) dec. Romiz Monaco 9-2

160 – Austin Scranton (ANA) pinned Williams Farnsworth :45

170 – Eligah Fegel (ICR) pinned Drew Staab 1:24

182 – Ian Udell (ICR) major dec. Logan Bell 15-3

195 – Christopher Waikel (ICR) pinned Jackson Watters 1:32

220 – Tayte Peterschmidt (ANA) won by forfeit

285 – Cole Sigler (ANA) won by forfeit

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