Quartet of heavyweight medalists highlight area 2A placewinners

DES MOINES - The big fellas came up, well, big.

Four area heavyweights were spots on the awards stand at the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 2A state wrestling tournament Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena.Monticello junior Daniel Pike beat West Liberty's Dylan VanDusen, 11-8, to finish third and lead the foursome. Solon Logan Linderbaum finished fifth and Benton Community's Quintin Taylor, who made his state tournament debut, placed seventh.

State champion Pat Woods rebounded after having a quest for a second straight title ended, placing third at 113. Teammates Sam Phillips (126) and Jake Voss (160) placed fourth. The Hawks' 170-pounder Brent Lammers was fifth.

The Washington Demons put a trio on the podium. Brad Skubal placed seventh at 182 and 120-pounder Fletcher Green, a 2013 state champ, and Kyle Anderson (113) placed eighth.

Union placed two in the finals and two more secured their specific spots on the podium. Derek Holschlag (106) and Trevor McLaughlin (145) placed eighth.Independence's Chase Straw earned his second straight third-place finish at 145 pounds.North Fayette Valley had two medalists Tyler Johansen (220) earned a fifth-place medal, while Nick Baumler was seventh at 160.

Cody Naber, of Dyersville Beckman, made his state debut this year. He finished with a fourth-place medal at 138.Mid-Prairie, Oelwein, Vinton-Shellsburg and West Liberty each had one medalist.Mid-Prairie's Phirom Peterschmidt placed sixth at 182. West Liberty's Elliot Henderson (120) and Oelwein's 195-pound junior Zach Lamphere both finished seventh. The Vikings' Michael Neal was eighth.