Panthers take gold in Ottumwa

OTTUMWA — At the Ottumwa tournament Saturday, six of the 14 championship bouts featured a Creston wrestler. The Panthers placed eight in the top-three of their weight class and brought home a team victory.

The win came days after a resounding win in Carroll at a quad where they defeated St. Albert 78-6, Kuemper Catholic 68-18 and Clarinda 69-9. During the quad, senior Max Chapman found his 100th career win.

In Ottumwa, the Panthers took out Class 3A teams, winning with 496 points compared to second-place North Scott’s 450.5. Senior Jagger Luther returned to the lineup for the first time this season after suffering a high ankle sprain in the football semifinals.

First Place

Senior Christian Ahrens (23-3) continues his bid for a top spot at 120 in Class 2A, winning his weight class and being named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

Ahrens pinned three of his five opponents in under a minute including the semifinal bout against Jaden Crisp of Kirksville, Missouri.

In the finals, Ahrens faced Emmitt Newton of Davis County. A year ago, Newton placed fifth at the state tournament at 106. This season he’s gone 27-2 at 120.

The two wrestlers were evenly matched, neither scoring in the first period. In the second, Newton deferred, Ahrens choosing to start down. Ahrens escaped and found a takedown to earn the first three points of the bout. Newton earned two points for a reversal before the end of the period.

Newton elected to start down in the final period, needing only an escape to tie it up. Ahrens kept control the full two minutes, taking the 3-2 decision and a championship at 120.

Ahrens’ five victories scored 48 points for the Panthers.

Second Place

Seniors Lincoln Keeler, Austin Evans, Will Bolinger, Quinten Fuller and Chapman each took second after making it to the championship match.

Keeler had a slow and steady approach throughout the day, winning three 132 lbs bouts by decisions to qualify for the finals. In the championship bout he wrestled Daltin Doud of Ottumwa.

Neither scored in the first period, then they each earned two points in the second period to enter the final round tied. Doud took down Keeler and got the pin with only 20 seconds remaining in the match. Keeler scored 40 points for the Panthers.

Evans (25-3) pinned his first three opponents at 150 to qualify for the semifinals where he won in a 3-0 decision over Braylon Griffiths of Ottumwa who had been undefeated this season, 28 wins under his belt including the 150 lbs title at the Fort Madison, Dan Christensen and Dick Mellinger invitationals this season.

In the finals, Evans was bested by Justin Avila (16-3) of Iowa City, West in a 14-1 major decision. Evans scored 44 team points.

Bolinger (26-2) had three pins to start the day, the first two being under a minute. He advanced to the 165 semifinals where he wrestled Lance Helm (24-4) of Albia, winning in a 9-3 decision.

In the finals, Bolinger faced Kyler Crow (33-2) of Mediapolis. Taking early control, Bolinger earned two points on a takedown in the first period and two points on a nearfall in the second to have a 4-0 lead. Things went downhill when Crow got the reversal on Bolinger, catching him out of place and pinning him for the win.

Bolinger’s four wins earned 44 team points.

Fuller (22-6) pinned five opponents to get to the 215 finals, including four first-period pins.

In the championship bout, he faced Vincenzo Lima (16-2) of Iowa City, Liberty. Lima took the lead early, up 6-1 as they entered the final period.

Fuller went for the comeback, outscoring Lima 4-1 in the final round, but wasn’t able to make up the point difference, falling in a 7-5 decision. Fuller earned the team 48 points.

Chapman (17-6) pinned three consecutive opponents in the first period to earn a spot in the heavyweight finals.

He faced undefeated Paul Ballard of Albia for the championship. It was Chapman with the first points of the bout, taking Ballard down in the first period. Ballard got the reversal to tie it up. In the second period, Ballard escaped his down position to take a 3-2 lead. In the final round, Chapman couldn’t get the escape to tie it up, losing in a 3-2 decision.

Chapman earned 46 points for the Panthers.

Third place

Sophomore Lane Travis (22-5) came back from a semifinals loss to take third at 113. His first bout was a third-period pin and his second was a 4-3 decision.

In the semifinals, he lost to Alexander Pierce (18-1) of Iowa City in a 22-7 technical fall.

Travis wrestled Ethan Hale (23-6) of Kirksville in the third-place match where he pinned Hale in the first period. Travis’s wins earned the team 41 points.

Senior Brandon Briley (24-6) also earned third, winning his first two matches in a major decision and a pin. In the semifinals, Austyn Hunter (10-1) of Kirksville won in a 6-2 decision, forcing Briley to wrestle for third.

The 138 third-place match was against Efren Huerta of Ottumwa. Though neither scored in the first period, there were a flurry of points in the second, Briley coming out ahead 6-5 as they entered the final round. Huerta tied it up at 7-7, sending the match to overtime.

Only 25 seconds into the fourth round, Briley found a takedown for a sudden death victory. His performance earned the Panthers 38 team points.

Senior Milo Staver took fourth at 157, sophomore Brodrick Phelps placed seventh at 126 and senior Carson Rieck earned seventh at 144.