Williamsburg captured first Wamac Conference tournament title, turns focus to regional dual

Williamsburg Coach Grant Eckenrod was determining wrestle-offs in the preseason.

He analyzed the matchups and realized the Raiders potential, if they could cover all the weighs with their talent.

“It just worked out that we got everybody spread out,” Eckenrod said. “We’ve had this really good mix of younger and older kids. All four grades have come together and are really selfless.”

Williamsburg earned its first Wamac Conference tournament team title Saturday and will host a Class 2A regional dual Tuesday night. The third-ranked Raiders will face the winner of No. 18 West Liberty and No. 19 Anamosa for a berth to the Iowa High School Athletic Association State Duals tournament Saturday at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

See the regional dual pairings for all three classes.

“It’s going to be a fight,” Eckenrod said. “It’s going to be what high school wrestling should be about. It’s going to be a great atmosphere in our gym. We’re excited for it.”

The Raiders placed everyone in the top eight of their respective weights, tallying 225 ½ points and winning by 30. It was the first conference title under Eckenrod and it occurred at Benton Community – Eckenrod’s alma mater.

“All 14 guys place,” Eckenrod said. “We had three guys unseeded that placed and got bonus points. One of my assistants went back through it and we had 50 ½ bonus points on the day.

“You get 14 guys scoring points and that many bonus points good things are going to happen. The kids wrestled well all day. It wasn’t perfect. We lost a few we were hoping to get. That happens in this conference. The kids hung on and battled together.”

Hayden Albaugh (120) was Williamsburg’s lone champion but he was one of six finalists. Senior 150-pounder Nile Sinn said depth has been a strength of this season. An all-for-one mentality isn’t a motto but it’s more of an expectation.

“Top to bottom, we can compete and battle anybody at any weight,” Sinn said. “We’re looking forward to it. … Everyone is there for each other every day at practice, especially during meets. I think it will be amplified (Tuesday) since it’s a regional dual.

The Raiders are vying for their fifth State Duals appearance with the first in 2011. They were runner-up in 2020. The most recent trip was 2023.

“It’s the goal every year,” Sinn said. “It’s the goal from the first dual of the year. Mount Vernon was No. 1 and we went out and beat them. That’s when it hit, we have a shot to do something special this year and that’s been the goal ever since, I believe.”

Balance has always served the Raiders in dual competition. Under Eckenrod, Williamsburg seems to have a competitive wrestler at each weight. A trait of strong dual teams and a byproduct of multisport athletes, staying active during the winter season.

“We’ve been lucky to have a lot of good kids,” Eckenrod said. “We’re able to put kids out there that will have some success in other sports and that carries over to wrestling. That is one of the reasons we’ve been a little more successful dual-wise. You have to be fairly solid up and down the lineup and we’ve been fortunate enough to do that with pretty good athletes.”

Eckenrod and Sinn said wrestlers are devoted to the team’s success. A trio of wrestlers have dropped a weight to fill in for various circumstances, even if it is to temporarily help the team. They are seen cheering and pulling for each other.

“This year has been the most fun I’ve ever had wrestling,” Sinn said. “The freshmen have been super hard workers and solid wrestlers. They’re wrestlers first, put a lot of time into it and great teammates. We have some good veteran leadership with me, Lincoln Schropp, Cael Moore and a couple other guys in our class and the junior class. It has meshed together and this team has been fun to be around.”

West Liberty (25-1) and Anamosa will open in the semifinal. The winner will take on Williamsburg in the for the regional title.

“Both are very good teams and have very good individuals,” Eckenrod said. “It’s going to be interesting to watch those two teams get after each other. It’s going to be a straight up battle against whoever we get. All three teams might be deserving to be there.”

Williamsburg is part of a large contingent of Wamac programs in the regional duals field. No. 2 West Delaware, the only team to beat the Raiders, host North Fayette Valley and Union Community. No. 5 Independence hosts No. 16 Solon and No. 17 Benton Community. No. 11 Mount Vernon travels to No. 6 Davenport Assumption, facing No. 12 Burlington-Notre Dame in the semifinal.

Clear Creek Amana will represent the Wamac in 3A. The 13th-ranked Clippers will wrestle No. 10 Bettendorf. The winner will wrestle host No. 7 Pleasant Valley.

Linn-Mar is the lone host in 3A, taking on the winner of No. 17 Bondurant-Farrar and No. 18 North Scott. The Lions are looking for their eighth State Duals berth and first since 2022.

Cedar Rapids Xavier makes its third regional dual appearance. The No. 16 Saints wrestle No. 15 Dallas Center-Grimes for a chance to take on host No. 5 Johnston.

Iowa City High, Cedar Rapids Prairie and Western Dubuque are also in the regional duals field and will compete on the road.

In 1A, top-ranked Alburnett and No. 4 Jesup will host regional sites. Alburnett will face the winner of No. 20 West Branch and No. 22 Iowa Valley. Jesup welcomes No. 13 Lisbon and No. 24 Westwood.

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