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Bigger and better: Mount Vernon’s Klayten Perreault wins first Wamac Conference title as full-sized 106-pounder
Perreault’s pin in finals helps Mount Vernon pull away to first Wamac tournament team title; Independence’s Kaden Kremer wins packed 138 bracket; CCA’s Cale Nash wins second title as Clippers finish runner-up to Mustangs
Jan. 27, 2024 8:58 pm, Updated: Jan. 29, 2024 11:23 am
WILLIAMSBURG — The old adage states that it isn’t the size of the dog in the fight but the size in the fight in the dog.
Mount Vernon’s Klayten Perreault is finally a full-sized d-a-w-g.
After three seasons being undersized for the smallest weight class, the senior 106-pounder is bigger and better.
Perreault pinned Independence’s Adam Fish for the 106-pound title at the Wamac Conference boys’ wrestling tournament Saturday at Williamsburg High School. The fall helped the Mustangs claim the team title with 202 1/2 points, topping runner-up Clear Creek Amana by 24 1/2.
Perreault was named the tournament Outstanding Wrestler by Wamac coaches.
“I’m really hoping this is going to say something about me being able to go and compete at other tournaments because we still have district and state,” the top-ranked Perreault said. “I’m hoping to be out there and be the best.”
Perreault was 92 pounds as a freshman. He grew to 98 as a sophomore. Perreault was 103 last season, placing fourth at the Class 2A state meet. He credited his parents’ focus on nutrition for the increase.
“The majority of it is just being at weight and heavy enough to compete well,” Perreault said. “This is the first year I’ve been at weight and wrestling where I’m as big and heavy as my competitors.
“Last year, being in the top four, most of the other guys were cutting down a little bit. It was harder to wrestle than most matches. This year I’m thinking I am right where I need to be.”
Perreault’s pin was an instant boost and doubled the Mustangs’ lead at the time. He built a 7-1 lead before turning Fish to end it in 3:09.
“The last couple years he has been a sparkplug when we start at his weight,” Mount Vernon Coach Vance Light said. “He’s pinned quite a few people this year.
“He has his goals set pretty high, so we’ll see here the next couple weeks how it goes.”
Perreault earned his first conference crown and remained unbeaten with a 36-0 record. He is looking to continue to build with the approaching postseason.
“I have to really focus on the small victories,” Perreault said. “There is still a lot to accomplish.”
Mount Vernon claimed its first Wamac tournament title since joining the conference in 2009. The Mustangs finished with five champions. Jackson Jaspers (144), Mikey Ryan (150) and Jackson Hird at 157 won consecutive crowns to help Mount Vernon pull away from the field. Jaspers reached 150 career wins.
Heavyweight Ethan Wood (35-1) put the final touch on the feat with a 7-3 decision over Williamsburg’s Carson Grier in the championship match.
“We did a good job,” Light said. “It was good to win this tournament, but we have regional duals coming up and that’s important to us, too.”
Independence’s Kaden Kremer spoiled a Mount Vernon sweep in the finals. Kremer upended 2023 state finalist and second ranked Jase Jaspers for the 138 title. The bracket had five ranked wrestlers who have spent time in the state rankings.
“I knew coming in I had some tough guys,” Kremer said. “I knew I had to go out there and fight.”
Kremer fought to get to the finals, using a rideout to end regulation and then a takedown in sudden victory to survive Solon’s Jordan Schmidt.
Kremer game planned for the final and it paid dividends. He used a big five-point move for a lead after one, forcing Jase Jaspers to play catch-up and reversing the scenario and the result from a previous dual.
“It was huge,” Kremer said. “I knew if I got a lead and a couple points I was going to win the match.
“It means a lot to me. I know I can battle with anybody.”
Clear Creek Amana placed three in the semifinals and received a championship from 120-pounder Cale Nash. Ten Clippers placed fifth or better with 13 in the top eight.
“Today was a team effort,” said CCA Coach Kyle Forness, who noted they’ll need a similar effort in Tuesday’s 3A regional duals. “Some guys had ups and they had downs but the big thing is it was on to the next match and the best they could get. We had tough weights and wrestled above our seeds in a lot of them and wrestled at our seeds.
“We’re going to need that same kind of magic on Tuesday, if we’re going to come out on top.”
Nash, a junior, won his second conference title and notched his 40th victory of the season. He beat West Delaware’s Brayden Maury, 13-5, in the final.
The bonus-point win came after a hard-fought 1-0 semifinal win over Grinnell’s Dylan Heater.
“He showed me he could win different types of matches,” Forness said. “That was his first 1-0 match but he rode that kid out for the win. He did a great job. Those are matches you’re going to have to win to get on the stand at state.
“He had another quality opponent in the finals. We started scoring points and we got bonus. We didn’t stop. We could have held on (or) laid on our belly. We got up to our feet and scored. We got bonus and bonus was a big reason we got into second place.”
Williamsburg 113-pounder Lincoln Schropp also won his second conference championship. He beat Marion’s Lucas Stearns, 6-0, in the final. Schropp outscored three foes by a total of 28-1.
West Delaware finished third in the team race. The Hawks received a title from Brent Yonkovic at 175. Yonkovic became the 42nd three-time Wamac champion, defeating Williamsburg’s Cael Moore, 15-2, in the finals.
“Anytime you can win three Wamac titles is a big accomplishment with as tough as it is,” West Delaware Coach Jeff Voss said. “He’s consistently competing at a high level.”
Yonkovic shook off a couple early-season setbacks and has improved with the season. He is 31-2 and ranked third in 2A.
“He’s always been a high-level competitor since he was young,” Voss said. “His confidence is building and he knows he can compete with anybody.”
Benton Community finished with three champions, which was second-most to Mount Vernon. Brother duo Elijah and Troy Kupka won titles at 132 and 190, respectively. Top-seeded 165-pounder Brenden Heying remained unbeaten, improving to 32-0 with a 16-0 technical fall over West Delaware’s Garrison Gillihan in the finals.
South Tama’s Amare Chavez (126) and 215-pounder Gavin Bridgewater won titles.
2024 Wamac Conference boys’ wrestling tournament
At Williamsburg
Teams
1. Mount Vernon 202.5
2. Clear Creek Amana 178
3. West Delaware 172.5
4. Independence 163.5
5. Benton Community 162
6. Williamsburg 157
7. Solon 134.5
8. South Tama 127
9. Vinton-Shellsburg 66
10. Marion 60
11. Grinnell 45
12. Center Point-Urbana 16
Championship matches
106 pounds - Klayten Perreault (MV) pinned Adam Fish (I), 3:09
113 - Lincoln Schropp (Will) dec. Lucas Stearns (Mar), 6-0
120 - Cale Nash (CCA) major dec. Brayden Maury (WD), 13-5
126 - Amare Chavez (ST) won by injury default over Tanner Wilson (I)
132 - Elijah Kupka (BC) dec. Logan McDonald (G), 7-4
138 - Kaden Kremer (I) dec. Jase Jaspers (MV), 9-4
144 - Jackson Jaspers (MV) dec. Ryker Jones (CCA), 6-0
150 - Mikey Ryan (MV) dec. Nile Sinn (Will), 3-2
157 - Jackson Hird (MV) pinned Blake Mather (WD), 3:58
165 - Brenden Heying (BC) tech. fall Garrison Gillihan (WD), 16-0
175 - Brent Yonkovic (WD) major dec. Cael Moore (Will), 15-2
190 - Troy Kupka (BC) pinned Ethan Williams (CCA), 3:01
215 - Gavin Bridgewater (ST) major dec. Lucas Feuerback (Sol), 15-5
Hwt. - Ethan Wood (MV) dec. Carson Grier (Will), 7-3.
Outstanding wrestler - Perreault (MV)
Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com
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