Western Dubuque on to State Duals with 40-30 win over Hempstead

EPWORTH — Less than 14 miles separate the Western Dubuque and Dubuque Hempstead campuses.

It's an easy drive into Epworth from Dubuque. Just hop on Highway 20 and head east for about 15 minutes. Get off at Exit 304 and you're practically there.

Wednesday night, the ride back probably felt a little longer for the Mustang wrestling team. After defeating Bettendorf, 48-20, in the semifinals of the Class 3A team dual sectionals, Hempstead fell 40-30 to the Bobcats and the trip to the State Duals went to Western Dubuque.

'I'm just so proud of them, I love these guys,' Western Dubuque head coach Paul Cleary said. 'It was a great environment for wrestling and so proud of our community.'

The Bobcats are the fourth seed and will wrestle No. 5 Waverly-Shell Rock in next Wednesday's quarterfinals at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Cleary called the Hempstead dual a rivalry and it certainly had every appearance of one. From the first whistle, it was a back-and-fourth affair in a gym lit only with lights above the mat, giving it the feel of a heavyweight boxing match.

Dubuque Hempstead landed the first punch at 120 pounds, as No. 3-ranked Joe Pins pinned the Bobcats' JD Kluesner in 3:05. Western Dubuque, however, got the next two jabs in — falls from Nathan Betts (126) and No. 3-ranked Brandan Birt.

Momentum, however, shifted again as Hempstead won the next two bouts by decision, tying the match at 12-12. The teams traded pins during the 152 and 160 matches and after a Western Dubuque decision at 170, the Bobcats held a slim three-point lead.

Kameron Kramer then stepped onto the mat for the 182 bout. He was subbing in for normal starter, top-ranked 182-pounder Max Lyon, who was bumped to 220 pounds for the night.

Almost immediately, Kramer got taken down and gave up five nearfall points to the Mustangs' Kent Kragenbrink. It looked as if Kramer was about to give up a bonus-point win, but managed a reversal and then got Kragenbrink on his back for a pin.

'I figured go big or go home,' Kramer said. 'It's win or go home right now, that's my mindset.'

Kramer's win took any momentum the Mustangs were clinging to and the Bobcats won the 195, 220 and 285 bouts. Heavyweight Aaron Costello clinched the dual with a pin in 1:51.

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