Union captures team title at Bobcat Eckenrod Invitational

VAN HORNE - If any Union Community wrestling fans believe in signs, they had to be optimistic after this weekend.

See, early January has been sort of a litmus test for state champions recently. Three teams have won titles at Benton Community before going on to state gold, including the last two Class 2A champions.

Top-ranked Union has the chance to make it three times in as many years, crowning two champions Saturday and winning the Bobcat Jerry Eckenrod Invitational. The Knights tallied 245 points, 56 more than runner-up Don Bosco by 56.

Davenport Assumption and West Delaware accomplished the feat in 2014 and 2013. Don Bosco has done it previously. Eddyville-Blakesburg didn't win the Eckenrod, but won a 1A title last year. The trend could continue for Union's large group of talented seniors.

'I hope so,” Union Coach Pat Hogan said. 'They wrestled well today.”

Hogan said he was impressed by the Knights, who have wrestled the state and country's best in the last month. They advanced a tournament-high seven wrestlers into the finals. The semifinal round allowed them to pull away from the field.

'It was a good round,” Hogan said. 'We wrestled to our seeds, which is always good, especially in a tournament like this.

'We're happy right now, but we have work to do.”

Union's defending state champions Max Thomsen (145) and Jacob Holschlag (170) won titles. Three-time state champion Thomsen opened with two pins and technical fall before a 6-2 win over Eddyville-Blakesburg's Blake Marolf, who is top-ranked in 1A.

Holschlag handled West Marshall's Dale Hilleman, 13-0, in the final. He added two pins and improved to 27-0.

'He's just solid,” Hogan said of Holschlag. 'Obviously, expectations are that way now with him. He expects it, too. He had a good tournament.”

Holschlag said all of this is practice for the postseason. He isn't satisfied with his latest title but the win was an indication he is on track for success in Des Moines.

'I like where I'm going,” Holschlag said. 'Right now, I'm not perfect. I'm never going to be perfect, but I can always get better. I want to see that progression every week.”

The same applies to Union as a team. Holschlag sees the strides the Knights have made and want to continue, beginning Monday.

'I think a lot of kids are getting better week after week,” Holschlag said. 'I think that's what helps the team is improvement.”

Assumption placed third, competing with only eight wrestlers and without a couple who are ranked ones. The Knights had three champions, which led the field.

Independence placed fourth as a team and was paced by champions Chase Straw and Jake Juhl. Top-ranked Straw scored 10 points in each of the last two periods for a 24-9 win over Don Bosco's Chris Paulsen for the 152 crown.

Juhl, ranked eighth, upset Union's fourth-ranked Trevor McLaughlin in a wild 160-pound final. Juhl came out on top of scrambles for a second-period takedown and a decisive reversal in the final period.

'I've been working for this really hard,” Juhl said. 'I have great partners like Nicholas Holt and Chase Straw in the room every day. I'm working toward this and it puts me in a good position to get up there with the best.”

Cedar Rapids Jefferson had two finalists, despite two wrestlers withdrawing from competition and another ranked wrestler missing the day altogether due to medical reasons. Class 3A fourth-ranked Brenden Baker claimed the J-Hawks lone title, winning the 113-pound championship.

Baker allowed four straight points and trailed by two, going into the final period. He used a reversal and rideout for a 5-4 win over Union's Derek Holschlag, who is ranked fifth in 2A.

'I'm happy that Brenden maintained his composure,” Jefferson Coach Matt Orton said. 'I liked the fact that he had a close match and didn't get flustered. He did a good job.”

Baker improved to 19-1 despite missing time to a broken foot. He hasn't faced many situations like that and it was good experience as he attempts to improve last year's third-place state finish.

'This is the second close match like that, a one-point match,” Orton said. 'It's good to have a test like that, because those are the matches you'll have to win at the state tournament.”

The J-Hawks Kyle Briggs earned runner-up honors at 132, advancing to the finals with two straight pins.

North Linn also had two finalists. Top-seeded and 1A second-ranked Brock Henderson (21-0) rolled through the 106 bracket, pinning Assumption's Sean Casey in 1:55. Heavyweight Kyler Schott placed second.

West Delaware's Brent Lammers dominated his way to a title at 182 pounds. The senior remained undefeated, sandwiching a pinned between two major decisions. Lammers ended the run with an 11-2 win over Union's Tanner Shirk.

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