Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Alexander Pierce may be a freshman making his first appearance at the state wrestling meet but the West High 106-pounder has the mindset of a veteran.

“I just have to take it one match a time,” Pierce said. “I have to win one to get to the one after that. If I focus on one at a time I should get to where I want to be.”

The one match at a time mentality has Pierce halfway to where he wants to get.

Pierce got his second state meet win in as many days on Thursday winning a 10-8 decision over seventh-seeded Cedar Rapids Prairie sophomore Dylan Munson in a Class 3A quarterfinal at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

The win sends Pierce (40-2) to the semifinals that get underway to 6 p.m. on Friday evening where he will face six seed Cale Vandermark (42-6) of Ankeny Centennial.

Vandermark defeated third-seeded Dubuque Hempstead sophomore Mitchell Pins 6-4 in sudden victory in the quarterfinals.

“You just have to be mentally prepared for one match each day,” Pierce said. “I’m fine with it, I feel good.”

Pierce headlines a list of three West High wrestlers that remain alive into the third day for the four-day state meet.

Sophomore Justin Avila (39-8) dropped a 7-4 decision to fifth-seeded Lucas Bruhl (42-2) of Ankeny Centennial in the 145-pound quarterfinals on Friday.

Junior Kyler Scranton (35-12) lost a 6-3 decision to fourth-seeded Elijah Mendoza (32-9) of Bettendorf in a quarterfinal at 152 pounds.

Class 3A State Meet

At Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines

Team scores (Top 20 area teams) – 1. Waverly-Shell Rock 101; 2. Southeast Polk 85.5; 3. Bettendorf 77.5; 4. Linn-Mar 73; 5. Johnston 66.5; 6. Ankeny 65.5; 6. Ankeny Centennial 65.5; 8. City High 63; 9. Carlisle 59.5; 10. Fort Dodge 58.5; 11. Cedar Rapids Prairie 55.5; 12. Waukee Northwest 55; 13. North Scott 48; 14. Dubuque Hempstead 43.5; 15. Pleasant Valley 42; 16. Bondurant-Farrar 41.5; 17. Norwalk 41; 18. West Des Moines Valley 37.5; 19. Dallas Center-Grimes 35.5; 20. Ames 33; 20. Indianola 33; 29. West High 20.5; 30. Clear Creek Amana 20; 39. Liberty High 8

Quarterfinals (Area athletes only)

106 – Alexander Pierce (West High) dec. Dylan Munson (Cedar Rapids Prairie) 10-8

126 – Cale Seaton (City High) dec. Jashua Anglo (Johnston) 5-2

132 – Kael Kurtz (City High) dec. Tyler Lee (Cedar Rapids Prairie) 7-1

145 – Lucas Bruhl (Ankeny Centennial) dec. Justin Avila (West High) 7-4

152 – Elijah Mendoza (Bettendorf) dec. Kyler Scranton (West High) 6-3

182 – Gabe Arnold (City High) tech. fall Holden Hansen (Southeast Polk) 21-6

220 – Ben Kueter (City High) pinned Will Hinrichs (Ankeny) :12

Second Round Consolation  

106 – Kendall Kurtz (City High) pinned Daniel Overall (Council Bluffs Lewis Central) 3:44

113 – Cale Nash (Clear Creek Amana) major dec. Tate Hollenkamp (Boone) 10-2

113 – Chris Davis (City High) pinned Ayden Beck (Dallas Center-Grimes) 2:30

120 – Max Bishop (Fort Dodge) pinned Jose Mendieta (Clear Creek Amana) :15

126 – Nolan Howell (Clear Creek Amana) pinned Caden Ervin (Pleasant Valley) 5:05

132 – Logan Gard (Dallas Cener-Grimes) major dec. Jay Halverson (Clear Creek Amana) 8-0

132 – Mason Lucas (Carlisle) dec. Braden Doyle (West High) 7-4

132 – Cael Wiener (Ankeny Centennial) pinned Tien Pham (Liberty High) 1:50

138 – Jake Mitchell (City High) tech. fall Lincoln Hutt (Waukee Northwest) 16-1

145 – Beck Arant (Clear Creek Amana) dec. Aydan Cary (North Scott) 8-7

145 – Jake Pontier (Indianola) major dec. Zach Fern (City High) 9-1

152 – Jack Miller (Pleasant Valley) pinned Landon Bell (Liberty High) 3:27

160 – Owen Helgeson (Johnston) pinned Ryan Ott (City High) 3:52

170 – Jackson Van Kley (Pella) pinned Benjamin Haughey (Clear Creek Amana) :47

170 – Zander Wedemeier (Waverly-Shell Rock) dec. Gavin Benton (Liberty High) 4-3

182 – Jace Tippet (North Scott) major dec. Kaden Phan (Clear Creek Amana) 11-0

195 – Lane Nelsen (Dallas Center-Grimes) major dec. Ethan Williams (Clear Creek Amana) 10-2

195 – Vincenzo Lima (Liberty High) pinned Bret Scheffler (West Des Moines Valley) 1:01

Third Round consolation

106 – Ajay Braddock (Boone) dec. Kendall Kurtz (City High) 4-2

113 – Cale Nash (Clear Creek Amana) dec. Carter Schorsch (Council Bluffs Lewis Central) 9-2

113 – Gabe Cauthron (Spencer) tech. fall Chris Davis (City High) 16-0

126 – Nolan Howell (Clear Creek Amana) dec. Andrew Roland (Ankeny Centennial) 6-4

138 – Jake Mitchell (City High) dec. Peyton Ritzert (Pella) 4-2

145 – Jake Pontier (Indianola) dec. Beck Arant (Clear Creek Amana) 7-5 SV-1

195 – Vincenzo Lima (Liberty High) dec. Cade Bennethum (Ankeny) 8-5

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