By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – The strength of the Solon lineup lies in the lower weights.

The big guys for the Spartans did their best to balance out that power on Saturday.

Zach Wegmann and Tyler Linderbaum won titles at 220 and 285 pounds to go with first place finishes from Bryce and Drew West at 120 and 126 pounds to lead Solon to a runner-up finish at its own Ed Hadenfeldt Invitational.

 “Our murders row is definitely in the lower weights and we recognize to be a good team we have to be consistent throughout,” Wegmann said. “That is kind of something that we put on our shoulders and try to keep up the pace.”

Class 1A top-ranked Lisbon put seven wrestlers in the finals and crowned six champions to hold off Solon for the team title with 237.5 points.
Solon led the Lions entering the finals but went 4-4 in the championship round and finished second with 231.5 points.

“It was kind of a roller coaster day, a lot of good things but a lot of things that we can definitely get better at,” Solon coach Blake Williams said “Obviously, we wanted to win but Lisbon is ranked number one in 1A for a reason. They are a tough team but I think we can definitely build on this no doubt.”

Bryce and Drew West got Solon off to a strong start in the championship round with back-to-back pins and 120 and 126 pounds.

The brothers combined to go 6-0 with six pins on Saturday.

“You always want to win your own tournament,” Bryce West said. “You want to dominate everyone and get the team title, that’s what we wanted to try to do.”

Solon lost its next four title matches as Ben Carr (138), Graeson Dall (152), Trevor Nelson (160) and Dillon Diltz (182) all settled for runner-up finishes.

The highlight of the day for the Spartans was the Wegmann and Linderbaum ended it.

Wegmann capped a 3-0 performance with a 12-6 win over Logan O’Connor of Lisbon in the 220-pound title match.

In the title match, Wegmann recorded the first three takedowns while building a 9-4 lead.

“It’s big for me,” Wegmann said. “I saw the other guys doing it and said it’s my time.”

Wegmann has posed a 23-10 record while bounceing between 195 and 220 pounds this season.

Saturday Wegmann had a pair of pins to go with his 12-6 title match decision at 220 pounds.

“I try to put it out of my mind,” Wegmann said of what weight he is at. “I’m here to win and I’m going to try to do that no matter what.”

Linderbaum ended the meet with a bang as he put Clear Creek Amana senior Ethan Taylor on his back for a third-period pin.

The win pin was the third of the day for Linderbaum who improved to 30-5 on the season.

“It was fun to compete out there in front of our fans,” Linderbaum said. “We’ve had a couple of dual meets but a tournament is a little more fun and it’s just fun to win in front of your crowd.”

Taylor and Linderbaum battled to a 1-1 tie for better than three periods with each wrestler scoring via escape.

Linderbaum turned a Taylor throw attempt into a pin with a little more than a minute remaining.

“He tried to throw me and I just sunk my hips back and landed on him,” Linderbaum said. “That’s all it was.”

Williams is hoping that Saturday is just the start for the two biggest wrestlers in his lineup.

“Both of them work extremely hard and they have both made so many gains from last year,” Williams said of Wegmann and Linderbaum. “Just because they aren’t seniors that doesn’t mean they aren’t leaders, they are still leaders. They are leaders in the weight room and working hard so it’s neat to see them having success.”

 

Ed Hadenfeldt Invitational

Team scores – 1. Lisbon 237.5; 2. Solon 231.5; 3. West Liberty 187; 4. Washington 144.5; 5. Vinton-Shellsburg 109; 6. Center Point-Urbana 108.5; 7. Iowa Valley 102; 8. Wapello 76; 9. Albia 68.5; 10. Clear Creek Amana 67.5; 11. North Cedar 56; 11. Solon JV 56; 13. Cedar Rapids Prairie 40.5; 14. West Branch 5.

(First place, area placewinners)

106 – 1. Cobe Siebrecht (LIS) tech. fall Will Esmoil (WL) 16-1; 5. Zeb Gnida (SOL); 6. Samual Stevens (CCA).

113 – 1. Cael Happel (LIS) maj. dec. Caleb Fuessley (CPU) 16-7; 6. Aidan Dall (SOL).

120 – 1. Bryce West (SOL) pinned Luke Radeke (VS) 3:04; 6. Austin Smiddy (CCA).

126 – 1. Drew West (SOL) pinned Kyle Anderson (WAS) :38.

132 – 1. Cooper Siebrecht (LIS) maj. dec. Brock Radeke (VS) 10-2; 8. Christian Haight (SOL).

138 – 1. Chase McLaughlin (LIS) maj. dec. Ben Carr (SOL) 18-6; 4. Quinn Murphy (CCA); 8. Zach Wright (WB).

145 – 1. Jack Butteris (LIS) dec. Austin Beaver (WL) 4-2; 4. Andrew Rohret (CCA); 6. Zack Bevans (SOL).

152 – 1. Joe Kelly (WL) pinned Graeson Dall (SOL) 1:09.

160 – 1. Jacob Krakow (IV) dec. Trevor Nelson (SOL) 11-6.

170 – 1. Bryce Werderman (LIS) pinned Kort Johnson (VS) 1:04; 8. Ryan Geistkemper (SOL).

182 – 1. Garet Sims (IV) maj. dec. Dillon Diltz (SOL) 9-1; 7. Tanner Cochrane (CCA).

195 – 1. Bryce Esmoil (WL) pinned Karlton Skubal (WAS) 3:25; 6. John Lilleodden (SOL).

220 – 1. Zach Wegmann (SOL) dec. Logan O’Connor (LIS) 12-6.

285 – 1. Tyler Linderbaum (SOL) pinned Ethan Taylor (CCA) 4:52.