Three Mustangs remain after first day at state
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| PCM 285-pound senior Jake Tool sticks Perry’s Tyler White for a pin during the first round of Thursday’s Class 2A state wrestling tournament in Des Moines. Tool is one of three Mustang wrestlers still alive in the tournament. (Shane Lucas/Daily News) |
DES MOINES — No matter the age or experience level, nerves are apparently always a factor at the state wrestling tournament.
Despite all three admittedly being affected by their nerves, Prairie City-Monroe seniors Dalton Kingery (126 pounds), Jake Tool (285) and Zach Findlow (182) all were able to advance to the second day of action. Kingery and Tool scored first-round victories to advance to the quarterfinals, while Findlow will work in the consolation bracket after going 1-1 on the day.
“State tournament nerves definitely hit me,” Kingery said. “The nerves definitely wear you out more than anything here. I haven’t got tired all year, but it doesn’t matter when the nerves hit you.”
Kingery had the Mustangs’ first match of the day, squaring off against Mediapolis sophomore Drew Foster. He led 7-3 after two strong periods, but Foster managed a late escape and takedown to make things more interesting before Kingery rode out the closing seconds and earned a trip to the quarterfinals.
“I kind of had to change my style for him because he used the things I did to his advantage,” Kingery said. “I was just glad I was able to hang on and wrestle smart instead of aggressive at the end of the match.”
Findlow was done in by a late pin in his first-round match, but recovered in a big way against Clarinda senior Scott Brockman. Leading 4-1 late in the second period, Findlow appeared to have Brockman squared up for a pin, but the buzzer sounded and Findlow took a 7-1 lead into the third before surviving a late surge and earning a 10-7 decision.
“I looked down and thought he was on his back. He looked flat to me,” Findlow said. “I just didn’t want to wrestle another period because I was tired, but it feels great to win.”
Findlow was the only wrestler of the foursome to be making his first state appearance, but he said the nerves didn’t hit him quite as much as he thought.
“We stepped out on the mat when no one was here and my nerves didn’t get to me,” Findlow said. “But once they called my name and I ran out there, they got to me a little bit. They didn’t get to me terribly, my heart was pounding through that second match, but it was better when I was done.”
“Everything is gravy for him,” Teeter added. “Everything he does up here is gravy. One more win and he’s got a medal.”
At 285 pounds, Tool picked up the Mustangs’ most decisive win of the day with a pin of Perry’s Tyler White in the second period. Tool chose the bottom position to start the period, then used his trademark move to slip around White’s side and eventually stick him.
“I’ve been doing that since I was little, and I’m extremely good at it I guess,” Tool said. “I could tell he’s definitely been working on not getting in it, but if you do it for so long, it doesn’t matter. The kid can try not to get in it, but I’m still going to catch him.”
The win was the first state victory for Tool, who missed out on the meet last season after qualifying as a sophomore. It was touch-and-go with Perry early on as neither wrestler wanted to make the first big move until Tool did in the second period.
“A lot of weight is off my shoulders. I was extremely, extremely nervous,” Tool said. “I probably should’ve done more in that first period, but with my nerves I really didn’t want to mess up. But I got more comfortable down on the mat.”
Bryce Wignall, the Mustangs’ fourth qualifier, was eliminated from competition after being dealt tough 8-4 and 7-4 decisions by Harlan’s No. 10-ranked John Schwarte and Dallas Center-Grimes’ Matt Taylor, respectively. It was clear that Wignall was running out of gas, possibly due to his drop in weight class along with some other outside factors.
“Bryce just didn’t look the same today. It’s just one of those things,” PCM coach Matt Teeter said. “He’s had a little cold issue, which has taken away some of his conditioning, but that’s just the way it goes. You’ve got work through that stuff.”
Kingery and Tool each have tough opponents waiting this morning. Kingery will face second-ranked Colton McCrystal (42-1) of Sergeant Bluff-Louton, while Tool will take on fourth-ranked Dean Broghammer (46-1) of West Delaware. In the consolation bracket, Findlow will face the loser between Solon’s Lance Evans and West Delaware’s Jacyn Goebel.
Tool has watched Broghammer wrestle in person and via the Internet, and Kingery is more than aware of McCrystal after staring up at him in the rankings all season. The only thing that remains to be seen when action resumed at 9 a.m. is whether the nerves will return or if they’re a thing of the past.
“I can’t have the jitters in the next match, I’ve got to go full bore,” Kingery said. “I have to prove that I can be there. It’s my last shot to do this, so I might as well go out there and give this kid a full dose of Dalton Kingery.”
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