Douglas Miles

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Now that the boys’ wrestling postseason has arrived, it is time to score points and score them fast.

It could be argued that no wrestler in the state can pile up the points in short order quite like West High senior Alexander Pierce.

“My offense was crisp,” Pierce said after winning the 126-pound title at the Mississippi Valley Conference championships Saturday at Iowa City High School. “I scored points fast, which is what you need to do in the postseason. That is what I am happy about.”

This was the fourth MVC title for Pierce in four years.

He needed just four minutes and four seconds combined to score a whopping 53 points in three wins by technical fall.

He also won by pin in the semifinal.

“For him, it’s one match at a time,” West High coach Nate Moore said. “You just watch him wrestle and you can tell he is having a lot of fun.”

While fun is definitely being had, making the most of one final opportunity at the high school level is also paramount to Pierce.

After winning a state championship as a freshman at 106 pounds, Pierce placed second at 113 in each of the past two seasons. He aims to bookend his career with state championships.

“Just keep on doing what I am doing,” said Pierce, a Northwestern recruit. “Go to practice every day with a purpose and compete fearless. That is what I have been telling myself, ‘Compete fearless and I’ll get what I want, for sure.’”

The MVC title upped Pierce’s record to 39-0 overall.

The target that comes with an undefeated record is a pressure Pierce firmly embraces.

“I love the feeling of being the guy with a target on my back,” Pierce said. “Because I get everyone’s best match and that is what I want. I don’t want any shortcuts. I don’t want the easy route. I want everyone’s best and I want to show that my best is better than everyone’s.”

Pierce was one of three individual champions for the Trojans, which finished second in the team standings with 199 points.

Linn-Mar (232.5) won the team title for the fourth time in five years.

At 113 pounds, West High freshman Diego Robertty improved to 29-1 this season by pinning his way through three opponents and winning his first conference crown.

“I really liked that over the season I have really focusing on pins and prioritizing my team and getting them up there to the podium,” Robertty said. “I have been working really hard and I am just trying to my best here.”

West closed the meet with another title as senior heavyweight Kaden Stitt – a two-time state finalist as an Oklahoma prep – recorded two pins before a 7-0 decision in the final against Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Anthony Keys.

“The wrestling culture, they live it here,” Stitt said. “In Oklahoma, they wrestle. Here, they live it. That’s what I want.”

Liberty High placed eighth in the team standings with 110 points, while host City High was 10th (96).

West High will host a regional dual team tournament Tuesday that includes North Scott and Bondurant-Farrar.

“Same thing that we preach,” Moore said. “Go out, do your job, score points.”

Mississippi Valley Conference Meet

At City High

Team scores – 1. Linn-Mar 232.5; 2. West High 199; 3. Western Dubuque 189; 4. Dubuque Hempstead 181; 5. Cedar Rapids Prairie 142; 6. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 138.5; 7. Cedar Falls 119; 8. Liberty High 110; 9. Cedar Rapids Xavier 101.5; 10. City High 96; 11. Waterloo West 51.5; 12. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 49; 13. Dubuque Senior 45; 14. Cedar Rapids Washington 19; 15. Dubuque Wahlert 13

Individual champions; area medalists

106 – 1. Abe Heysinger (DH) dec. Thayer Hagstrom (CRK) 7-1; 3. Connor McGonegle (ICL); 6. Jack Litton (ICH)

113 – 1. Diego Robertty (ICW) pinned Chase Williams (ICH) :48; 7. Konstantinos Panos (ICL)

120 – 1. Landon Gottschalk (DH) major dec. Hugo Hughes (ICW) 9-0; 3. Benjamin Rosen (ICL)

126 – 1. Alexander Pierce (ICW) tech. fall Elliott Gnewuch (CRX) 17-2; 6. Everett Kahn (ICL)

132 – 1. Elijah Hyet (DH) dec. Zyaire Washpun (ICH) 10-4; 5. Rex Edmonds (ICL); 6. Owen Smock (ICW)

138 – 1. Tegan Ray (L-M) major dec. Aidyn Roman (CRK) 8-0; 3. Malachi Clement (ICH); 8. Brock Bell (ICL)

144 – 1. Will Casey (WD) dec. Ricky Titus (CF) 7-3; 3. Owin Koethe (ICW); 8. Jimmy Milder (ICH)

150 – 1. Jeremiah Tamayo (CF) pinned Bryce Naber (CRX) 2:59; 3. Bryant Walker (ICL); 7. Ethan Plettenberg (ICW)

157 – 1. Joe Hirsch (WD) dec. Blest Woods (ICW) 7-2

165 – 1. Noah Howk-Erwin (L-M) medical forfeit Brady Rissman (WD); 3. Campbell Janis (ICW)

175 – 1. Barrett Mieras (L-M) pinned Peyce McCoy (DH) :15; 4. Kristoff Plettenberg (ICW)

190 – 1. Philip Jacobs (L-M) pinned Dusty Cook (CRX) 4:35; 6. Henry Thompson (ICL); 7. Blaine Heick (ICH)

215 – 1. Camden Smith (DH) tech. fall Alex Gassman (WD) 15-0; 7. Raph Etuma (ICH)

285 – 1. Kaden Stitt (ICW) dec. Anthony Keys (ICW) 7-0

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