4 area 3A teams each get pair of state wrestling semifinalists

DES MOINES - Four Gazette area schools each have two wrestlers with state title hopes still intact.

Cedar Rapids Prairie, Cedar Rapids Xavier, Iowa City West and Western Dubuque all pushed wrestlers into the semifinal round Friday at the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 3A state wrestling tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.

Top-ranked Sam Uthoff (132) pinned Carroll's James Dirkx and Taylor Mehmen (195) earned his second straight major decision here to move into the top six and help the Hawks to a tie for fourth with Waverly-Shell Rock. Both teams have 39 points. Fort Dodge holds a slim lead over Southeast Polk, 67-66.

Uthoff and Mehmen have scored bonus points in their first two matches.

'If you keep that momentum into the quarterfinals and semifinals then your confidence begins to soar,' Prairie Coach Kane Thompson said. 'I see it in their eyes.'

Uthoff became a four-time state medalist, while Mehmen earned his second medal. Mehmen has progressed to where he has posted his best finish. Thompson praised the work of former Prairie state medalist and current Hawks assistant, Robbie Kramer, for his work pushing Mehmen to constantly improve.

'I think knowing someone like that is in his corner helps,' Thompson said. 'Taylor is comfortable and has been with him a long time.'

Clint Lembeck (138) and 145-pound junior Josh Gerke captured two medals for the Saints. Lembeck beat Linn-Mar's Alex Streicher, 12-5, to place for the third straight year, which is a first for Xavier. Gerke, ranked eighth, defeated Dubuque Hempstead's Alex Ward, 5-4.

West's Nelson Brands produced one of the top performances, handling Southeast Polk's top-ranked Zach Barnes, 9-3. Brands, a sophomore, has placed in his first state appearance. He is joined by teammate Donovan Doyle. Second-ranked Doyle beat Clinton's No. 3 Justin Guilliams, 6-2.

Western Dubuque's top-ranked Max Lyon (182) took another step to a second straight trip to the state final. Lyon, a runner-up last season, scored a 16-0 technical fall over Newton's Duncan Lee. Heavyweight Aaron Costello pinned Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson's Nick Mitchell in 1:04, securing the Bobcat's second medal.

The Bobcats are in 10th place with 27 ½ points, trailing Cedar Rapids Kennedy, which is ninth with 31.

The Cougars' Logen Rodriguez moved into the semifinals for the first time. He defeated Iowa City High's Nic Jarvis, 14-7, at 152 pounds.

'Logen kept battling,' Kennedy Coach Dennis Hynek said. 'It was a nice win.'

Hynek said he likes what he sees from the senior, who will continue his career at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for head coach Dave Malecek.

'He's wrestling aggressively,' Hynek said. 'He's always in the mindset where he's trying to score points.'

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