Union Community’s Brayden Bohnsack captures title at Benton’s Bobcat “Eckenrod” boys’ wrestling tournament

VAN HORNE — Union Community’s wrestling room is stocked with top-tier talent.

Brayden Bohnsack knows it all too well, enduring those battles with two-time state champion Jace Hedeman, two-time state medalist Caleb Olson, ranked Coy Mehlert and others. The daily battles make competitions seem comparatively easy.

“Usually, Jace is my practice partner, so I’ll get my butt kicked,” Bohnsack said. “Then, I’ll wrestle Caleb and get my butt kicked. Then, I’ll go kick Coy’s butt and wrestle our 120 pounder. It’s good and competitive.

“It’s fun to have a lot of good kids that want the same thing I do.”

Bohnsack is a key piece of those accomplished Knights. The defending state champion defeated Williamsburg’s Lincoln Schropp, 18-5, for the 113-pound title of the 50th annual Bobcat “Jerry Eckenrod” Invitational on Saturday at Benton Community High School. Union finished fourth with 171.5 points.

Don Bosco won the team title with 221 points, topping Waukee Northwest by 8.5. Independence was third at 202.5.

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Photos: Benton Community Bobcat boys’ wrestling Invitational

Class 2A No. 1 Bohnsack opened with a pin and posted a technical fall in the semifinals. He scored three takedowns in the first two periods and broke it open against ninth-ranked Schropp with three more takedowns and two turns for an 11-point third.

“It feels pretty good,” Bohnsack said. “I had a pretty good first half of the season, but went into winter break having some stuff to work on. I feel like I improved a lot in areas I needed to. I feel like I did that today.”

Bohnsack was focused on improvement during the holiday break, working on hand fighting, takedown setups and hand control and constant motion in the bottom position. He demonstrated the gains made in practice.

Bohnsack isn’t complacent after a title last season and an eighth-place state finish as a freshman.

“I think a lot about last season and this season and the kids I’ll wrestle,” Bohnsack said. “It keeps me motivated. I also have some really good coaches and practice partners. Jace Hedeman pushes me every day. I feel that’s a big part of it, too.”

In the marquee match of the tournament, Union’s Hedeman faced Waukee Northwest’s two-time state champion and three-time state finalist Koufax Christensen in the 132-pound final.

Christensen entered the match with about 127 career wins and ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, while Hedeman was about 125-0 and No. 1 in 2A.

Christensen used a second-period rideout and an escape in the third for a 1-0 decision, handing Hedeman the first loss of his high school career.

Union placed five of its nine participants in the finals. Olson joined Bohnsack as a titlist, winning at 157, Mehlert (106) and Keegan Ellsworth (144) were also runners-up for the Knights.

Mehlert fell to Don Bosco’s 1A top-ranked freshman Hayden Schwab in the final. Schwab, son of University of Northern Iowa Coach Doug Schwab, scored a fall and two technical falls. He outscored his final two foes by a combined, 33-3.

Benton Community 165-pounder Brenden Heying won his home tournament. He beat Don Bosco’s 1A No. 4 Andrew Kimball, 7-0, in the final. Heying is ranked fourth in 2A and improved to 23-0 this season.

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The Bobcats managed seven finalists and placed fourth in the team standings with 151 points.

West Delaware duo Brayden Maury (120) and Brent Yonkovic (175) and Independence’s Tyler Wieland (144) also won titles.

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The Cedar Rapids Jefferson upper weight duo of Colin Woods and Cade Chism reached the semifinals at 215 and 285, respectively. Woods entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and advanced to the championship match against Don Bosco’s Kyler Sallis.

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This is the first tournament in his prep career he was the top seed.

“He wants it and earned it,” Jefferson Coach Rob Martin said. “He’s been working for it.”

Woods opened with a first-period pin. He survived a one-point decision over Waukee Northwest’s Henry Mohr and advanced to the final with a 15-3 major decision over Clark Johnson, of Dallas Center-Grimes.

It has been a long quest to get to this point from his freshman year.

“He’s come in and trusted me, our coaches and the process,” Martin said. “Things are starting to pay off for him. He’s doing the right things.

“He comes into the room and works hard. He’s one of the leaders every day. He has a desire to get to the state tournament and probably will medal if he keeps working like he is.”

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Bobcat “Jerry Eckenrod” Invitational“

At Van Horne

Teams – 1. Don Bosco 221, 2. Waukee Northwest 212.5, 3. Independence 202.5, 4. Union Community 171.5, 5. Benton Community 151, 6. West Delaware 148.5, 7. Dallas Center-Grimes 123, 8. Williamsburg 94, 9. Davenport Assumption 84, 10. West Liberty 71.5, 11. C.R. Jefferson 65, 12. East Marshall/GMG 42.5, 13. Vinton-Shellsburg 37, 14. Centerville 31, 15. North Linn 24.

Championship matches

106 pounds – Hayden Schwab (DB) tech. fall Coy Mehlert (UC), 17-2; 113 – Brayden Bohnsack (UC) major dec. Lincoln Schropp (Will), 18-5; 120 – Brayden Maury (WD) major dec. Blake Forrester (DCG), 10-1; 126 – Koufax Christensen (WNW) dec. Jace Hedeman (UC), 1-0; 132 – Dawson Youngblut (DB) tech. fall John King (WNW), 16-0; 138 – Carter Freeman (WNW) tech. fall Kaden Kremer (I), 23-7; 144 – Tyler Wieland (I) major dec. Keegan Ellsworth (UC), 17-9; 150 – Caleb Olson (UC) major dec. Liam Weber (WD), 17-6; 157 – Kyler Knaack (DB) pinned Kaden Wieler (WL), 1:12; 165 – Brenden Heying (BC) dec. Andrew Kimball (DB), 7-0; 175 – Brent Yonkovic (WD) dec. Kaiden Knaack (DB), 7-1; 190 – Landon Fernandez (DB) dec. Johnathan Edel (EM/GMG), 8-3; 215 – Kyler Sallis (DB) pinned Colin Woods (CRJ), 5:44; Hwt. – Jamal Neeway (WNW) pinned Brady McDonald (I), 5:32.

Outstanding wrestler: Christensen, Waukee Northwest

Fastest fall: Brayden Curtis, C.R. Jefferson, 14 seconds

Most falls in least time: Ky. Knaack, Don Bosco (four pins in 14:49)

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