Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – The senior stalwart in the Solon lineup Gage Marty was dominant on his way to a sectional title.

The veteran, two-time state medalist was joined atop the podium on Saturday by a postseason rookie.

Freshman Jordan Schmidt cruised to the 126-pound title in his postseason debut as Solon sent six total wrestlers through to districts at the Class 2A, Sectional 16 meet Saturday in Solon.

“It’s nice to get this one over with and move on,” Schmidt said. “My main goal is to get to state so it’s nice to wrestle well and be moving on.”

Neither Schmidt or Marty had a match go the distance on Saturday.

In fact, neither of the Spartans sectional champs had a match go past the second period.

Schmidt (36-17) posted a first-period pin of West Burlington/Notre Dame freshman Aman Ghandi in the semifinals and won a 15-0 tech fall over Ryker Dengler of West Liberty in the title match.

“I just wanted to go out there and do my job, wrestle my hardest and finish on top,” Schmidt said. “I was confident in myself going into this.”

Schmidt scored a takedown 23 seconds into the opening period of the title match and added a pair of three-point nearfalls while taking an 8-0 lead.

Starting the second period on bottom Schmidt needed just 16 seconds to get an escape and got back to his offense quickly ending the match with 29 seconds left in the period with a takedown and three more nearfall points.

“My biggest thing for him is stuff on bottom,” Solon coach Aaron Hadenfeldt said. “We were on him at the beginning of the year and he’d get on bottom and just sit there and he’s one of our better guys at exploding on the whistle now so that’s a major leap for him.”

Schmidt will attempt to secure a spot at the Class 2A state meet next Saturday at the 2A, District 8 meet at Williamsburg.

“He’s earning what he is getting,” Hadenfeldt said of Schmidt. “He was thrown to the wolves here, he’s at a tough weight class and we are proud of him. The sky is the limit for that kid.”

Marty was equally impressive posting back-to-back first-period pins on his way to the 285-pound title.

Top-ranked Marty (43-2) pinned Jordan Salyers of Keokuk in 1:45 in the semifinals and needed 1:44 to pin West Liberty senior Quintyn Rocha in the title match.

“No messing around, today just straight business,” Marty said. “It’s definitely the time of year where there isn’t much room to mess around.”

Already with a pair of trips to the state tournament Marty is easily the most experienced wrestler in Solon lineup.

In the days leading up to the sectional meet Marty used that leadership to prepare himself and his younger teammates.

“You have a kid that has been down to state tournament a few times and on top of that Gage Marty is never too high and never too low,” Hadenfeldt said. “The kids see that. You can tell he’s not nervous and anxious. Gage is the same all the time and that’s a credit to Gage.”

Solon had four wrestlers qualify for districts with runner-up finishes on Saturday.

Sophomore Lawson Sinnwell (25-13) was runner-up at 120 pounds falling to West Burlington/Notre Dame freshman CJ Davis in the final.

Junior David Karam (26-28) was runner-up after falling to seventh-ranked Isaiah Fenton of West Burlington/Notre Dame in the 152-pound final.

A pair of Spartans won wrestle back matches to secure spots at the district meet.

Braydon Hoffman (21-19) pinned Kolbe Barnes of Keokuk in a 195-pound wrestle back to secure a runner-up finish and Tyler Hancox (21-13) pinned Joe Akers of West Liberty in 1:25 to advance with a runner-up finish at 220 pounds.

“We talked yesterday everybody is 0-0 right now, all it takes is one move and you aren’t moving on or you are moving on,” Hadenfeldt said. “If you go out and give 100 percent effort win or lose it doesn’t matter. Go out and leave everything on the mat and we can live with the result.”

Class 2A, Sectional 16 Meet

At Solon High School

Teams scores – 1. West Burlington/Notre Dame 243; 2. West Liberty 211; 3. Solon 201.5; 4. Washington 159.5; 5. Keokuk 66; 6. Mount Pleasant 46

Championship matches; district qualifiers

106 – 1. Carter West (WBND) dec. Colin Cassady (WL) 6-2

113 – 1. Kaiden Dietzenbach (WBND) dec. Aaron Boone (WAS) 4-1

120 – 1. CJ Davis (WBND) pinned Lawson Sinnwell (SOL) 2:54

126 – 1. Jordan Schmidt (SOL) tech. fall Ryker Dengler (WL) 15-0

132 – 1. Blaine Frazier (WBND) pinned Jude Carter (WAS) 1:56; 2. Bryson Garcia (WL)

138 – 1. Tate O’Shea (WBND) dec. Bowen Davis (MP) 10-4

145 – 1. Joshua Zeman (WL) dec. Blake Wilson (WBND) 6-5

152 – 1. Isaiah Fenton (WBND) tech. fall David Karam (SOL) 16-0

160 – 1. Samuel West (WBND) pinned Chase Greiner (WAS) 1:34

170 – 1. Drake Collins (WL) medical forfeit River Belger (WBND)

182 – 1. CJ Walrath (WBND) tech. fall Felipe Molina (WL) 18-3

195 – 1. Jahsiah Galvan (WL) medical forfeit Kolbe Barnes (KEO); 2. Braydon Hoffman (SOL)

220 – 1. Colley Billingsly (WAS) pinned Tyler Hancox (SOL) 3:02

285 – 1. Gage Marty (SOL) pinned Quintyn Rocha (WL) 1:44

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