Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CORALVILLE – McKenna Rogers learned a lot while pocketing a fifth-place medal last season in her debut at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state wrestling meet.

The main takeaway for Rogers from a 5-2 effort at the state meet last season was simple – you have to keep going.

“I just learned that you have to keep going,” Rogers said. “You have to regroup after each match, lose or win, and you have to focus on your next match you can’t worry about your last match.”

That lesson learned from last season has already helped Rogers early in her return to the state meet.

Rogers (19-1) rebounded from her first loss of the season in the regional title match last week with a pair of impressive wins at 105 pounds in the opening session of the state wrestling tournament on Thursday morning at a sold out Xtream Arena in Coralville.

“I wasn’t really hurt by losing (at regionals) I just had to keep going,” Rogers said. “I had to watch it and see what I did wrong and see what I had to fix and keep going. I wasn’t upset it was more motivation to do the best I possibly could here.”

Rogers lost a 7-4 decision to unbeaten Durant senior Lainey Shelangoski in the regional final last Friday in Cedar Rapids.

On Thursday Rogers responded with back-to-back second-period pins to return to the state quarterfinals for the second year in a row.

“I think I learned a lot from that match,” Rogers said of the loss at regionals. “I looked at what I had to do better as I keep going.”

Third-ranked Rogers pinned Sarah Greiner of Independence in 3:51 in her opening match on Thursday.

Rogers needed 2:47 to pin Abigail Durflinger of Cardinal in the second round.

“The first match I dominated but during the match I was kind of mad because I thought I could have wrestled that match better,” Rogers said. “I got that match out of the way and I had to move on.”

The win over Durflinger didn’t come without excitement.

Rogers had a takedown nine seconds into the match and led 9-1 before a Durflinger reversal that briefly had Rogers on her back.

“I am very used to wrestling crazy,” Rogers said. “You never know what to expect when you watch me so honestly that was a really fun match and I enjoyed it. I got in some really weird positions but I am comfortable in those positions so I am happy with that match and how I handled it.”

Rogers advanced to the 105-pound quarterfinals where she will face seventh-ranked Hillary Trainor (34-5) of Sumner-Fredericksburg on Thursday evening.

Trainor won a decision over Rogers in a consolation semifinal at the state meet last season.

The two wins from Rogers on Thursday morning highlighted a solid start for Solon.

Junior Kara Vedepo went 1-1 at 100 pounds falling to Kiara Ruiz of Spencer in the second round.

Olivia Bonnema went 1-1 at 140 pounds pinning Abigail O’Rear of West Delaware in 5:45 in the opening round before falling to top-ranked Kiara Djoumessi of Waverly-Shell Rock in the second round.

Liberty High had a strong start on Thursday going 3-0 in the opening round.

Taylor Cavanh (100), Evelyn Eggleston (135) and Kensi Steele (170) all earned the first state meet wins of their careers in the opening round.

Cavanh defeated Jazz Christensen of SWAT 7-6 in the 100-pound opening round and Eggleston pinned Ellie Hancock of Raccoon River-Northwest in 2:47.

Steele pinned City High’s Molly Carlson in 5:58 in the fifth match between the two wrestlers this season.

Cavanh, Eggleston and Steele all lost in the second round and will wrestle in the consolation bracket on Thursday evening.

State Tournament

At Xtream Arena in Coralville  

Opening Round

100 – Kara VeDepo (Solon) major dec. Elizabeth Burns (Cedar Rapids Prairie) 10-0

100 – Taylor Cavanh (Liberty High) dec. Jazz Christensen (SWAT) 7-6

105 – McKenna Rogers (Solon) pinned Sarah Greiner (Independence) 3:51

105 – Kacy Miller (Western Iowa) pinned Eliza Mitchell (City High) :24

115 – Ava Hofer (Linn-Mar) pinned Marlie McBride (Clear Creek Amana) 1:40

120 – Leah Chandler (Chariton) pinned Trinity Myers (West High) 1:32

120 – Apryl Halsor (Cedar Falls) pinned Alannah Mahoney (Solon) 2:26

125 – Hannah Rogers (Bettendorf) pinned Helen Orszula (West High) :18

135 – Evelyn Eggleston (Liberty High) pinned Ellie Hancock (Raccoon River-Northwest) 2:47

135 – Maeley Eslbury (South Tama) pinned Halle Bormann (Clear Creek Amana) 3:31

140 – Olivia Bonnema (Solon) pinned Abigail O’Rear (West Delaware) 5:45

145 – Ella Anliker (West Des Moines Valley) pinned Peyten Van Dyke (West High) 1:06

170 – Kensi Steele (Liberty High) pinned Molly Carlson (City High) 5:58

170 – Autumn Elsbury (South Tama) pinned Jordan Hunt (Clear Creek Amana) 3:12

170 – Karissa Oldenburger (Waverly-Shell Rock) dec. Teagyn Hartz (West Branch) 6-0

Second Round

100 – Mia Kurth (Waukon) pinned Taylor Cavanh (Liberty High) :51

100 – Kiara Ruiz (Spencer) dec. Kara VeDepo (Solon) 10-9

105 – McKenna Rogers (Solon) pinned Abigail Durflinger (Cardinal) 2:47

135 – Makana Miller (Waverly-Shell Rock) dec. Evelyn Eggleston (Liberty High) 14-8

140 – Kiara Djoumessi (Waverly-Shell Rock) pinned Olivia Bonnema (Solon) 1:39

170 – Naomi Simon (Decorah) pinned Kensi Steele (Liberty High) 1:04

First Round Consolation

105 – Kaelynn Roster (Vinton-Shellsburg) pinned Eliza Mitchell (City High) 1:05

115 – Marlie McBride (Clear Creek Amana) dec. Josephine Bond (Dallas Center-Grimes) 3-2

120 – Trinity Myers (West High) major dec. Camryn Andersen (Sioux City North) 11-2

120 – Sadie Smith (Carroll Kuemper) pinned Alannah Mahoney (Solon) 4:40

125 – Macie Little (North Mahaska) pinned Helen Orszula (West High) 3:05

135 – Addison Hochstetler (North Tama) dec. Halle Bormann (Clear Creek Amana) 4-2 SV-1

145 – Peyten Van Dyke (West High) pinned Kenzie Maeder (Southwest Valley) 4:49

170 – Molly Carlson (City High) pinned Genevieve Lantigua (Marshalltown) 3:19

170 – Kennedy Gunderson (Iowa Falls) dec. Jordan Hunt (Clear Creek Amana) 9-7

170 – Teagyn Hartz (West Branch) pinned Camryn Cothrell (Cedar Rapids Prairie) 1:44

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