Iowa 2A state wrestling finals: Solon crowns 2 champions for first time

DES MOINES — Solon's Jax Flynn was a perrinnel runner up.

Solon took second in Class 3A football in 2019. The wrestling team finished second in the 2019 state duals. He's been a runner-up in AAU wrestling.

On Saturday at the state wrestling tournament, Flynn finally got first, beat Osage's Spencer Mooberry 8-4 in the Class 2A 170-pound final.

'This has been a lifetime goal,' Flynn said. 'All throughout high school I've gotten second place, basically — I'm always getting second place. I've never gotten first place.

'There's no other time I'd rather get first place than right here and right now — my senior year. It feels great.'

Flynn's match in the finals against Mooberry was a wild one. Flynn gave up the first takedown but quickly got the escape. With 35 seconds left in the first period, Flynn got a takedown of his own and didn't let Mooberry up.

In the second, Flynn started in the top position and he got three near-fall points and rode out Mooberry to lead 6-2. Flynn gave up a takedown in the third period but made amends by getting a reversal, which sealed the win for the senior.

'I've been down a lot in matches — like my match against (West Delaware's) Jared (Voss),' Flynn said. Flynn trailed Voss 6-5 in the semifinals before a reversal in the third period of that match won it. 'It's always been my mentality to never quit. I battled back and did what I could.'

Flynn helped make history for Solon on Saturday.

Teammate Hayden Taylor won the 145-pound final against Trestin Sales of Eddyville EBF, 5-2.

'First time in school history we've had two state champions,' Flynn said. 'There's no other person I'd rather have it with than Hayden.'

After Taylor won his match, he ran to the edge of the mat and hugged his mom, which has become a tradition for the sophomore two-time state champion.

'I hugged her after the first year and so I promised her after every one I win, I'll go over and give her a hug,' Taylor said.

Solon finished in fourth place with 63 team points.

Union Community took second with 78 points, behind Osage (85).

Union's Adam Ahrendsen was a runner-up last season but got over the hump this time around. He beat Independence's Matthew Doyle 1-0 in the finals — the only point was an escape by Ahrendsen in the second period.

In the third period, he was riding tough and sneaked a peek at the clock.

'I just had to hold on and I looked over at the clock and I saw seven seconds left and I had his head on the mat and he wasn't going to try and get up,' Ahrendsen said. 'I knew at that point that I had gotten it.'

Williamsburg's Jalen Schropp finished out a remarkable 56-0 season with an 8-3 win over Centerville's Nathaniel Genobana at 138.

Schropp led 3-0 in the second period when Genobana got a takedown to cut the lead to 3-2. Instead of tensing up, Schropp let loose and got two more takedowns.

'It was a takedown match so I knew I couldn't just stall my butt off the rest of the match,' Schroop said. 'I had to keep on my stuff and finish the match strong.'

West Liberty's Will Esmoil had taken and third place in the state tournament. He wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps. Bryce Esmoil was a two-time state champion.

Will Esmoil, a senior, got it done by beating Sergeant Bluff-Luton's Jack Gaukel 3-2 in the 152-pound final.

'Our name is going to be remembered for wrestling at West Liberty,' Will said.

West Liberty finished in seventh place with 52 points.

Class 2A finals

106: No. 1 Camron Phetxoumphone (Webster City) dec. No. 2 McKinley Robbins (Greene County), 5-0

113: No. 1 Carter Fousek (Crestwood) pinned No. 2 Cole Whitehead (Center Point-Urbana), 1:40

120: No. 2 Colby Lillegard (Bondurant-Farrar) dec. No. 5 Nick Fox (Osage), 8-4

126: No. 1 Matthew Lewis (Centerville) dec. No. 3 Isaiah Weber (Independence), 6-0

132: No. 1 Kayden Kauzlarich (Centerville) dec. No. 9 Lake Lebahn (Union), 9-4

138: No. 1 Jalen Schropp (Williamsburg) dec. No. 4 Nathaniel Genobana (Centerville), 8-3

145: No. 1 Hayden Taylor (Solon) dec. No. 8 Trestin Sales (Eddyville EBF), 5-2

152: No. 1 Will Esmoil (West Liberty) dec. No. 2 Jack Gaukel (Sergeant Bluff-Luton), 3-2

160: No. 1 Adam Ahrendsen (Union) dec. No. 4 Matthew Doyle (Independence), 1-0

170: No. 8 Jax Flynn (Solon) dec. No. 2 Spencer Mooberry (Osage), 8-4

182: No. 1 Sage Walker (Eddyville EBF) dec. No. 2 Jackson Kinsella (Creston), 3-2

195: No. 2 Evan Rosonke (New Hampton/Turkey Valley) dec. No. 3 Dylan Winkel (Central Lyon/G-LR), 10-5

220: No. 1 Cody Fisher (Woodward-Granger) dec. No. 2 Kobe Simon (West Liberty), 6-0

Hwt.: No. 1 Kaden Sutton (Adel ADM) dec. No. 2 Taven Rich (Maquoketa), 4-2

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