Lions roar to tournament victory

MANCHESTER – Linn-Mar Coach Doug Streicher saw the potential coming up through the ranks.The potential is turning into results.The Lions crowned five champions to captured the team title Saturday at West Delaware's Hawk Invitational. The Lions scored 223.5 points, 22.5 more than New Hampton, which had four champs.A talented group of freshmen and strong returners had Streicher optimistic if everyone stayed healthy and spread out over the appropriate weights. That promise showed Saturday with seven finalists with four being freshmen.”“For the most I like how we compete,” Streicher said. “It's a matter of some glaring flaws in basic wrestling that shouldn't be happening.”One of the wrestlers with high expectations is freshman Alijah Jeffery, ranked fourth at 103 pounds by The Predicament. He found himself included among the elite in Class 3A  before even stepping foot on a high school mat.“My main goal this year is to win the state tournament,” Jeffery said. “I'm going to get past tough opponents and I'm hoping to do that next weekend.”Jeffery showed why the respect is warranted, dominating West Delaware's Zach Less, 10-1, in the finals. Jeffery built a 7-1 lead after the first, scoring two takedowns and then turning Less for three back points. He added a takedown in the third.“I felt pretty good today,” Jeffery said. “I was expecting some tough matches.”His opponents will face a tough foe as long Jeffery stays on the attack.“If he can stay on the attack and stay in good position it's going to take a hell of a wrestler to beat him,” Streicher said. “That's what we're trying to get across to him.”Lions freshman Damon Griffin matched Jeffery's performance. Griffin notched a 12-3 major decision over Decorah's Kellan O'Shea at 119. Griffin stayed in good position, earning four takedowns.“I thought it was a gutty performance,” Streicher said. “Good scrambles. I was pretty happy with how he wrestled today, but again, he had to scramble because he was out of position.”Ross Lembeck gave Linn-Mar a third champion, blanking West Delaware's Jake Voss in the 135-pound final. Lembeck had a fall and major decision before racking up eight points in the final period for the technical fall. Andrew Holladay, the heaviest freshman finalist for Linn-Mar, was second at 160.Joel Northrup, a virtual veteran compared to some of the lighter weights, claimed the 112-pound title, beating New Hampton's Leighton Gaul, 3-1. Northrup, a sophomore who placed third at the 2010 state meet, was in the freshmen's position last season.“It's great to have our team together pretty good,” Northrup said. “We all build off each other and help each other.”Mitch Wantock (171) also won a title for the Lions. Wantock topped Waterloo East's Jeremy Helgeson, 3-1, for his crown.  Riley Neil, seeded sixth at 152, also finished second for Linn-Mar.Streicher said the team wrestled well but could have performed better. Saturday was a good gauge, but he's more interested in their development throughout the season.“That's what we tell the kids. Expectations are pretty darn high from the coaching staff,” Streicher said. “We certainly understand the talent we have no matter what grade they're in.”Dean Broghammer, competing for West Delaware's junior varsity, won the 189-pound title. Broghammer beat varsity teammate Jacyn Goebel in the semifinal before topping Decorah's top-seeded Cody Sacquitne, 8-7, in the finals. The Hawks' Alex Rans beat teammate Adam Reth, 5-2, to win at 215. West Delaware's varsity was third with 170.Decorah advanced three wrestlers to the finals and had a champion in 145-pounder Gayge Samuelson, ranked sixth in 2A. Samuelson surrendered an opening takedowns but cruised to a 12-6 win over New Hampton's Sawyer Anderson. The Vikings placed fourth with 151 points.Marion's Alex Hunter reached the finals at 125, losing to New Hampton's Matt Paulus, who is ranked fourth at 119. Hunter advanced to the championship bout with a fall and a 3-1 upset over Decorah's seventh-rated Zach Hennig in the semifinals.

WEST DELAWARE HAWK INVITATIONAL

At ManchesterTeams – 1. Linn-Mar 223.5, 2. New Hampton 201, 3. West Delaware 170, 4. Decorah 151, 5. West Delaware JV 143, 6. Fairfield 136.5, 7. Waterloo East 56, 8. Marion 53, 9. C.R. Washington 49.103 pounds – Alijah Jeffery (LM) major dec. Zach Less (WD), 10-1; 112 – Joel Northrup (LM) dec. Leighton Gaul (NH), 3-1; 119 – Damon Griffin (LM) major dec. Kellan O'Shea (Dec), 12-3; 125 – Matt Paulus (NH) pinned Alex Hunter (Mar), X:xx; 130 – Jordan Roths (NH) pinned Jerad Hoefer (WD), 5:00; 135 – Ross Lembeck (LM) tech. fall Jake Voss (WDJV), 16-0; 140 – Tom Mahoney (NH) dec. P.C. McEnany (WD), 5-3; 145 – Gayge Samuelson (Dec) dec. Sawyer Anderson (NH), 12-6; 152 – Riley Neil (LM) major dec. Colin Hageman (NH), 11-3; 160 – Jacob Pilcher (F) pinned Andrew Holladay (LM), 1:53; 171 – Mitch Wantock (LM) dec. Jeremy Helgeson (WE), 3-1; 189 – Dean Broghammer (WDJV) dec. Cody Sacquitne (Dec), 8-7; 215 – Alex Rans (WDJV) dec. Adam Reth (WD), 5-2; Hwt. – Michael Smithburg (F) dec. Logan Hopp (NH), 7-3.