Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – One day after picking up the first career victory at the state tournament Liberty High junior Landon Bell earned a spot in the semifinals.

Bell became the second wrestler in program history to reach the semifinals with a 7-2 decision over eighth-ranked Phillip Jacobs of Linn-Mar in a Class 3A 175-pound quarterfinal at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Fourth-ranked Bell joins Vinny Lima who reached the 215-pound semifinals last season as Liberty High wrestlers to advance to the semifinals.

Bell (24-4) will face top-seeded Jacob Helgeson (32-1) of Johnston in the 175-pound semifinals on Friday in a session that starts at 9 a.m.

In his quarterfinal win over Jacobs (32-5) Bell had a takedown in each of the first two periods while building a 7-1 lead.

West High had a pair of wrestlers secure spots in Friday’s semifinal round as 113-pound junior Alexander Pierce and 150-pound senior Justin Avila each won quarterfinal matches on Thursday.

Avila (47-3) won a 4-0 decision over fourth-ranked Elijah Blewitt (Indianola) in the 150-pound quarterfinals.

Third-ranked Avila will face eighth-ranked Mason Lucas (33-6) of Carlisle in the 150-pound semifinals.

Pierce (46-2) reached the semifinals for the third consecutive season with a 13-2 major decision over seventh-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock freshman Kipton Lewis.

West High went 2-2 in the quarterfinal round as Cole Krutzfeldt and Matthew Tran each lost to quarterfinal matches.

Krutzfeldt fell to fifth-ranked Ryan Rider of Carlisle in a 138-pound quarterfinal while second-ranked Cale Vandermark of Ankeny Centennial won a 13-4 major decision over Tran at 120 pounds.

City High senior Kendall Kurtz (38-5) earned the first semifinal appearance of his career with a 12-5 decision over eighth-ranked Avery Van Zelderen of Dallas Center-Grimes.

Fourth-ranked Kurtz will face second-ranked Cale Vandermark (40-2) of Ankeny Centennial in the semifinals on Friday.

City High junior Raph Etuma dropped a 4-0 decision to fourth-ranked Jean Ngoma of Cedar Rapids Xavier in the 215-pound quarterfinals.

Clear Creek Amana seniors Cale Nash and Nolan Howell each dropped quarterfinal matches on Thursday.

Nash fell to two-time champion TJ Koester of Bettendorf in the 120-pound quarterfinals and Howell dropped a 7-2 decision to third-ranked Koy Davidson of Fort Dodge in a 144-pound quarterfinal.

Class 3A State Tournament

At Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Southeast Polk 138.5; 2. Johnston 78; 3. Waukee Northwest 76; 4. Bettendorf 75; 5. Indianola 71.5; 6. Carlisle 64; 7. Waverly-Shell Rock 61.5; 8. Ankeny 60.5; 9. West Des Moines Dowling 59.5; 10. Ankeny Centennial 51.5; 15. West High 39; 27. Clear Creek Amana 24; 31. City High 17.5; 33. Liberty High 16.5

Individual Results

Quarterfinal Round (area athletes)

113 – Alexander Pierce (West High) major dec. Kipton Lewis (Waverly-Shell Rock) 13-2

120 – Kendall Kurtz (City High) dec. Avery Van Zelderen (Dallas Center-Grimes) 12-5

120 – Cale Vandermark (Ankeny Centennial) major dec. Matthew Tran (West High) 13-4

132 – TJ Koester (Bettendorf) pinned Cale Nash (Clear Creek Amana) 1:01

138 – Ryan Rider (Carlisle) dec. Cole Krutzfeldt (West High) 6-1

144 – Koy Davidson (Fort Dodge) dec. Nolan Howell (Clear Creek Amana) 7-2

150 – Justin Avila (West High) dec. Elijah Blewitt (Indianola) 4-0

175 – Landon Bell (Liberty High) dec. Phillip Jacobs (Linn-Mar) 7-2

215 – Jean Ngoma (Cedar Rapids Xavier) dec. Raph Etuma (City High) 6-0

Second Round Consolation (area athletes)

106 – Cole Kasparek (Clear Creek Amana) dec. Taitumn Deppe (Cedar Rapids Xavier) 1-0

106 – Isaac Beirman (Johnston) dec. Connor McGonegle (Liberty High) 1-0

120 – Josh Bergkamp (West Des Moines Dowling) pinned Jose Mendiata (Clear Creek Amana) 1:03

120 – Benjamin Rosen (Liberty High) major dec. Will Smith (Linn-Mar) 12-2

126 – Nick McCalister (Waukee) major dec. Chase Williams (City High) 13-4

126 – Noah Phillips (Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson) tech. fall Malachi Clement (Clear Creek Amana) 15-0

132 – Soren Kelsall (Pleasant Valley) dec. Rex Edmonds (Liberty High) 6-2

138 – Aiden Winkie (Ankeny) pinned Donovan Gipson (City High) 3:21

138 – Jay Halverson (Clear Creek Amana) pinned Hud Turner (Linn-Mar) 3:47

150 – Trace Robertson (Clear Creek Amana) pinned Germaine Ngoma (Cedar Rapids Xavier) 1:37

150 – Brady Jennings (Clinton) pinned Laith Alawneh (City High) 1:46

157 – Gabe Rubino (Waukee Northwest) pinned Ben Haughey (Clear Creek Amana) 5:05

165 – Tyde Nelsen (Dallas Center-Grimes) pinned Marshall Sheldon (City High) 1:43

165 – Aidan Schrock (Clear Creek Amana) dec. Jacob Hand (Ankeny Centennial) 7-4

175 – Will Whalen (Indianola) tech. fall Clayton Isham (Clear Creek Amana) 15-0

175 – Tyler Stanford (Norwalk) dec. Mason Tilley (City High) 5-2

190 – Daniel Dhabolt (Ankeny Centennial) pinned Blaine Heick (City High) 1:28

190 – Wyatt Young (Cedar Rapids Washington) pinned Dylan Schrock (Clear Creek Amana) :18

285 – Bryce Stewart (North Scott) dec. Kane Willey (City High) 4-2 TB-1

285 – Randale Kelly (West High) pinned Elias Pardon (Urbandale) 3:19

Third Round Consolation (area athletes)

106 – Oliver Lange (West Des Moines Valley) dec. Cole Kasparek (Clear Creek Amana) 8-2

120 – Shandrel Thompson (Johnston) pinned Benjamin Rosen (Liberty High) 5:30

138 – Camron Bennett (Des Moines East) dec. Jay Halverson (Clear Creek Amana) 12-9 SV-1

150 – Brady Rissman (Western Dubuque) tech fall Trace Robertson (Clear Creek Amana) 17-1

165 – Tyde Nelsen (Dallas Center-Grimes) tech fall Aidan Schrock (Clear Creek Amana) 17-2

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