Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Jax Flynn lost a close match in his first trip to the state quarterfinals last season.  

In his return to the Class 2A quarterfinals on Friday it was Flynn that came out on top in a tight battle of ranked wrestlers.

Flynn (47-7) scored a takedown and near fall in the final 10 seconds of sudden victory to earn a 6-2 win over seventh-ranked Mason Griffin (22-4) of Emmetsburg.

The win avenged an 8-3 loss to Griffin last month and sends Flynn into the 2A semifinals for the first time in his career.

“To rebound like that after him beating me earlier in the season (feels good),” Flynn said. “He beat me pretty good too, I was more defensive that time and I just made sure to finish on that ankle pass, because I knew that shot was coming when he hit the high crotch so this time I was able to defend it good and I got it.”

In a match filled with scrambles and near scoring opportunities Flynn emerged from a scramble in the waning seconds of sudden victory to secure the win.

Flynn started the third period on top with the score even at two and rode Griffin for two minutes to force the extra session where he scored his only takedown.

“I worked the whole practice with coach Osgood on the ankle passes and finishing the ankle pass,” Flynn said. “If you imagine what you are going to do in the match and you are going to do it and I did that.”

Flynn will face top-ranked Jared Voss (33-5) in a 2A semifinal on Friday evening.

The two WAMAC rivals met in a dual in December where Flynn posted a 9-5 win.

Voss has won 24 straight matches after a 6-4 win over fifth-ranked Caleb Swalla of Van Meter in the quarterfinals and

“My whole high school career I’ve been looked at as an underdog,” Flynn said. “That hypes me up and I was able to finish when things were close.”

Flynn joined defending state champion Hayden Taylor in the 2A semifinals for Solon.

Top-ranked Taylor (50-0) won a 13-2 major decision over Cayden Howland of Iowa Falls to advance to the 145-pound semifinals.

Taylor will faced second-ranked and defending state champion Jack Thomsen (44-2) of Union in the semifinals.

A three-time medalist Thomsen won the 2A title at 138 pounds last season and defeated third-ranked Jack West of Winterset in the quarterfinals.  

Class 2A State Meet

At Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. West Delaware 47; 2. Osage 44; 3. Union 35; 4. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 32; 5. Winterset 31.5; 6. Solon 31; 7. Davenport Assumption 26; 7. West Liberty 26; 9. Centerville 25; 10. Bondurant-Farrar 24.5

Quaterfinal Round (Area Wrestlers Only)

145 – Hayden Taylor (Solon) major dec. Cayden Howland (Iowa Falls) 13-2  

152 – Tyler Brown (Winterset) pinned Zeb Gnida (Solon) 2:25

170 – Jax Flynn (Solon) dec. Mason Griffin (Emmetsburg) 6-2 SV-1

Second Round Consolation  (Solon Wrestlers Only)

152 – Kristian Gunderson (Forrest City) dec. Zeb Gnida (Solon) 3-0

182 – Seamus Poynton (Solon) pinned Dylan Jeffers (Keokuk) 3:34

195 – Gage Marty (Solon) pinned Isaac Boucher (Mid-Prairie) 1:08

Friday’s Semifinal Matches

145 – No. 1 Hayden Taylor (50-0) Soph., Solon vs. No. 2 Jack Thomsen (44-2) Sr., Union

170 – No. 8 Jax Flynn (47-7) Sr., Solon vs. No. 1 Jared Voss (33-5) Jr., West Delaware

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by becoming a member.