Kane and Tate Naaktgeboren dominate their ways to MVC crown, Linn-Mar wins first team championship

CEDAR RAPIDS – Tate Naaktgeboren is a little more intense, while his younger brother, Kane, likes to keep it looser.

Their varied approach renders similar success when they take the wrestling mat for Linn-Mar. The duo accomplished a new feat together Saturday.

Kane and Tate Naaktgeboren captured two of the Lions’ four titles at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet and helped Linn-Mar claim its first conference tournament team championship at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. The Lions scored 233 points and topped runner-up Iowa City West by 59.5.

“It’s cool wrestling on the same team,” Tate said. “I think it’s special. It’s great we both won conference, but ultimately it’s both winning on (state) Saturday night.

“I think that will be even more special.”

Kane has been on a tear this season. He has pinned his way through each of the last three tournaments, decking Cedar Rapids Washington’s 12th-ranked Nick Foreman in 1:15 of the 132-pound final. The third-ranked sophomore has 27 pins and has a technical fall this season.

“I just like to wrestle and score a lot of points,” Kane said. “Get pins. Going for the pin record. I think I’m three away from tying it. Just keep winning.”

Linn-Mar Coach Doug Streicher said Kane’s strength is the top position. He said Kane has a versatile attacking style, capitalizing on his chances for turns.

“He is good on top so he finds different ways to be creative on top to give himself opportunities to pin guy,” Streicher said. “He’s aggressive and stays physical. He has some God-given attributes, as far as length, to do what he wants to do. He does a good job using his skills to the best of his ability. It’s hard to defend without clamming up.”

The brothers share a passion and it shows with each competition. Even with their different personalities and size difference – 38 pounds between weight classes – they have a bond through the sport.

“We’re really close,” Kane said. “Sometimes I warm up with him. I know he’s bigger than me but I love wrestling with him.”

Tate was just as dominant. He had four falls, pinning Waterloo East’s Eli Sallis in 3:13 for the 170 title. He improved to 31-2. Tate has enjoyed his brother’s results as much as his own.

“It’s good,” Tate said. “He’s working hard in the room, pushing himself hard every day. If he has questions, he asks me. I help him and he helps me. We love each other.”

Grant Kress (145) and heavyweight Luke Gaffney also won titles for the Lions, who went 8-5 in placing matches. Brayden Parke was second at 126 for Linn-Mar.

“It is satisfying for today,” Streicher said. “Our focus has always been on districts, how many guys we could get to state and how many guys we can get on the (state) podium and how many state champs we get.

“We’re content for now, but we’re not totally satisfied.”

Iowa City West’s top-ranked 152-pounder Hunter Garvin won his third MVC title. He posted three pins and improved to 40-0, receiving the Outstanding Wrestler award voted on by the conference coaches. In a rematch of last year’s 138-pound state final, Garvin pinned Cedar Falls’ Dylan Whitt in 2:44.

“I felt great physically, mentally and spiritually,” Garvin said. “I felt pretty dominant.”

Garvin built a 6-2 lead in the second with a reversal after two first-period takedowns. He converted on a tight headlock to get the fall.

“I had confident in my coaches telling me it will come,” Garvin said. “Get to your offense, get to your takedowns and get to your attacks, it will come. I got a couple of takedowns and it came.

“I try not to hunt for anything unless it’s needed. I just try to flow. That’s what we ran into and what happened.”

He was joined atop the awards stand by teammate Grant O’Dell. O’Dell captured his second conference crown after winning 106 in 2020. O’Dell notched a 19-3 technical fall over Iowa City High’s Jake Mitchell for the 138 title.

City High finished with three champions. Cale Seaton (120), Kael Kurtz at 126 and 220-pounder Ben Kueter earned gold. Seaton was impressive, scoring two pins before a technical fall over Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Alex Bumba in the finals. Seaton led the entire tournament with 66 match points scored in three shortened matches.

“He is a hammer,” City High Coach Cory Connell said. “He goes so hard. Most kids you have to get them going sometimes, but most of the time I have to hold him back.

“He has such a high motor. He just wants to go, go, go, and go. He’s always thinking about wrestling. He’s a coach’s dream in the sense that you know he’s always going, thinking about it and doing the right things.”

Kurtz followed and avenged a previous loss 1-0 to Parke. Kurtz notched a pair of takedowns in the first two periods and posted a 5-3 decision in the finals.

“It’s been little things all year that has been hurting us and now he’s really focusing on those little things,” Connell said. “He’s coming to practice with a purpose and working on those. He’s really motivated right now. Get better at those little things now it’s going to snowball in his favor.”

Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Christian Stanek won his second MVC championship. The Saints senior scored four takedowns and controlled Dubuque’s Josiah Schaetzle the entire match, posting a 9-4 decision.

Prairie’s Blake Gioimo remained unbeaten this season. The top-ranked 113-pounder built a 16-2 lead before pinning West’s Braden Doyle in 2:55 of the final. He is now 41-0.

Western Dubuque produced a champion at 182. Fifth-ranked Greyson Gardner used a five-point move in the first and cruised to a 10-5 victory over Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s No. 7 Alex Koch in the finals.

Western Dubuque and Kennedy battled again at 195. This time it went the Cougars’ way.

Colin Flannagan provided a title for the Cougars. He used a penatly point in the second and third-period escape for a 2-0 decision over the Bobcats’ Evan Surface.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONFERENCE SUPER MEET

At C.R. Jefferson

Teams – 1. Linn-Mar 233, 2. Iowa City West 173.5, 3. C.R. Prairie 167.5, 4. Dubuque Hempstead 148.5, 5. Iowa City High 135, 6. Western Dubuque 132, 7. Cedar Falls 131.5, 8. C.R. Kennedy 115.5, 9. Iowa City Liberty 92.5, 10. C.R. Washington 81, 11. C.R. Xavier 77, 12. Waterloo East 69, 13. Waterloo West 60, 14. Dubuque Senior 38.5, 15. C.R. Jefferson 33, 16. Dubuque Wahlert 25.5

Championship matches

106 pounds – Mitchell Pins (DH) major dec. Evan Simpson (CF), 9-0; 113 – Blake Gioimo (CRP) pinned Braden Doyle (ICW), 2:55; 120 – Cale Seaton (ICH) tech. fall Alex Bumba (CRP), 23-8; 126 –Kael Kurtz (ICH) dec. Brayden Parke (LM), 5-3; 132 – Kane Naaktgeboren (LM) pinned Nick Foreman (CRW), 1:15; 138 – Grant O’Dell (ICW) tech. fall Jake Mitchell (ICH), 19-3; 145 – Grant Kress (LM) pinned Cooper Paxton (WW), 2:51; 152 – Hunter Garvin (ICW) pinned Dylan Whitt (CF), 2:44; 160 – Christian Stanek (CRX) dec. Josiah Schaetzle (DH), 9-4; 170 – Tate Naaktgeboren (LM) pinned Eli Sallis (WE), 3:13; 182 – Greyson Gardner (WDub) dec. Alex Koch (CRK), 10-5; 195 – Colin Flannagan (CRK) dec. Evan Surface, 2-0; 220 – Ben Kueter (ICH) tech. fall Joseph Lewis (DH), 21-5; Hwt. – Luke Gaffney (LM) major dec. Tate Sykora-Matthess (CRW), 13-2.