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Mount Vernon’s Gracie Pinckney powers way to Class 1A state wrestling title
Pinckney posted a pin for 170-pound crown; Vinton-Shellsburg’s Chloe Sanders claims title; East Buchanan’s Tayla Stiefel, Brooklyn Graham earn gold
Feb. 7, 2026 3:25 am
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CORALVILLE – Mount Vernon’s Gracie Pinckney reserves a specific rally cry for when her teammates do something special.
So, it was fitting she rose to her feet and roared “Let’s go” toward the Mustangs crowd after a monumental feat.
“I scream that a lot,” Pinckney said. “It's like kind of my thing with my coaches, when I get excited or happy, especially for my teammates. When you do amazing out on the mat, I scream that.”
Pinckney deserved it after her championship performance. The Mount Vernon senior posted a second-period pin over West Liberty’s top-seeded Bricsia Garcia-Vasquez for the 170-pound title at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Class 1A state wrestling tournament Friday at Xtream Arena.
“It is amazing,” said Pinckney, who helped Mount Vernon finish fourth in the team race with 91 points. “I worked my butt off in the room and at club. I pushed myself a lot to get here and I knew I had it in the bag when I walked out.”
Pinckney took the mat locked in with an intense look on her face. She said she turns fury into focus, thinking of things that irritate her until she is a powder keg ready to explode. Even coaches know to keep their distance, especially if she’s listening to heart-pumping music from groups like Limp Bizkit.
“ I was ready to go,” Pinckney said. “I was ready to wrestle.”
Garcia-Vasquez scored the opening takedown and led 3-0 after the first. Pinckney started to dictate the pace in the second, working double underhooks and pressing forward. She finally capitalized, locking up Garcia-Vasquez and putting her to her back.
“I knew I had to get in there,” Pinckney said. “Once I locked it up and I knew I had it, I knew I just didn't throw it. Just used all my body weight and got it.”
The period was concluding but Pinckney secured the fall on the edge of the edge with just two seconds remaining.
“I didn't know the time,” Pinckney said. “I scared myself because I was like, no way, I just got that with only two seconds left. I surprised myself.”
Pinckney finished as a four-time state qualifier and a two-time medalist, placing fifth last year.
Vinton-Shellsburg’s Chloe Sanders returned to the state finals for the first time since she was a freshman runner-up. She ended her career with a fourth state medal and her first state crown, beating West Delaware’s No. 2 Anna O’Rear, 14-1, in the final.
“This season has been so much fun and I’m just so thankful that I could reach my goal this year,” Sanders said. “Just have so many supporters along the way. It means the world to me.
“End with a bang I guess. It feels good to end like that.”
Sanders (58-0) amassed 220 career wins, becoming the first high school female wrestler to reach the 200-win plateau. She placed third as a sophomore and junior. The title was a cherry on the sundae.
“It's a perfect ending to what was already a great career,” Vinton-Shellsburg Coach Brandt Corcran said of Sanders. “The wins, losses or record, none of that defines her, none of that defines anyone on our team.”
Sanders used a big move in the first. She cinched up a cradle and rolled O’Rear to her back on the edge, taking a 7-0 lead early. She remained in control, adding takedowns in each of the last two periods.
“There are so many emotions,” Sanders said. “I’m so excited. There’s been so much adversity. Just to push through. I have so many supporters, so it was amazing.
“It’s also bittersweet because it’s senior year. My season’s over but ended with a win.”
East Buchanan finished fifth in the team race with 81 1/2 points. Denver won the team crown with 107. Two points ahead of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont and six in front Osage. The Buccaneers achieved it with just three wrestlers, who all reached the finals.
East Buchanan won its first 10 matches of the tournament with nine pins and a technical fall. The Bucs claimed 11 of 12 total bouts, receiving titles from Tayla Stiefel (145) and Brooklyn Graham at 190.
“We’ve just been saying the last few days to just go wrestle like you're capable of doing, and no one can stop you,” said Dan Stiefel, who is co-head coach with Kendra Burchett. “They're capable of beating anybody. We just try to keep them calm and do their thing.”
The younger Stiefel pinned Mount Vernon’s Adeline Whisner in 1:05. She finished 54-4, overcoming summer surgery that prevented her from competing in the offseason. The senior has three state medals, improving third and fourth-place finishes the last two years.
“It's great to see her finish on top,” the older Stiefel said. “She works pretty hard for it.”
Graham capped a perfect season with a 3-0 win in tiebreaker overtime against Denver’s Kennedy Burk.
“It feels really good actually,” Graham said. “I didn't really care who I wrestled. They just throw a person out there in front of me, I do what coach says and we got ‘er done.”
They ended regulation and sudden victory scoreless. Graham earned a penalty point from stalling calls against Burk and escaped. With few options, Burk elected to release Graham for an escape and the final point.
“I just stay relaxed,” Graham said. “We do a lot of mindset training, so I focused on breathing.”
Graham tallied a 43-0 record and won about 50 consecutive matches to close her career. She said she had always wished for an undefeated season.
“It's awesome,” Stiefel said. “She puts in a lot of time and effort. All our girls really do. It's just good to see her on top.”
Vinton-Shellsburg’s Kaelynn Roster (115), West Liberty’s Aileen Aragon (125) and East Buchanan’s Miley Walz at 145 all placed second.
Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com
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