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In a season filled with impressive performances West Branch came up with its best performance in the biggest meet of the year.

West Branch qualified a school-record nine wrestlers for the state meet on its way to winning the team title at the Class 1A, District 8 meet on Saturday at Pleasantville high school.

Ethan Humphrey, Cale Seydel, Tate Frantz and Logan Wright all won individual district titles as West Branch rolled up 206 team points to finishing 54 in front of runner-up Pleasantville.

Seniors Lincoln Edwards, Auron Marsh and Quintyn Rocha and sophomores Cooper Gates and Logan Christoffel all qualified for state with runner-up finishes.

Regina qualified three wrestlers for the Class 1A state meet that will run February 14-17 at Wells Fargo arena in Des Moines and finished fifth with 82.5 points.

Carter Slager, Cash Hatfield and Will Aitchison all earned runner-up finishes on Saturday to advance to the state meet for Regina.

No. 12 Humphrey (29-2) was the first West Branch wrestler to secure a spot at state claiming the 106-pound title with a pin of Reed Lauderman of Pekin.

Seydel (25-5) won the 157-pound title winning a 10-8 decision over Jake Moore of Sigourney-Keota in sudden victory.

Frantz (28-9) pinned Austin McMahan of North Mahaska in the 190-pound title match and Fifth-ranked Wright (31-3) won a 14-3 major decision over No. 12 Aiden McFadden of Baxter in the 285-pound championship match

Tenth-ranked Edwards (26-5) was pinned by eighth-ranked Ayden Beck of Baxter in the 120-pound title match and Christoffel (30-6) dropped a decision to sixth-ranked Ryan Groom of North Mahaska in the 132-pound championship.

Rocha (28-7) was runner-up at 215 pounds to secure a spot at state falling to Luke Moore of English Valleys 1-0 in the title match.

Gates and Marsh each needed to win wrestle back matches to secure spots at the state meet.

Marsh advanced to state in thrilling fashion at 144 pounds.

After dropping a 6-2 decision to tenth-ranked Pleasantville freshman Zane Mullenix in in the championship match Marsh won a 3-1 decision over Anderson Jack of Baxter in sudden victory in the wrestle back to secure a spot at state.

Sixth-ranked Gates (30-2) dropped an 11-2 major decision to second-ranked John McGill of Colfax-Mingo in the 165-pound title match but responded with a second-period pin of Ashton Schwab of Sigourney-Keota in the wrestle back.

Regina had a trio of runner-up finishers earn spots at the state meet.

Slager (20-17) was pinned by Joel DeJong of North Mahaska in the 126-pound championship match but earned a spot at state with a 6-3 decision over Korbin Camp of Van Buren in the wrestle back.

Hatfield (36-14) earned a second straight trip to state with a runner-up finish at 138 pounds, dropping an 8-2 decision to Caleb Cook of Pleasantville in the title match.

Aitchison (11-7) was runner-up at 175 pounds falling to Callyn Bishop of Baxter in the title match.

Class 1A, District 8

At Pleasantville High School

Team scores – 1. West Branch 206; 2. Pleasantville 152; 3. North Mahaska 124; 4. Baxter 105; 5. Regina 82.5; 6. Colfax-Mingo 64; 7. Sigourney-Keota 62; 8. English Valleys 46; 9. Van Buren 41; 10. Pekin 29; 11. Lone Tree 18

Championship matches; state qualifiers

106 – 1. Ethan Humphrey (WB) pinned Reed Lauderman (PEK) 3:04

113 – 1. Tommy Booth (PLE) pinned Brock Nebergall (LT) 1:18

120 – 1. Ayden Beck (BAX) pinned Lincoln Edwards (WB) 2:00

126 – 1. Joel DeJong (NM) pinned Carter Slager (ICR) 2:00

132 – 1. Ryan Groom (NM) dec. Logan Christoffel (WB)

138 – 1. Caleb Cook (PLE) dec. Cash Hatfield (ICR) 8-2

144 – 1. Zane Mullenix (PLE) dec. Anderson Jack (BAX) 6-2; 2. Auron Marsh (WB)

150 – 1. Carter Metcalf (PLE) pinned Ruger Kincaid (BAX) :46

157 – 1. Cale Seydel (WB) dec. Jake Moore (S-K) 10-8 SV-1; 2. Angello Wittenburg (NM)

165 – 1. John McGill (C-M) major dec. Cooper Gates (WB) 11-2

175 – 1. Callyn Bishop (BAX) pinned Will Aitchison (ICR) 2:44

190 – 1. Tate Frantz (WB) pinned Austin McMahan (NM) 2:00

215 – 1. Luke Moore (EV) dec. Quintyn Rocha (WB) 1-0

285 – 1. Logan Wright (WB) major dec. Aiden McFadden (BAX) 14-3

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