116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Sigourney’s Reanah Utterback dominates in Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state wrestling tournament debut
Utterback placed at the IHSAA state tournament last season, won IWCOA at Xtream Arena as a freshman in in 2022
Feb. 1, 2024 5:54 pm, Updated: Feb. 6, 2024 1:02 pm
CORALVILLE — Sigourney’s Reanah Utterback didn’t compete in the inaugural Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state wrestling tournament.
Without a team at Sigourney and no sharing agreement, she was able to represent her school at the Iowa High School Athletic Association state tournament last season, becoming the second female medalist at the event with an eighth-place finish at 106 pounds in Class 1A.
Reanah is part of the school’s first girls’ team and made her impression felt immediately at this year’s IGHSAU state tournament. Utterback opened with two pins and wrestled a total of 1:31 during the first session Thursday at Xtream Arena.
“I wanted to come out and open up since it was the state tournament,” said Utterback, who is ranked 15th nationally at 115 by Flowrestling.com. “Just being out here and having fun. The main goal was just to go out and wrestle. Get my stuff done.”
Utterback won an Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association title here in 2022 as a freshman before the sport was sanctioned. She improved to 46-0. She pinned Waterloo West’s Kammie Gleiter in the first round and followed with a 52-second fall over Sergeant Bluff-Luton’s Josie Lennon to reach the quarterfinals.
Utterback has a consistent approach regardless of competition.
“It’s just another tournament,” Utterback said. “We’re going to compete. There’s nothing different. It’s just a big tournament.”
The Sigourney junior was a two-time IHSAA state qualifier and racked up 75 career victories. Utterback has throttled opponents the entire season. The competition may have changed but she has challenged herself, using an inner drive to improve her technique and dominate.
“This year was trying to score as many points as I could and not giving up any points,” Utterback said. “Just focusing on my technique and making myself better, even though it’s not the competition I want. I’m still making myself better by pushing myself to get as many points as possible before I pin them.”
Interestingly, Utterback entered the as the No. 3 seed behind Sioux City North’s returning state finalist Molly Sek and Vinton-Shellsburg’s Ellie Weets, who placed fifth last season. Did that add a chip to her shoulder?
“Not really,” Utterback said. “To me, it is what it is. I’m going to go out and wrestle.”
As the top three seeds at 115 advance, Benton Community freshman Layna Demoss thwarted the same from happening at 145, earning a bracket-busting win and the biggest upset per seeds in the first session.
Demoss, seeded 15th, used a late takedown that led to overtime and took Ankeny’s No. 2-seed Dana Cleveland to her back for a pin 16 seconds into sudden victory.
After the pin, an exhausted Demoss rolled to her back in a moment of respite.
“I was just so relieved,” Demoss said. “That was a tough girl. I feel she doesn’t get pinned a lot. I’m pretty proud of how I did and pushed through it.”
Demoss led by a point to start the third of the back-and-forth affair. She surrendered a point for locked hands and an escape. Demoss reclaimed the lead with a takedown in the waning seconds before allowing a last-second escape.
“I knew that she used front headlocks a lot and her hands were going to be higher,” said Demoss, who began the day with a major decision. “The double leg would be there.
“In the third period, I’m just giving it all I’ve got. There was less than two minutes left. I had to give all I’ve got.”
Demoss demonstrated a mix of poise and toughness. She knew what she needed to do and had the resolve to finish.
“We drill situations like that where there is only so much time left and use your go-to move,” Benton Community Coach Josh Hoeck said. “Just go to it so it’s automatic.
“She’s just gutsy. She keeps fighting every match. Sometimes it’s a good thing. She doesn’t get into who she is wrestling. She goes out and keeps going hard. Good things happen for her.”
West Liberty advanced three into the quarterfinals. Sisters Silvia, Dionni and Bricsia Garcia-Vasquez went 2-0 in the first session. Silvia and Dionni are making their second state appearance, while Bricsia is a freshman at 235.
Silvia, who placed third last season, is the No. 9 seed at 115. Bricsia is the No. 11 seed at 235. Both pinned both of their opponents in the opening sessions. Dionni, seeded fourth at 140, started with a fall before beating Decorah’s Amelia Wadsworth, 4-2.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Cedar Rapids Prairie and Linn-Mar each pushed a wrestler into the quarterfinals. The Lions’ Kate Seery moved a win from her second straight state medal. Seery recorded a pin in the first round and followed with a 16-3 major over Lacy Reed of Southern Tier.
“My first match I struggled a little bit,” Seery said. “It went longer than I wanted it to go. I just worked on what I needed to work on during the break. I came back strong with it.”
Seery placed eighth last season and fell in the quarterfinals of that tournament. She cleared that hurdle this time, improving to 42-3 and surpassing last year’s win total by four already. Seery is reaping the rewards of a busy offseason.
“It means a lot but I still have a lot of work to do to get further,” Seery said. “It’s a good feeling.
“I wrestled a lot, getting in different clubs and wrestling with different people. Just different ways of wrestling,” Seery said. “Freestyle teaches you a lot about body control, so learning more moves and more ways (to score).”
Prairie’s top-seeded state champion Mackenzie Childers advanced to the quarterfinals with a pin and major decision. She was joined by Kennedy’s third-seeded Ella Brown (235) in the quarterfinals. Brown (30-0) remained unbeaten with two first-period pins and is a win from her second straight medal, placing fifth in 2023.
Kennedy and Linn-Mar had each qualifier log at least one win in the first session.
“We had three qualifiers — one returning placer and two first-timers,” Kennedy Coach Craig Mallicoat said. “For all three to get a win today is huge for our program. It helps to show the girls hard work is paying off.”
Decorah held the team lead with 51 points and five quarterfinalists. Top-ranked Naomi Simon (170) posted two pins. She is on track for a second IGHSAU state title to go with two Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association championships.
East Buchanan was second, sitting three points back. The Buccaneers have six quarterfinalists, going 13-1 through the first session. Destiny Krum (130), Andelyn Cabalka (140), Tayla Stiefel (145), 190-pounder Brooklyn Graham and Alyson Krum at 235 all pinned their first two foes.
Vinton-Shellsburg’s Weets, Bree Swenson (120) and 130-pounder Chloe Sanders reached the quarterfinals, putting the Vikings in a tie for seventh with 36 points after the first session.
Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com
Daily Newsletters