Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CEDAR RAPIDS – Like many young wrestlers Kara VeDepo did a lot of learning in her first varsity season.

The lesson that stuck with the VeDepo most from her debut campaign?

It’s just a mat.

“I’m not as nervous now and I’ve learned to just focus on the mat that I’m on,” VeDepo explained on Friday. “It’s just a mat no matter where it’s at.”

A year after winning 27 matches and advancing to the state tournament as a freshman VeDepo is back, not as big, but better than ever.

Down 10 pounds from her state-qualifying weight a year ago, VeDepo dominated on her way to an individual title on Friday at the Region 6 qualifier at Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids.

VeDepo went 3-0 with two pins and a tech fall on her way to the 100-pound title as Solon qualified a program-best four wrestlers for next week’s state tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

“Last year I was wrestling up a weight class, so being able to cut down to 100 and wrestle people my weight is a big advantage,” VeDepo said. “My goal was to wrestle 105 and over the season I was at 103 and I felt like I could get down to 100. After I made the cut it’s been good.”

Sophomores McKenna Rogers and Alannah Mahoney and junior Olivia Bonnema all earned spots at state with top four finishes as Solon placed fifth as a team at the 24-team qualifier with 145.5 points.

“I am very pleased with our effort today,” Solon coach Jake Munson said. “We wrestle a lot of big tournaments and a tough schedule to get ourselves ready for an event like this. I feel like we don’t shrink away from the big stage and our girls competed really well today.”

VeDepo (33-6) led the way for Solon on Friday.

The 100-pound sophomore pinned Terranae Wyatt of Cedar Rapids Kennedy in 1:31 in the quarterfinals and pinned Liberty High sophomore Taylor Cavanh in 5:25 in the semifinals.

In the title match tenth-ranked VeDepo needed just 3:12 to score a 15-0 tech fall over ninth-ranked Olivia Hernandez of Bettendorf.

“I think it’s a testament to Kara and how she works all year round on her wrestling,” Munson said. “It’s just her dedication this year. She’s been healthy this year, she gets after it in the wrestling room and she really made a commitment to go down to 100 pounds which was a big cut for her but she’s a wrestler that does it the right way.”

VeDepo didn’t score her first takedown until there was 54 seconds remaining in the opening period but added six near fall points to take an 8-0 lead.

She scored a reversal less than a minute into the second period and ended the match with five quick near fall points.

“I really like that fireman’s carry,” VeDepo said. “Just keeping her right arm, I knew the fireman’s would come, I knew I had to wrestle smart and I was just being patient and waiting.”

Joining VeDepo at state are a pair of returning state qualifiers in Rogers and Bonnema and a first-timer in Mahoney.

Mahoney finished fourth at the regional meet last season, dropping a 2-1 decision in the fourth-place match for a trip to state.

On Friday Mahoney (25-8) secured her first state trip with a third-place finish at 120 pounds.

“My goal coming in was to make it to state and I felt like if I wrestled my best the results would come,” Mahoney said. “It feels really good.”

Mahoney followed up a quarterfinal loss to Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Olivia Hallam with four consecutive consolation wins including an 8-3 decision over Hallam in the third-place match.

“I feel like I am wrestling smarter,” Mahoney said. “Last year I would be out of position a lot and this year I really tried to be smarter and focus on my position.”

Rogers, who placed fifth at state at 105 pounds last season, secured a return trip with a runner-up finish at 105.

Third-ranked Rogers (17-1) lost a 7-4 decision to fourth-ranked Durant senior Lainey Shelangoski in the 105-pound title match.

Bonnema (31-13) returns to state for the second consecutive season with a third-place finish at 140 pounds.

Bonnema was pinned by Sadie Burke of Vinton-Shellsburg in the quarterfinal and responded with four consecutive consolation wins including a 5-1 victory over Burke in the third-place match.

“We really focus on the process of wrestling well,” Munson said. “We preached all week that we just want to wrestle well. If we wrestle well the results will take care of themselves. If we focus on results a lot of times we don’t wrestle well. We want to focus on wrestling well, wrestling our best and peaking at the right time and really we feel like we’ve done that pretty well today.”

Region 6 Tournament  

At Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids   

Team scores – 1. Bettendorf 230.5; 2. Vinton-Shellsburg 225; 3. Mount Vernon 172; 4. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 166; 5. Solon 145.5; 6. Davenport 137; 7. North Scott 124; 8. Benton Community 115; 9. Liberty High 110; 10. Western Dubuque 95; 11. Burlington 87; 12. Alburnett 81; 13. Durant 72; 14. West Branch 63; 15. Clear Creek Amana 57; 16. Muscatine 53; 17. Wapello 47; 18. Highland 47; 19. Davenport Assumption 29; 20. WACO 27; 21. Maquoketa 26; 22. Keokuk 23; 23. Lone Tree 13; 24. Mount Pleasant 3

Championship matches; State qualifiers  

100 – 1. Kara VeDepo (SOL) tech. fall Olivia Hernandez (BET) 15-0; 3. Taylor Cavanh (ICL); 4. Kenadee Helscher (WAP)

105 – 1. Lainey Shelangoski (DUR) dec. McKenna Rogers (SOL) 7-4; 3. Kaelynn Roster (V-S); 4. Jacey Mason (DAV)

110 – 1. Kiersten Swart (MV) pinned Angelia Roling (HIG) 3:00; 3. Emily See (BET); 4. Rylee Rice (WAC)

115 – 1. Taylor Strief (BET) dec. Ellie Weets (V-S) 16-11; 3. Marlie McBride (CCA); 4. Hannah Park (DAV)

120 – 1. Bree Swenson (V-S) pinned Nesa Selmani (BET) 2:35; 3. Alannah Mahoney (SOL); 4. Olivia Hallam (CRK)

125 – 1. Hannah Rogers (BET) pinned Jadalynn Daily (DAV) :30; 3. Camden Erhardt (V-S); 4. Ava Streeter (DUR)

130 – 1. Chloe Sanders (V-S) pinned Lexy Petersen (BET) 3:53; 3. Lyni Gusick (ALB); 4. Harmony Hansel (NS)

135 – 1. Evelyn Eggleston (ICL) pinned Morgan Strief (BET) 5:14; 3. Meika Neal (MV); 4. Halle Bormann (CCA)

140 – 1. Lizzy Wolf (BC) pinned Izzy Giza (BET) 1:04; 3. Olivia Bonnema (SOL); 4. Sadie Burke (V-S)

145 – 1. Greta Brus (DAV) dec. Layna DeMoss (BC) 11-5; 3. Shariah Hart (BUR); 4. Jalyiah Gardner (KEO)

155 – 1. Tatum Wolford (WAP) pinned Dakota Cornell (V-S) 2:15; 3. Elsie Lewis (MUS); 4. Ashlynn Carter-Shook (MV)

170 – 1. Teagyn Hartz (WB) pinned Kensi Steele (ICL) 3:52; 3. Gracie Pinckney (MV); 4. Jordan Hunt (CCA)

190 – 1. Libby Dix (MV) pinned Joscelyn Stricker (CRK) 5:28; 3. Sharidan Engelken (WD); 4. Madison Andrews (NS)

235 – 1. Ella Brown (CRK) pinned Kiara Rodriguez (BUR) 20-10; 3. Adrianna Shepherd (WD); 4. Sage Dzeladini (NS)

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