J-Hawks soar to runner-up finish at Keith Young

CEDAR FALLS - Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Kyle Briggs looked forward to a tough early-season test.

The J-Hawks senior, along with many of his teammates, passed with flying colors.

Briggs was one of three Jefferson champions and five finalists, helping the J-Hawks finish second Saturday at Cedar Falls' Keith Young Invitational. Jefferson scored 159 1/2, finishing 64 1/2 behind second-ranked West Des Moines Valley.

Second-ranked Briggs scored an 11-2 major decision over Waverly-Shell Rock's No. 6 Zack Wagenhoffer for the 152-pound title.

'To be honest, I wasn't expecting it (championship) coming in,” Briggs said. 'I just wanted to see how I stack up against the other top kids in the state.

'It was good to win.”

The answer is pretty well, scoring 42 points in three matches. He built a 5-0 lead with a takedown and cradle for three nearfall points in the first. Briggs closed with a takedown and two escapes in the third. He reached the final with a 9-1 major over Cedar Rapids Kennedy's fifth-ranked Logen Rodriguez, who finished fourth.

'I was having fun already,” Briggs said. 'I just kept it going.”

It was his second final appearance here, suffering a lopsided loss as a freshman. The bracket also included Mason City's third-ranked Mac Spotts.

'He had a great day,” Jefferson co-head coach Dick Briggs said. 'That was a tough weight class.”

Jefferson's Brenden Baker (120) and 170-pounder Matt Culver won titles for the J-Hawks. Culver used a takedown in the first and another in the third for a 5-3 win over West Des Moines Valley's seventh-ranked Austin Stotts.

'It was a nice tight battle,” Dick Briggs said. 'He's a hard worker. The thing about him is he listens. He offers instruction from the corner. He benefits from it.”

Joseph Sibomana (113) and Nick Dreckman at 182 placed second. Dalton Mastin (132) and 160-pounder Tavian Rashed were third for Jefferson.

Kennedy's No. 3 Ben Sarasin reached the final at 160 against Valley's No. 2 Jack Koethe. After a scoreless first, Koethe used a second-period escape and a takedown in the third for a 3-0 victory. The Cougars sophomore improved his third-place finish from last season.

'I thought he gave himself an opportunity to win the match,” Kennedy Coach Dennis Hynek said about the final. 'He was the aggressor. He knows he can beat him. I thought he wrestled real well.”

Heavyweight Matt Murphy placed sixth for Kennedy.

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