Iowa City West’s Hunter Garvin extends impressive start to senior campaign

IOWA CITY – Iowa City West’s Hunter Garvin has posted an impressive start to his senior campaign.

The two-time state champion and three-time finalist has rolled through opponents the first two weeks, going 16-0 with 15 bonus-point victories. He has accomplished it against formidable foes from Iowa and its bordering states in two tournaments with more than 70 teams combined.

Garvin recorded his 11th pin of the season, securing the Class 3A sixth-ranked Trojans’ 49-28 victory over Cedar Rapids Kennedy in a Mississippi Valley Conference wrestling dual Thursday night at West. His win came during a stretch of six straight Trojans’ wins to close the meet.

The Stanford commit was quick to credit teammates and coaches for his start to the season.

“I feel really great about my performance,” said Garvin, who pinned Rashon Jennings in 2:53 at 160. “The way I’ve been doing things and having great partners like both (Kyler and Kael) Scranton boys, both (Justin and Robert) Avilas and Grant (O’Dell). Just everybody here. We make each other better and it’s definitely helped me as an individual.

“I feel there are a whole bunch of different aspects that help me become better individually. I do feel really great this year.”

Garvin, ranked first at 152, captured the Dan Gable Donnybrook title. After the first day of the tournament, coaches talked to Garvin about opening up and wrestle at a higher pace. He took the words to heart. Garvin tallied six pins, including five in the first period, a technical fall and major decision to win the Council Bluffs Classic, which had more than 40 teams from Iowa and neighboring states.

“My coaches said this isn’t you,” Garvin said about the advice from that first tournament. “We don’t want 6-2 matches. We want falls, technical falls (and) high-scoring matches with a high pace. Go out there and be a psycho. Do your thing.

“The second day I believed in myself. I had faith and trust in my training. It kind of clicked for me and ever since it has been different in a positive way. I feel the best I’ve ever felt in wrestling, right now.”

The training includes battling three-time state champion Robert Avila, three-time state medalist and fourth-ranked 138-pounder Grant O’Dell, seventh-ranked freshman Justin Avila at 145 and Kyler and Kael Scranton, who bracket the group in the lineup.

Each of them has a different style. They benefit from getting a feel of different techniques, allowing them to be well-rounded for competition.

“You’re not going with the same guy every day,” Garvin said. “You’re switching every day, which I’ve never had.

“The diversity in wrestling we have is awesome, because each of us help the others get better. You’re getting the best of every world possible. I love it.”

West (3-0, 3-0 MVC) closed with the high-power group, breaking open a 28-28 dual with four matches left. Kyler Scranton (132) and O’Dell posted consecutive pins to erase a 12-point deficit and tie the dual score. O’Dell owned an 8-5 led over No. 9 Ashtin Falck before getting a fall in 4:48.

In the second match between ranked opponents, Justin Avila used four points in the third for a 7-4 decision over No. 11 Collin Flack at 145, giving West its first lead at 31-28. His brother, Robert, followed with a pin at 152. He scored seven takedowns and built a 16-6 advantage before pinning Jordan Twitty in 1:54.

Garvin and Kael Scranton capped the dual with back-to-back pins.

“I felt like once we hit Kyler at 132 it was a domino effect,” Garvin said. “We were dominant.”

Heavyweight Brett Pelfrey and Braden Doyle (113) added pins and Thomas Pierce (120) won by major decision.

Kennedy was in control the first half of the dual. The Cougars jumped to a 16-0 lead after the first three weights. Seventh-ranked Alex Koch started the dual with a 17-4 major decision over Drake Davis at 182.

Colin Flannagan, ranked 11th at 195, and 220-pounder Asher Smith followed with consecutive pins. Flannagan had two takedowns and six nearfalls for an 11-0 lead before a third-period fall over Dayne Van Dyke.

Jack Olesen (106) and 11th-ranked 126-pounder Jonah Hallam added pins for the Cougars (2-5, 1-2).

Both programs held a girls’ wrestling dual, consisting of nine matches. Iowa City West won seven of the nine matches.

Ava Davis, Janell Avila, Eavenley Nielsen, Lexi Nash and Emma Barker had pins for West. Barker went 2-0 for the Trojans. West’s Helen Orszula battled back to for sudden victory and scored a takedown for an 11-9 decision over Bella Griffin.

Kennedy’s Lexi Byrne and Jacie Bedell recorded pins.

AT IOWA CITY

Iowa City West 49, C.R. Kennedy 28

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

182 pounds – Alex Koch (CRK) major dec. Drake Davis, 17-4 (5,0); 195 – Colin Flannagan (CRK) pinned Dayne Van Dyke, 5:21 (2,0); 220 – Asher Smith (CRK) pinned Luke Ernst, 1:44 (2,0); Hwt. – Brett Pelfrey (ICW) pinned Daniel Eades, :40 (1,0); 106 – Jack Olesen (CRK) pinned Marissa Goodale, 2:31 (0,1); 113 – Braden Doyle (ICW) pinned Jake Oostendorp, 2:36 (2,0); 120 – Thomas Pierce (ICW) major dec. 20-7 (8,0); 126 – Jonah Hallam (CRK) pinned Gordey Gambrall, 1:27 (1,0); 132 – Kyler Scranton (ICW) pinned Cael Smithhart, 1:39 (1,0); 138 – Grant O’Dell (ICW) pinned Ashtin Falck, 4:48 (3,1); 145 – Justin Avila (ICW) dec. Collin Falck, 7-4 (2,1); 152 – Robert Avila Jr. (ICW) pinned Jordan Twitty, 1:54 (7,0); 160 – Hunter Garvin (ICW) pinned Rashon Jennings, 2:53 (2,0); 170 – Kael Scranton (ICW) pinned Christian Gasper, :54 (1,0).

MEET STATISTICS

Takedowns – C.R. Kennedy 12, I.C. West 28. Reversals – C.R. Kennedy 1, I.C. West 0. Escapes – C.R. Kennedy 19, I.C. West 10. Nearfall points – C.R. Kennedy 11, I.C. West 17. Penalty points (awarded) – C.R. Kennedy 0, I.C. West 2. Total match points – C.R. Kennedy 56, I.C. West 85.

GIRLS’ MATCHES

Ava Davis (ICW) pinned Jacie Bedell, 1:56

Lexi Byrne (CRK) pinned Eavenly Nielsen, 1:50

Emma Barker (ICW) pinned Kira Frederiksen, :45

Helen Orszula (ICW) dec. Bella Griffin, 11-9 SV1

Jannell Avila (ICW) pinned Jenna Steenblock, :34

Lexi Nash (ICW) pinned Gwen Canney, :34

Bedell (CRK) pinned Harper Chase, 1:12

Nielsen (ICW) pinned Naomi Chaplin, :51

Barker (ICW) pinned Evelyn McDowell, 1:16