Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – A pair of Solon wrestlers secured the first state tournament wins of their careers on Wednesday in the opening round of the Class 2A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Sophomore Jordan Schmidt and senior Braydon Hoffman each won opening-round contests before falling in the second round.

“We talked the same last week leading up to districts as we did this week leading up to state where everybody is 0-0 here and upsets happen,” Solon coach Aaron Hadenfeldt said. “The only thing that we can ask of our guys is go to out and leave everything on the mat and for the most part I felt we did that.”

A state qualifier last season at 126 pounds, Schmidt won his opener at 132 on Wednesday with a second-period pin of Gabe Johnson of Southwest Valley.

Schmidt built a 4-1 lead with a pair of first-period takedowns before pinning Johnston in 2:32.

In the second-round Schmidt (31-10) dropped a 4-0 decision to fifth-seeded Nick Koch (34-3) of North Fayette Valley.

Schmidt will face Charlie Showalter (33-14) of Hampton-Dumont-Cal in a second-round consolation match on Thursday.

“100 percent he is good enough to be on that award stand,” Hadenfeldt said of Schmidt. “If he comes out and wrestles like Jordan can he’s on the award stand.”

A first-time state qualifier Hoffman won his state meet debut with a 6-3 decision over Terry Bordenave of Mid-Prairie in a 195-pound opener.

Top-seeded Gavin Bridgewater (36-1) of South Tama County pinned Hoffman in 5:31 in the second round in the third meeting between the two WAMAC rivals this season.

“He wrestled Bridgewater for the third time today and that’s the best he has wrestled him,” Hadenfeldt said. “There is no fault in the effort there at all.”

Class 2A State Meet

At Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines

Team scores (Top 20 area teams) – 1. Osage 47.5; 2. Mount Vernon 33; 3. West Delaware 30; 4. Creston 28.5; 5. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 27.5; 6. Glenwood 27; 6. Webster City 27; 8. Winterset 25; 9. Williamsburg 22; 10. Burlington Notre Dame 20.5; 11. Crestwood 19.5; 12. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 19; 12. Greene County 19; 14. Algona 18; 14. Ballard 18; 14. Dike-New Hartford 18; 14. South Tama 18; 14. Union 18; 19. Independence 17; 20. Albia 16; 20. Atlantic 16; 20. Humboldt 16; 20. NH/TV 16; 45. Solon 6

Opening Round (Area athletes)

106 – Jayce Curry (Sergeant Bluff-Luton) tech. fall Hunter Campion (Solon) 17-2

120 – Shane Hanford (West Marshall) pinned Kyler Jessup (Solon) 1:17

132 – Jordan Schmidt (Solon) pinned Gabe Johnson (Southwest Valley) 2:32

195 – Braydon Hoffman (Solon) dec. Terry Bordenave (Mid-Prairie) 6-3

Second Round (Area athletes)

132 – Nick Koch (North Fayette Valley) dec. Jordan Schmidt (Solon) 4-0

195 – Gavin Bridgewater (South Tama) pinned Braydon Hoffman (Solon) 5:31

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.