Program surge

DES MOINES — Differing levels of satisfaction were apparent for the Interstate 35 wrestlers after Saturday’s batch of placing matches.

No one among the Roadrunners’ four individual state participants was on a more lofty high than Zac Willey (138) after his 9-4 decision over Emmetsburg’s Spencer Griffin for third place.

Willey, who won two matches before losing in the semifinals to Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrsire’s by fall, won his last two matches to finish 4-1 and a winner in his last two high school matches. That included a tense 4-2 decision in sudden victory to defeat Denver’s Riley Wright, the second-ranked wrestler per The Predicament coming in to the tournament.

He came off the mat after having defeated Griffin and shared an enthusiastic embrace with assistant coach Sal Arzani. He walked off a winner.

“I’m not going to be here next year, but I’m excited to just come back here and watch,” an exuberant Willey said afterward. “From where I was as a freshman, I had a 50/50 record. We had  Sal Arzani win a state title. I’d been looking up to him like  a kid brother. Friggin’ Casey (Baker), wasn’t even varsity his freshman year and now he’s been ranked No. 2 all season.”

The aforementioned Baker was crestfallen after a fourth-place finish, but the junior’s losses were to eventual champion Cael Happel of Lisbon (pin in 3:51) and Blake Thomsen of Underwood (pin in 5:32), the later the younger brother of four-time reigning state champion Alex Thomsen.

“It’s not what I wanted, but I get to see the toughest competition and that’s all that matters,” Baker said.

Willey, with the utmost confidence in his teammate stated that Baker will win a championship next year.

“You need a lot of support behind you to make it all the way to the state title,” Baker said.

Eliott’s losses were to Wade Mitchell of Woodbury Central and Collin Schrader of Wapsie Valley, who took second and third in the state respectively. Eliott defeated Chance Throndson of Riceville, who came into the traditional tournament as the top-ranked wrestler in the state per The Predicament. He won by 8-4 decision, followed that with a loss to Schrader, and then defeated Bejamin Smith of Iowa Valley for seventh by 6-3 decision.

Eliott couldn’t help but reflect on the Roadrunners’ showing at state last year, in which only one of the seven (Nathan Phillips) who qualified for state placed, and where the Roadrunners were last in the State Dual Team Tournament.

“We came in here last year, got our butts kicked, learned from it. Came back. Placed high. Three out of four placed, Eliott stated.

Jacob Steinlage won his first match 6-2, but fell in the quarters and consolations to have his season ended.

The surge for the Roadrunners has many in and around the program optimistic for good reason. Continued success against larger programs has enabled Interstate 35’s wrestlers to see quality competition much earlier in the season than many 1A programs are accustomed to, and that fact is starting to pay off on a larger scale.

Per the group of placewinners, two days of practice per week in the offseason is their expected norm.

“So, just that in two years, next year we will be here, Willey said. “The guys that are coming back next year they know just what to put in this summer. They know it’s going to be a whole other level next year for these guys.”

Casey Baker (120) — Baker pinned Elliot Young (AHSTW) 1:22; Cael Happel (Lisbon) pinned Baker 3:51; Baker pinned Dillon Lynott (West Sioux) 1:43; Baker dec. Tyler Helgeson (Lake Mills) 5-0; Blake Thomsen (Underwood) pinned Baker 5:32.

Zac Willey (138) — Willey dec. Maxwell McGraw (East Buchanan) 6-3; Willey maj. dec. Cory Anderson (Wilton) 9-1; Roth (GTRA) pinned Willey 3:24; Willey dec. Riley Wright (Denver) 4-2; Willey dec. Spencer Griffin (Emmetsburg) 9-4.

Ethan Eliott (145) — Wade Mitchell (Woodbury Central) dec. Eliott 8-5; Eliott pinned Nate Briggs (Bedford/Lenox) 2:22; Chance Throndson (Riceville) 8-4; Collin Schrader (Wapsie Valley) pinned Eliott 5:20; Eliott dec. Benjamin Smith (Emmetsburg) 8-4.

Jacob Steinlage (160) — Steinlage dec. Tate Hagen (West Hancock) 6-2; Brennan Swafford (Mediapolis) pinned Steinlage 2:33; Cameron Rasing (Rockford) dec. Steinlage 9-6.