Union starts boys’ state wrestling finals with a pair of championships

DES MOINES — Union Community’s Jace Hedeman is halfway to history, but after winning his second straight Iowa high school boys’ state wrestling tournament title, he turned the Saturday night spotlight elsewhere: To his teammate and sparring partner, Brayden Bohnsack.

“It’s kill or be killed, baby,” Hedeman, an undefeated 113-pounder, said after watching Bohnsack notch his first state championship at 106. “He killed. Hopefully we can get another one next year.”

Bohnsack broke a scoreless tie by connecting with a shot with seven seconds left in his title bout. The Wells Fargo Arena crowd cheered and Bohnsack calmly trotted off the mat to cool down before opening up to reporters.

“I’ve worked hard with (Hedeman) all year,” said Bohnsack, who watched his teammate secure his second state crown, 6-1, moments later. “I wouldn’t be here without him. I’ve always wanted this and this year is just my chance.”

Both sophomore standouts will have two more chances to climb to the top of the podium at state. Hedeman won the state title at 106 last season and focuses on the present, not the future, while he chases the coveted crown jewel of Iowa high school wrestling: Four state titles.

“I’ve just got to keep working my butt off, right?” said Hedeman, who is 94-0 in his first two seasons. “That’s what it comes down to, consistency and discipline. Can’t win four without winning the next one.”

Mount Vernon entered Saturday’s night’s championship round poised to achieve its best finish at the state meet since at least 2004. The Mustangs already boasted a school-record six medalists and sat in second place in the Class 2A team standings behind runaway winner Osage. But it was a precarious perch, as last year’s 2A champion, Burlington Notre Dame, lurked just 2 1/2 points back in third, and West Delaware was just three points off the Nikes’ pace in fourth.

Still, the Mustangs were assured of at least one of their best finishes in school history, as they’ve finished third or fourth a combined six times.

“It’s always helpful when you can bring home a trophy from the state tournament,” Mount Vernon head coach Vance Light said. “We got fourth at the state duals and they felt like they could have got third, so that’s motivated them a little bit. We’ll see. We’ll see how (Saturday) night pans out for us.”

That uncertain prospect hinged on the performance of 126-pound freshman Jase Jaspers, who sought to become the Mustangs’ lightest state champion since Shawn Voight won the 138-pound title in 1985.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him and I couldn’t be more excited to watch him,” said Mount Vernon 220-pounder Clark Younggreen, who wrestled with multiple torn ligaments and placed fourth earlier on Saturday. “I’ve been calling for him all the way.”

Mount Vernon finished third with 99 points. Jaspers fought hard but fell, 3-2, in what could be the first of multiple trips to the finals.

Just like Union’s Hedeman and Bohnsack, who provided the one-two punch to start the night.

“Yeah,” said Knights head coach Bart Mehlert, “It doesn’t get much better than that.”

It certainly couldn’t for West Delaware senior Cam Geuther, who capped a sterling senior season with a state championship. The humble heavyweight won his title bout, 7-0, then embarked on a cardio-based jaunt around the arena that ended in countless hugs with fans, coaches, teammates and his mom, Sara.

“They mean the world,” said Guether, who placed sixth at state last February. “I wouldn’t be where I’m at without any of these people I went (to) and hugged. They believed in me through the whole process.”

Geuther also met another challenge Saturday. His head coach, Jeff Voss, told him he needed two more takedowns to total 100 in his high school career. He got three for good measure.

“When I saw that clock hit zeroes, I was like, ‘Whoa, that’s weird,’” Geuther said. “I feel like it didn’t hit deep yet, so once it does, it will feel real good. I know it will.”

The Hawks were fourth in the team race with 97 1/2 points.

Vinton-Shellsburg senior Cooper Sanders hoped to better his runner-up finish from a year ago, but lost by decision, 8-3, to undefeated Isaiah Fenton of Burlington Notre Dame. Sanders, the top-seeded 152-pounder, also claimed runner-up honors as sophomore and won a title his freshman year in Utah, so he ends his high school career as a four-time finalist.

Earlier Saturday, South Tama’s top-seeded 195-pounder Gavin Bridgewater came back in the third-place match to notch a 7-6 win. He secured his second top-three finish in the past two seasons — and the latest came on his dad’s birthday.

“I know it would be big, but at the same time it really hurts because I know how close I was,” said Bridgewater, who took second at 220 last season. “I had to prove that I had the mental capacity out there in the last match that I didn’t have in the semis to come out and win it.”

Class 2A finals

106 — No. 1 Brayden Bohnsack (Union Community) dec. No. 2 Carter West (Notre Dame/West Burlington), 2-0

113 — No. 1 Jace Hedeman (Union Community) dec. No. 3 Aiden Smith (Atlantic), 6-1

120 — No. 4 Blake Fox (Osage) dec. No. 2 Vinny Mayberry (Glenwood), 8-2

126 — No. 2 Derrick Bass (Davenport Assumption) dec. No. 5 Jase Jaspers (Mount Vernon), 3-2

132 — No. 1 Kale Petersen (Greene County) dec. No. 3 Anders Kittelson (Osage), 7-3

138 — No. 1 McKinley Robbins (Greene County) major dec. No. 3 Tate O’Shea (Keokuk), 15-5

145 — No. 1 Tucker Stangel (Osage) dec. No. 2 Ty Koedam (Sergeant Bluff-Luton), 7-6

152 — No. 2 Isaiah Fenton (Notre Dame/West Burlington) dec. No. 1 Cooper Sanders (Vinton-Shellsburg), 10-3

160 — No. 1 Dawson Bond (Red Oak) dec. No. 2 Cole Butikofer (Crestwood), 3-2

170 — No. 1 Nicholas Fox (Osage) dec. No. 2 Ethan DeLeon (Sioux City Heelan), 3-1

182 — No. 1 CJ Walrath (Notre Dame/West Burlington) pinned No. 3 Brody Sampson (Ballard), 4:44

195 — No. 4 Gabriel Christensen (Ballard) dec. No. 3 CJ Carter (Glenwood), 7-3

220 — No. 1 Nick Reinicke (Dike-New Hartford) major dec. No. 6 Henry Christensen (Ballard), 11-3

285 — No. 1 Cameron Geuther (West Delaware) dec. No. 14 Will Textor (Dike-New Hartford), 7-0

Comments: robgray18@icloud.com