Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Four years ago Lance Bormann and Joey Harney joined the City High wrestling program with the same goal.

To turn the program around.

The Little Hawks aren’t quite where they want to be yet but Harney and Bormann made sure City High took another step in the right direction on Thursday.

Bormann and Harney each won matches late as Class 3A No. 6 City High edged ninth-ranked Dubuque Hempstead 31-30 in the nightcap of a Mississippi Valley Conference triangular to claim its first regular season title since 2006.

“We came here and our goal as freshman was to get the program turned around,” Bormann said. “We started that process and one of our goals was to win conference championships. We’ve got more a head of us but this feels pretty good.”

City High got victories from four seniors in the dual win over Hempstead that secured the MVC Valley Division title.

Seniors Jacob Dykes and Wilfred Kadohou each picked up wins in the title-clinching win over Hempstead.

Top-ranked Dykes (33-0) pinned Steven Blosch in 1:27 for his 100th career win while Kadohou won a 10-5 decision over Trever Maiers.

“It shows where we have come from because our last dual title was 2006,” Dykes said. “It shows that this senior class has grown into a leadership role and we’ve led this team to where we are now.”

The Little Hawks defeated Dubuque Senior 57-21 in its opener Thursday and finished a perfect 6-0 against Valley Division foes.

“This was a huge goal for us,” Harney said. “Getting the first conference championship since 2006, this is pretty big for us.”

 

City High won eight matches against the Mustangs but needed late decisions from Bormann and Harney to escape.

Hempstead (2-2 MVC) earned bonus points in five of six wins, including three pins and led 27-25 after a tech. fall by second-ranked Joe Pins at 126 pounds.

Seventh-ranked Bormann (28-5) gave City High a 28-27 lead with a 4-1 win over Dylan Pauley at 132 and No. 10 Harney secured the win with his 7-3 victory over Jack Gehl in the finale at 145 pounds.  

“We’ve come really far, I started out splitting time with Joey on JV and now we are both ranked varsity guys that are coming together at the end of the meet to help us win a conference championship,” Bormann said. “It’s been cool seeing that whole process.”

City High took a 16-12 lead on back-to back wins by Jason Lemus and senior Jacob Dykes at 195 and 220 pounds.

Neither team would win consecutive matches the rest of the way as lead changed hands seven times over the final eight matches.

Hempstead took its final lead at 30-28 when Tyler Murphy used a five-point third-period move to down Ryan Ceynar 7-3 at 138.

Harney (28-4) nearly ended things in the third period when he caught Gehl on his back but settled for a 5-0 lead.

Gehl cut the lead to 5-3 with a third-period reversal but Harney scored a reversal of his own in the final 30 seconds to sure the win.

“It was really nerve wracking but when I got out on the mat it all just went away,” Harney said. “I knew I had to get that win for my team.”

The conference title is another building block for the Little Hawks who have come a long way under sixth-year head coach Cory Connell.

“It’s been a long time, it’s been since 2006 and it’s time to start putting more numbers on the banners in here,” Connell said. “We wanted to take advantage of the momentum. We had a great moment in front of us we had a great opportunity in front of us and we just wanted to take advantage of that opportunity.”

City High 57, Dubuque Senior 21

106 – Ethan Wood-Finley (ICH) pinned Luke Busch :41

113 – Isaac Cretsinger (DS) won by forfeit

120 – Michael Santoro (ICH) pinned Sabastian Sorondo 3:18

126 – Reece Caven (ICH) pinned Gavin Schumacher :29

132 – Lance Bormann (ICH) pinned Carter Elliott :55

138 – Alex Richard (DS) dec. Ryan Ceynar 5-1

145 – Matt Connolly (DS) pinned Jackson Ernst :23

152 – Kyle Hefley (ICH) pinned Levi Ryan 1:16

160 – Wilfred Kadahou (ICH) pinned Nathan Siegworth 1:28

170 – Brandon Lalla (ICH) dec. Adam Runde 4-2

182 – Dashawn Tigges (DS) pinned Dan Gustafson 2:33

195 – Jason Lemus (ICH) pinned Hunter Thoma 4:33

220 – Jacob Dykes (ICH) pinned Declan Sisler 1:11

285 – Jacob Murry (ICH) pinned Michael Welborn 2:46

City High 31, Dubuque Hempstead 30

106 – Ethan Wood-Finley (ICH) pinned Brennan Lechnir 1:26

113 – Dillon Gottschalk (DH) major dec. Garrett Bormann 16-8

120 – Michael Santoro (ICH) dec. Ben Faber 9-2

126 – Joe Pins (DH) tech fall Reece Caven 21-6

132 – Lance Bormann (ICH) dec. Dylan Pauley 4-1

138 – Tyler Murphy (DH) dec. Ryan Ceynar 7-3

145 – Joey Harney (ICH) dec. Jack Gehl 7-3

152 – Kyle Hefley (ICH) major dec. Jackson Rigdon 15-1

160 – Alex Ward (DH) pinned Fritz Spencer :20

170 – Wilfred Kadohou (ICH) dec. Trever Maiers 10-5

182 – Kent Kragenbrink (DH) pinned Brandon Lalla 1:37

195 – Jason Lemus (ICH) dec. Garrett Long 4-1

220 – Jacob Dykes (ICH) pinned Steven Blosch 1:27

285 – Dylan Olson (DH) pinned Jacob Murry 6:15