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Vinton-Shellsburg's Jackson Parmater outlasts Solon's Anderson Osgood for win 106 title
Parmater and Osgood faced each other three times this season before meeting in the state final
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DES MOINES — Exactly one year ago, Vinton-Shellsburg’s top-seeded 106-pounder Jackson Parmater finished fourth at the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 2A state wrestling meet.
Then he narrowed his eyes and devised a sweat-soaked plan.
“I just told myself, If I want to be on top of the podium, I have to be in the room every day, working my (tail) off,” he said. “And that’s what I did.”
Saturday night at the Casey’s Center, all of that work paid, Parmater outlasted Solon’s second-seeded Anderson Osgood, 4-0, flexing and smiling as the Vikings’ fans showered his with cheers and applause.
The talented sophomores had faced each other three times earlier this season, with Parmater winning the first two matchups, and Osgood triumphing in the third.
“The last (meeting), I just didn’t get to my attacks,” said Parmater, the Vikings’ second state champ and first state champ Gabe Sanders won the 152-pound 2A title in 2022. “I kind of let him do everything, and I told myself, ‘OK, if I want to win this match, I have to go do everything I know (I can) do. With my coaches’ help, that’s what I did. I just attacked, attacked, attacked.”
Parmater spent the day hanging out a mall by his hotel.
Relaxed. Composed. Ready to turn that action plan into reality.
“Tonight was my night to do it,” he said. “And I did it.”
So did Union Community’s Coy Mehlert, who had finally wrestled his way to the Class 2A finals.
But the third-seeded 113-pound junior’s left meniscus locked up in the grueling process — and a conversation with his dad and coach, Bart, put the physical pain in perspective.
“Like I said, ‘It’s a long way from your heart,’” Bart Mehlert said of the ill-time injury. “He said that, (so) go get it, right?”
So he did.
Mehlert struck for three near-fall points in the first tiebreaker to beat North Polk’s Charlie Boelman, 7-4, and grasp gold at the Iowa High School Athletic Association state wrestling meet Saturday just as his dad did 26 years ago.
“He’s done it, so he knows what it feels like to be on top,” said Coy, who basked in the Knights’ fans loud cheers at the Casey’s Center. “Now that’s me. And I still have one more year left, so I expect myself to be at the top next year.
Mehlert finished fifth at state as a freshman and third last season. He’d scored bonus points in each of his matches until the title bout — and actually trailed 4-0 early before scoring seven straight points to clutch the crown.
Both Mehlerts then united in a heartfelt top-of-the-podium embrace that was a long time coming.
“Dad nerves are a little bit different,” Bart Mehlert said.
Adrenaline trumped both nerves and pain for Coy, though, as he finally smiled as a gold medal was draped around his neck.
“No one’s gonna just give you something at the state tournament,” he said. “You have to work for it and, yeah, (the knee) is a long way away from your heart, and my heart is what won me that match.”
The other title bouts weren’t complete when The Gazette went to press, but Decorah entered the championship round on top of the 2A team standings.
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