Comet wrestlers Crooks, Jaeger sectional champs; Collins, Tamayo advance as runners-up

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

DECORAH — If high school wrestling were a reality show, it would probably be called Survivor — that is if the name hasn’t already been taken.

At the Class 2A Sectional 11 Tournament hosted by Decorah on Saturday, four Comets survived to the district round by way of either placing first or runner-up in their respective brackets.

Several other Comets also had chances at advancing, but didn’t have wrestleback scenarios go their way.

Three of Charles City’s returning state qualifiers from last year all advanced. Included was state-ranked heavyweight Chase Crooks.

In the championship match against North Fayette Valley’s Jackson Blue, the Comet junior was able to dominate from the top position after a scoreless first period and eventually turned Blue over for a fall 3:16 into the bout.

Crooks will take a 24-3 record into New Hampton, which will host the Class 2A District 6 tournament next Saturday (Feb. 13).

Comet 152-pound senior Roush Jaeger, who was credited by his coach Dave Williams for his outstanding preparation going into his final prep wrestling season, defeated Clay Schemmel of Crestwood in exciting sudden-victory fashion (5-3) to win his bracket while improving to 24-3 for the season.

Like in the 170-pound final at the Northeast Iowa Conference Meet the week before in the same gym, Charles City senior Caden Collins faced New Hampton-Turkey Valley’s undefeated Carson Babcock for the bracket’s crown.

Both returning state place-winners, Babcock and Collins had engaged in a fairly close battle for NEIC hardware with Babcock eventually earning a 6-2 decision. The rematch was also close early on before Babcock finally got Collins with a two-legged takedown to break the scoreless tie.

Babcock went on to win an 8-1 decision while improving to 38-0 for the year.

The night wasn’t over for Collins as he had to best Decorah’s upstart senior Kody Bodensteiner 12-10 in the subsequent wrestleback to keep his season alive.

Comet junior Tino Tamayo, another returning state qualifier, lost to Crestwood’s Treyton Burnikel 6-2 in the 220-pound final. The wrestler Tamayo had beaten in the semifinals, NH/TV’s Landon Moorman, won what proved to be his third-place match so Tamayo didn’t have to face him again in a wrestleback.

Comet 145-pound sophomore Kaden Blunt managed to advance to the championship bout of his bracket, where he was pinned by Decorah’s Jackson Rolfs midway through the second period.

Blunt was forced to the wrestlebacks, and was denied district passage when NH/TV’s Cade Murray decisioned him 3-1.

Charles City senior Alex Staudt, who was a state qualifier in 2019, was sent to the consolation bracket when Decorah’s Brady Stille stuck him in the semifinals of the 132-pound bracket.

Staudt rebounded to pin Braeden Ellis of North Fayette Valley in the third period of his next bout. But on the other side of the gym, Cole Butikofer of Crestwood recorded a takedown in the final 20 seconds of the third period to defeat Stille 3-1 in the championship bout, thus ending Staudt’s season as a wrestleback opportunity was nixed.

Crestwood was the district team champions with 242.5 points. Decorah was second (195.5) and Charles City placed third (186) with NH/TV (177.5), NFV (128) and Waukon (76) rounding out the field.

Class 2A Sectional 11

AT DECORAH HIGH SCHOOL

Team Scores

1. Crestwood 242.5

2. Decorah 195.5

3. Charles City 186.0

4. New Hampton/Turkey Valley 177.5

5. North Fayette Valley 128.0

6. Waukon 76.0

Bracket Results

(Top 2 Advance to Districts)

106

1st Place – Nathaniel Bigalk of Crestwood, Cresco

2nd Place – Kollin Henry of Decorah

3rd Place – Kaiden Anderson of Waukon

4th Place – Jordan Young of Charles City

5th Place – Landon Bruess of NH/TV

113

1st Place – Anders Kittelson of Crestwood, Cresco

2nd Place – Edgar Nunez of NH/TV

3rd Place – Danny See of Decorah

4th Place – Kayden Kirby of Charles City

5th Place – Skylar Dugan of Waukon

120

1st Place – Nick Koch of North Fayette Valley

2nd Place – Jakob Regan of Waukon

3rd Place – Cole Schmauss of Crestwood, Cresco

4th Place – Ethan Praska of NH/TV

5th Place – Jacob Vais of Charles City

126

1st Place – Carter Fousek of Crestwood, Cresco

2nd Place – Lane Rolfs of Decorah

3rd Place – Caden Kerr of North Fayette Valley

4th Place – Nathan Lopez of Charles City

5th Place – Peyton Anderson of NH/TV

6th Place – Lucas Byrnes of Waukon

132

1st Place – Cole Butikofer of Crestwood, Cresco

2nd Place – Brady Stille of Decorah

3rd Place – Alec Staudt of Charles City

4th Place – Braeden Ellis of North Fayette Valley

5th Place – Burke Busta of NH/TV

138

1st Place – Chase Thomas of Crestwood, Cresco

2nd Place – Austin Wilkins of Decorah

3rd Place – Jesse Grimes of North Fayette Valley

4th Place – Marcus Gibbs of Waukon

5th Place – Talan Weber of Charles City

6th Place – Kael Meyers of NH/TV

145

1st Place – Jackson Rolfs of Decorah

2nd Place – Cade Murray of NH/TV

3rd Place – Kayden Blunt of Charles City

4th Place – Alex Streif of North Fayette Valley

5th Place – Bryce Shea of Crestwood, Cresco

6th Place – Jacob Homp of Waukon

152

1st Place – Roush Jaeger of Charles City

2nd Place – Clay Schemmel of Crestwood, Cresco

3rd Place – Colton Rochford of NH/TV

4th Place – Ben Wymer of Decorah

5th Place – Brendan Wander of North Fayette Valley

160

1st Place – Hunter Bye of Crestwood, Cresco

2nd Place – Ryan Pickar of NH/TV

3rd Place – Garrett Lovstuen of Decorah

4th Place – Colton Crooks of Charles City

5th Place – Dylan Lerch of North Fayette Valley

170

1st Place – Carson Babcock of NH/TV

2nd Place – Caden Collins of Charles City

3rd Place – Kody Bodensteiner of Decorah

4th Place – Brendon Dixon of Crestwood, Cresco

5th Place – Chase Cooley of North Fayette Valley

182

Guaranteed Places

1st Place – Kale Rodgers of North Fayette Valley

2nd Place – Keenan Tyler of Decorah

3rd Place – Braden McShane of NH/TV

4th Place – Ethan Peterson of Charles City

5th Place – Landen Bergan of Crestwood, Cresco

195

1st Place – Jacob Reicks of NH/TV

2nd Place – Landen Schemmel of Crestwood, Cresco

3rd Place – Cullen Dickson of Waukon

4th Place – Cade Williams of Charles City

5th Place – Cael Gulrud of Decorah

6th Place – Isaiah Corbin of North Fayette Valley

220

1st Place – Treyton Burnikel of Crestwood, Cresco

2nd Place – Tino Tamayo of Charles City

3rd Place – Landon Moorman of NH/TV

4th Place – Brandon Gulrud of Decorah

285

1st Place – Chase Crooks of Charles City

2nd Place – Jackson Blue of North Fayette Valley

3rd Place – Brayden Ishman of Crestwood, Cresco

4th Place – Edwin Holyoake of Decorah

5th Place – Tyler Reicks of NH/TV

6th Place – Alex Goetzinger of Waukon