Western Dubuque moves to fourth with three semifinalists

DES MOINES — Western Dubuque climbed another spot in the team standings and secured some individual hardware in the process.

The Bobcats have three semifinalists and moved into fourth in the team race after the quarterfinals and second-round consolations of the Class 3A state wrestling tournament Friday at Wells Fargo Arena. Western Dubuque has 40 points. Southeast Polk, which went 7-1 in the quarterfinals, is first with 73 points, 11 1/2 ahead of second-place Fort Dodge.

Bradan Birt (132), defending state champion and two-time NCAA finalist Max Lyon at 182 and heavyweight Aaron Costello assured top-six finishes with quarterfinal victories.

Third-ranked Birt edged Indianola's No. 4 Lance Runyon, 4-2. Lyon earned his second straight fall, decking Fort Dodge's Keaton Dornath in 23 seconds and becoming a four-time state medalist. Costello, a returning state runner-up, pinned No. 9 Tyler Clark in 5:03.

The Bobcats' Jacob Close won his second straight consolation bout and remains in the 113 bracket.

Cedar Rapids Prairie and Iowa City West pushed two into the semifinals.

The Trojans' Nelson Brands (152) and 160-pounder Carter Rohweder reached the podium. Brands remained dominant, scoring 11 takedowns before pinning Des Moines Lincoln's Shawn Brown in 3:18 of the quarterfinal. Brands has 478 takedowns this season. Fifth-ranked Rohweder beat Johnston's No. 10 Collin Hushagen, 4-3.

Prairie's Conrad Braswell (106) and 132-pounder Trenten Wennermark advanced. Third-ranked Braswell recorded a second consecutive fall, pinning Lincoln's Nathan Kehoe in 3:11. Wennermark, ranked fifth, beat North Scott's Mayson Shannon, 10-1. Wennermark and Birt will wrestle for a spot in Saturday night's championship.

Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Matt Culver will have something to show for his first state trip. The J-Hawk senior locked up a spot on the awards stand. Fourth-ranked Culver avenged an earlier loss, beating Waverly-Shell Rock's No. 3 Zack Wagenhoffer, 7-1, at 160.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Ben Sarasin set up one of the marquee matches of the semifinals. The junior 170-pounder beat Indianola's Kade Kolarik, 18-2, in the quarterfinal. Second-ranked Sarasin will face Ames two-time state champ and top-ranked Marcus Coleman in the semifinal.

Iowa City High's Jacob Dykes remained unbeaten with a pin over North Scott's Zach Petersen to make the 195 semifinal.

Marion's Colin Conway also advanced to the semifinals. He beat West Des Moines Valley's Joe Nicholson, 5-3, at 152.

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