Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – The deeper into the state tournament you go the more the pressure begins to mount.

For some wrestlers.

Not for West High freshman Alexander Pierce.

“I just don’t put too much pressure on myself,” Pierce explained on Friday. “It’s just a sport, it’s mean to be fun and I don’t put pressure on myself.”

Pierce hasn’t looked like a wrestler feeling the pressure of his first state tournament this week at Wells Fargo Arena.

The West High freshman standout also hasn’t looked much like a freshman.

Pierce (41-2) continued an impressive run through the 106-pound bracket on Friday earning a spot in the state title match with an 11-4 win over sixth-seeded Ankeny Centennial freshman Cale Vandermark (42-7).

“In 10 years when someone says who won 106 in 2023 they probably won’t remember,” Pierce said. “That’s one way I don’t put pressure on myself I just have fun and see what happens.”

Pierce has had fun this week and what has happened is he has been dominant.

The freshman has won state-meet matches by tech fall and decision before Friday’s win over Vandermark and will put a 24-match winning streak on the line on Saturday when he faces fourth-seeded Tyler Harper (29-5) of Norwalk in the 106-pound title match.

“I worked on staying focused even when I need to cut weight or something I remember the main goal,” Pierce said. “I’m just here to have fun and you will get to where you want to be if you have fun and stay focused.”

The state title match run has been the finale of a stellar debut season for Pierce who has just one loss against in-state competition.

Pierce said the turning point came last summer after a trip to the Tulsa Nationals.

“The beginning of last year I went to Tulsa for the first time, I cut a lot of weight, the most I’ve ever cut but I got killed there, I’m not going to lie,” Pierce said. “It was a wakeup call that if you really want to do this sport you have to change something now. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that. I found a way to have fun in the process.”

Having fun has been paramount to the success of Pierce who will attempt to give West High a state champion for the fourth consecutive season and seventh time in the past eight years on Saturday.

Pierce was having fun in his semifinal on Friday.

He scored two takedowns in the first and another in the second while building a 7-2 lead.

Pierce added two more takedowns in the third period on his way to the 11-4 win.

“He has the ability to move guys and quickness and he’s athletic,” West High coach Nate Moore said. “He’s a hard worker and he does the right things.”

Class 3A State Meet

At Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines

Team scores (Top 20 area teams) – 1. Waverly-Shell Rock 152; 2. Linn-Mar 128; 3. Southeast Polk 112; 4. Bettendorf 111.5; 5. City High 101; 6. Fort Dodge 99.5; 7. Waukee Northwest 92; 8. Johnston 90.5; 9. Carlisle 82.5; 10. Ankeny 81.5; 11. Pleasant Valley 69; 12. Ankeny Centennial 66.5; 13. Norwalk 65; 14. Cedar Rapids Prairie 63; 15. Dubuque Hempstead 62.5; 16. North Scott 62; 17. Bondurant-Farrar 59.5; 18. Ames 57; 19. West Des Moines Valley 46.5; 20. Indianola 44; 23. West High 34.5; 32. Clear Creek Amana 20; 43. Liberty High 8

Semifinals (Area athletes only)

106 – Alexander Pierce (West High) dec. Cale Vandermark (Ankeny Centennial) 11-4

126 – Cale Seaton (City High) major dec. Ayden Golden (North Scott) 14-5

132 – Carter Freeman (Waukee Northwest) dec. Kael Kurtz (City High) 5-2

182 – Gabe Arnold (City High) pinned Chase Hutchinson (West Des Moines Valley) 3:23

220 – Ben Kueter (City High) pinned Ayden Hoag (LeMars) 1:53

Fourth Round Consolation  

113 – Aiden Serrano (Carlisle) dec. Cale Nash (Clear Creek Amana) 6-1

126 – John King (Waukee Northwest) pinned Nolan Howell (Clear Creek Amana) 4:41

138 – Isaac Bruhl (Ankeny Centennial) dec. Jake Mitchell (City High) 3-2

145 – Jordan Rial (Bondurant-Farrar) major dec. Justin Avila (West High) 11-2

152 – Kyler Scranton (West High) major dec. Jack Miller (Pleasant Valley) 11-2

195 – AJ Petersen (North Scott) pinned Vincenzo Lima (Liberty High) 4:28

Fifth Round consolation

152 – Logan Stotts (Waukee Northwest) dec. Kyler Scranton (West High) 10-3

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