Parmely powers toward second state title

TROY MILLS - Ryan Parmely went from standing out to standing above all others.

Maquoketa Valley's three-time state medalist and defending state champion isn't taking anything for granted when it comes to grabbing gold.

'Each title has to be earned,” Parmely said. 'Just because you are a defender doesn't mean that there isn't a way down. You have to go out and earn every point.”

Parmely took his first steps toward a repeat, capturing the 220-pound championship at the Class 1A sectional wrestling tournament Saturday at North-Linn High School. He improved to 48-0 with a 16-0 technical fall in the final over his cousin, Robbie Carrothers, of Alburnett.

Parmely placed third and fourth his sophomore and freshman seasons, falling to the eventual state champion in the state semifinals. He cleared that hurdle last year, pinning his way to the finals and winning at 220.

'I'm feeling pretty good,” Parmely said. 'It's a fun time of year. Today is the most exciting day of the year because you find out who's who.

'It can only go up from here.”

He opened the postseason with a pin and then handled Carrothers, who he also be for a Tri-Rivers Conference title. The family matchup is a little strange to Parmely, who tried to deal with it in stride.

'You'd like to think it's just another opponent, but then again you don't want to hurt him, because he has the same dream as the rest of us,” Parmely said. 'I just try to wrestle smart and try not to do anything that would put us in a weird position to hurt one another.”

Parmely, an all-state running back for the Wildcats, will continue his athletic career for NCAA Division II school Upper Iowa. Instead of choosing between football and wrestling, he elected to do both. Parmely said his passion for both prevented him from eliminating one.

'One of the main reasons I chose Upper Iowa is because they allowed me to do both.” said Parmely, who visited the University of Iowa and attended the Hawkeyes home win over Northwestern. 'The coaches encouraged me to try it out. I'm going to give it a shot and see how I do.”

Parmely is 195-6 in his prep career. He has the chance to surpass 200 career wins, which had only been done by just seven other Iowa wrestlers. Parmely said he is looking to go out with a bang without wrestling a full six-minute match.

'Just go hard and don't look back,” Parmely said. 'There are no regrets now, because you make one mistake or don't wrestle hard for one period it will cost you.”

The Pirates were dominant, claiming the team title by nearly 50 points and qualifying for Tuesday's regional duals. Alburnett advanced 10 wrestlers to next week's district meet at Jesup, crowning seven champs.

'Every weekend from here on out is to perform as sharp as you possibly can as a team,” Alburnett Coach Kane Thompson said. 'Your shape is going to be where it's going to be. It's about if you can keep your technique sharp and you mental edge on your opponent, I think we did a good job of that as a team.”

Top-ranked 145-pounder Conner Shulista was one of five Pirates to pin through their bracket. He didn't make it out of the first period, pinning East Buchanan's Michael Naber in 1:04 for the title.

'I just go out and try to get the job done, right away,” Shulista said. 'It's the postseason, so anything can happen.”

His postseasons have ended with fourth-place state finishes, which are met with mixed emotions. They are good achievements against strong competition, but still fell short of his goals. He is determined to change that in his junior campaign.

'I've been working extra hard,” Shulista said. 'The state title has been my goal ever since my freshman year. This year, I feel pretty confident it is going to be my year.”

Ben Moyer (113), Tucker Franklin (120), 126-pounder Drake Halblom and second-ranked Bryce Paul at 152 pinned their way to titles. Halblom was impressive, wrestling a combined 61 seconds. He needed just 33 seconds to pin East Buchanan's Max McGraw in the final.

Halblom was a district qualifier last year at 152 pounds. Thompson said Halblom weighed in the 140's last season. Halblom controlled his diet for an off-season tournament and was able to maintain the lower weight. The move has resulted in a 36-9 record and a No. 9 ranking.

'He's clicking right now,” Thompson said. 'He just has to keep it going.”

Maquoketa Valley was runner-up with 187 1/2 points. The Wildcats also received titles from No. 10 Trevor Koopman (160) and Steve Huber at 182. Huber used an early four-point move to knock off Jesup's seventh-rated Riley Murray, 5-1. Huber trains with Parmely.

'Steve's a tough kid,” Parmely said. 'If he opens up and wrestles, he has one of the best takedowns in the state, I think.”

'That was a big win for him.”

North-Linn matched Maquoketa Valley with three champions, including second-ranked Brock Henderson at 106 and heavyweight Kyler Schott. The most exciting performance may have been turned in by Lynx 170-pounder Dakota Lopata.

Lopata, ranked eighth by The Predicament, fell into a 7-0 hole in the first period, but stormed back to take the lead in the third period before decking Alburnett's Austin Hoyle for the title. He improved from a fourth-place sectional finish last year.

'I feel great,” Lopata said. 'I'm taking more and more steps toward the state tournament. It feels better.”

Hoyle scored a takedown and two sets of nearfall, but Lopata cut the lead to 7-5 before the end of the first. The two exchanged leads in the second when Lopata escaped to tie it, 10-10, in the final period. He scored a takedown, placing Hoyle on his back.

He adapted to match Hoyle's wide-open style and took advantage of an opportunity.

'I knew I could beat him,” Lopata said. 'I just had to put my mind to it and just want it. I had to fight with all I had.”

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