Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CORALVILLE – Teagyn Hartz didn’t advance to the final day or earn a medal in either of her first two trips to the IGHSAU state wrestling tournament.

What the West Branch senior did gain from back-to-back trips to the state meet was valuable experience.

On Thursday Hartz used that experience to secure herself a state medal.

Hartz went 2-1 on the opening day of the Class 1A state meet at Xtream Arena in Coralville on Thursday advancing to Friday’s final day and locking up a top-eight finish and her first career state medal.

“Those last two years definitely helped with my mindset,” Hartz said. “I lost the first one but I still had a good mindset and didn’t think it was all over. I knew I had more matches and I had to put my mind to it and win them.”

Hartz (35-4) fell into an early 9-1 deficit and dropped her opening 190-pound match 11-4 to Mary Bowman of Logan-Magnolia-Woodbine.

After a brief break Hartz bounced back from what was just her fourth loss of the season with a pair of impressive wins.

Seventh-ranked Hartz needed just 1:11 to pin Jada Moats of Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union in a first-round consolation match.

Hartz then secured her first-career state medal with a 6-2 decision over fourth-ranked Maren Subbert (32-4) of Hampton-Dumont-CAL.

“I have to say my family is a big part of that, just helping to motivate me and my coaches of course help with my mindset,” Hartz said. “The first match was a lot of nerves.”

Hartz went 1-2 in each of her first two trips to the state tournament.

On Thursday she wasn’t going to let the early loss be the defining moment of her final appearance at the event.

Instead Hartz did her best wrestling over the two consolation bracket wins.

“It definitely feels really good because the last two years I haven’t made it to the second day,” Hartz said. “It means that my hard work has paid off all season I am really glad that I get to place.”

Solon had four wrestlers compete at the 1A tournament on Thursday.

Solon senior Olivia Bonnema went 1-2 at 140 pounds.

Bonnema (23-8) won her opening-round match 7-6 over Katelyn Brandhorst (23-9) of Woodward-Granger before being pinned by eighth-ranked Jalyiah Gardner of Keokuk in the second round.

Montana Mitchell (18-3) pinned Bonnema in 1:37 in a second-round consolation match.

In her third trip to the state tournament Solon junior McKenna Rogers (28-7) went 1-2 at 110 pounds.

Rogers pinned No. 12 Kambry Gordon of Clarinda in 29 seconds in the opening round.

Davenport Assumption freshman Valentina West (36-8) pinned Rogers in 3:45 in the second round and Woodward-Granger sophomore Hannah Brandhorst pinned Rogers in 1:13 in a second-round consolation match.

Tess Richards (13-7) and Kara VeDepo (36-4) each went 0-2 for Solon after medically forfeiting their second match.

Kylie Belinsky (25-17) of Sumner-Fredericksburg pinned top-ranked VeDepo in 6:32 in the opening round at 105 pounds.

Macy Rasmussen (38-1) of Audubon pinned Richards in 3:14 in a 115-pound opening-round match.

IGHSAU Class 1A State Tournament

At Xtream Arena  

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. East Buchanan 53; 2. Mount Vernon 42; 3. Decorah 39.5; 4. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 39.5; 4. Osage 39.5; 6. Denver 31; 7. West Liberty 28.5; 8. Woodward-Granger 27; 9. Logan-Magnolia-Woodbine 26; 10. Vinton-Shellsburg 24.5; 61. Solon 6; 64. West Branch 5

Opening Round (Area wrestlers only)

105 – Kylie Belinsky (Sumner-Fredericksburg) pinned Kara VeDepo (Solon) 6:32

110 – McKenna Rogers (Solon) pinned Kambry Gordon (Clarinda) :29

115 – Macy Rasmussen (Audubon) pinned Tess Richards (Solon) 3:14

140 – Olivia Bonnema (Solon) dec. Katelyn Brandhorst (Woodward-Granger) 7-6

190 – Mary Bowman (Logan-Magnolia-Woodbine) dec. Teagyn Hartz (West Branch) 11-4

Second Round

110 – Valentina West (Davenport Assumption) pinned McKenna Rogers (Solon) 3:45

140 – Jalyiah Gardner (Keokuk) pinned Olivia Bonnema (Solon) 2:00

First Round Consolation

105 – Valeria Torres (East Buchanan) won by forfeit Kara VeDepo (Solon)

115 – Gabby Gingerich (Mid-Prairie) won by forfeit Tess Richards (Solon)

190 – Teagyn Hartz (West Branch) pinned Jada Moats (Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union) 1:11

Second Round Consolation

110 – Hannah Brandhorst (Woodward-Granger) pinned McKenna Rogers (Solon) 1:13

140 – Montana Mitchell (Winterset) pinned Olivia Bonnema (Solon) 1:37

190 – Teagyn Hartz (West Branch) dec. Maren Subbert (Hampton-Dumont-CAL) 6-2

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