Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CORALVILLE – Between matches at the girls state wrestling tournament on Thursday Kara VeDepo looked at the backside of the 100-pound bracket and could see exactly what waited ahead.

Lots of work and lots of matches.

Then VeDepo went to work.

The Solon junior won five consecutive consolation matches following a second-round loss, including a pair wins on Friday to secure the first medal of her career with a fourth-place finish at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

“I knew it was going to be hard but I said ‘I am going to fight through’,” VeDepo said. “My goal was to place and I did that so I’m happy.”

The fourth-place finish from VeDepo along with a fifth-place finish from sophomore McKenna Rogers capped a season of growth for Solon.

The Spartans increased the number of state qualifiers (4) and state medalist (2) this season while finishing 21st as a team with 43 points.

“I think our program improved tremendously and it’s not going to be just a flip of a switch it’s going to be incremental every season,” Solon coach Jake Munson said. “Really the last four years we’ve taken a step forward every year and plan to keep doing so.”

The strong finish from VeDepo was a big part of a successful two-days for the Spartans.

After dropping a 10-9 decision to seventh-ranked Kiara Ruiz of Spencer in the second round VeDepo rattled off five straight wins to reach the third-place match.

The five consecutive wins for ninth-ranked VeDepo (39-8) included an 11-3 major decision over Ruiz in which VeDepo had a takedown and a pair of three-point near falls while taking an 8-0 lead in the first period.

“I made it my match and I controlled it,” VeDepo said. “I said ‘I’m not going to let that happen again’.”

VeDepo earned medical forfeit victory over third-ranked Mia Kurth of Waukon in the consolation semifinals before falling to second-ranked Denver freshman Violet Diaz in the third-place match.

“Looking at where I was the last few years and see how far I’ve come it feels good,” VeDepo said. “I’m happy with the improvement.”

Rogers (21-3) rebounded from back-to-back losses with a pin of fifth-ranked Lainey Shelangoski of Durant in the fifth-place match.

It was the second consecutive fifth-place finish for Rogers who lost to second-ranked Layla Phillips of Mason City in the semifinals and top-ranked Erica Irvine of Don Bosco in the consolation semifinals.

“I knew those girls were the top in the state and I knew it was going to be a battle and I didn’t come out on top like I wanted to but I knew I had to come back,” Rogers said. “I couldn’t be sad about it I had to flush it and keep going and that’s what I did and it worked out for me.”

The win over Shelangoski in the fifth-place match avenged a super regional loss to the Durant senior and capped a 4-2 state tournament performance by Rogers who had four pins in the tournament.

State Tournament

At Xtream Arena in Coralville  

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Decorah 141; 2. East Buchanan 96; 2. Raccoon River-Northwest 96; 4. Waverly-Shell Rock 93; 5. Council Bluffs Lewis Central 89; 6. Bettendorf 86.5; 7. Ankeny 86; 8. Spencer 84; 9. Cedar Falls 80; 10. Vinton-Shellsburg 75; 21. Solon 43; 110. West High 5; 121. City High 3; 121. West Branch 3; 140. Clear Creek Amana 1

Semifinals

105 – Layla Phillips (Mason City) pinned McKenna Rogers (Solon) 1:01

Fourth Round Consolations

100 – Kara VeDepo (Solon) pinned Natalie Blake (Cedar Falls) 2:47

Fifth Round Consolations

100 – Kara VeDepo (Solon) major dec. Kiara Ruiz (Spencer) 11-3

Consolation Semifinal

100 – Kara VeDepo (Solon) dec. Alexis Kolbet (Osage) 6-0

105 – Erica Irvine (Don Bosco) pinned McKenna Rogers (Solon) 5:34

Consolation Semifinal

100 – Kara VeDepo won by medical forfeit over Mia Kurth (Waukon)

Fifth Place Match

105 – McKenna Rogers (Solon) pinned Lainey Shelangoski (Durant) 3:08

Third Place Match

100 – Violet Diaz (Denver) pinned Kara VeDepo (Solon) :44

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