City High Senior Voinovich Caps Career With 157-pound State Title
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
DES MOINES – Unlike nearly all of his competitors at the state tournament this week Kael Voinovich didn’t grow up dreaming about being an Iowa state champion.
That didn’t stop Voinovich from living that dream Saturday night.
Voinovich won the second state title of his career but first at the Iowa state meet on Saturday when he claimed the Class 3A 157-pound title with a 12-3 major decision over Carlisle sophomore Jaxon Miller.
“People come into this tournament with their goal of being an Iowa state champ since they were young, I can’t say that,” Voinovich said. “My goal was an Ohio four-time state champion and I failed my freshman year, then I was in Oklahoma and now it’s Iowa. God knows what’s best and you have to have faith.”
Voinovich won an Oklahoma state title as a sophomore and finished runner-up in Oklahoma last season.
He made his only season as an Iowa prep a memorable going unbeaten against in-state competition this season while posting a 41-1 record capped with Saturday’s title.
“Things work out and things don’t work out but you have to have faith,” Voinovich said. “I’m grateful it worked out how it did.”
Voinovich was simply dominant in his debut at the Iowa state tournament.
The Iowa recruit outscored opponents 44-13 in his four state tournament wins, allowed points only on escapes and racked up 19 takedowns including five in the state title match.
The title by Voinovich gave City High multiple state champions for the second consecutive season after Cale Seaton claimed the 132-pound title.
City High finished 10th in the team standings with 87 points.
“It’s bittersweet,” Voinovich said. “I’m glad I did it with Cale Seaton but there were other guys I wanted to do it with.”
Headline by the titles from Seaton and Voinovich City High had five wrestlers earn medals.
Senior Kael Kurtz earned his fourth state medal with a fifth-place finish at 138 pounds.
Kurt won a 3-1 decision over Wil Oberbroeckling of Southeast Polk in the fifth-place match.
Junior Kendall Kurtz was seventh at 113 pounds and senior Jake Mitchell was eighth at 144 pounds.
The medals for Mitchell and Kendall Kurtz were the first of their careers.
“They are all wrestling their best this week,” Connell said. “Jake (Mitchell) and Kendall (Kurtz) got on the stand when nobody thought they would, Kael Kurtz is a four-time place winner. I’m so proud of all these guys.”
Class 3A State Meet
Team scores (Top 20; area teams) – 1. Southeast Polk 221.5; 2. Bettendorf 160; 3. Fort Dodge 119; 4. Ankeny Centennial 110.5; 5. Waverly-Shell Rock 107; 6. Waukee Northwest 105; 7. Indianola 93.5; 8. Carlisle 91; 9. Linn-Mar 90; 10. City High 87; 11. Ames 86; 12. Johnston 75.5; 13. Bondurant-Farrar 74; 14. Ankeny 67.5; 15. West Des Moines Valley 66; 16. West High 64; 17. Dubuque Hempstead 63.5; 18. Council Bluffs Lewis Central 53; 19. Cedar Rapids Prairie 51; 20. Pella 47; 26. Clear Creek Amana 33; 38. Liberty High 15.5
Championship matches (area athletes)
113 – Tyler Harper (Norwalk) dec. Alexander Pierce (West High) 10-4
132 – Cale Seaton (City High) dec. Jayce Luna (Bettendorf) 3-2
157 – Kael Voinovich (City High) dec. Jaxon Miller (Carlisle) 12-3
Consolation semifinals (area athletes)
138 – Jabari Hinson (Ames) dec. Kael Kurtz (City High) 2-1 UTB
150 – Lucas Bruhl (Ankeny Centennial) major dec. Justin Avila (West High) 12-4
175 – Kyler Scranton (West High) dec. Dax Clatt (Indianola) 6-3
215 – Evan Franke (Muscatine) dec. Vincenzo Lima (Liberty High) 9-3
Third-place matches (area athletes)
175 – Maximus Magayna (Waterloo East) tech. fall Kyler Scranton (West High) 15-0
Fifth-place matches (area athletes)
138 – Kael Kurtz (City High) dec. Wil Oberbroeckling (Southeast Polk) 3-1
150 – Justin Avila (West High) pinned Braylon Griffiths (Ottumwa) 5:10
215 – Vincenzo Lima (Liberty High) dec. Andrew Price (West Des Moines Valley) 6-3
Seventh-place matches (area athletes)
113 – Caleb Arroyo (Urbandale) pinned Kendall Kurtz (City High) 2:48
120 – Cale Nash (Clear Creek Amana) won by medical forfeit Mitchell Pins (Dubuque Hempstead)
138 – Nolan Howell (Clear Creek Amana) major dec. Zane Behrends (Waverly-Shell Rock) 15-5
144 – Ty Solverson (Boone) dec. Jake Mitchell (City High) 7-2
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