Comet girls, Chickasaw boys win their meets during coed wrestling double-dual

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Comet senior Leah Stewart has two weight-throwing school records (discus and shot put) with one more prep track and field season due to her.

So Stewart wasn’t one to complain when she was asked to throw around more weight than usual during Thursday’s coed double-dual wrestling meet against New Hampton/Turkey Valley at Comet Gym.

The returning 190-pound state-medalist filled what would have been an open-weight against Chickasaw freshman 235-pounder Ava Trende.

Trende didn’t make it easy for the smaller wrestler when it came to taking her down to the mat. But Stewart’s relentless work eventually wore down Trende as the Comet earned her 25th win of the season (25-1) after getting the fall victory midway through the second period.

Stewart’s effort was part of a 47-22 dual-meet victory for the Comet girls. The Comet boys, giving up plenty of open-weight forfeits, lost to the Chickasaws 59-18.

Charles City’s boys did have their moments. One in particular was at the end of the 120-pound bout featuring Chickasaw junior Ty Moudry and Charles City senior Carter Haberkorn, a state-qualifier as a sophomore.

Moudry nearly pinned Haberkorn in the first period while taking a 7-0 lead. Haberkorn started to turn the tables in the second period, but was behind 8-3 going into the third period.

Finally, Haberkorn caught Moudry in an inverted cradle and got the fall victory 5:14 into the bout.

Comet sophomore 100-pounder Gab Calpito, a returning girls state-qualifier, got a cradle-pin victory herself when she stopped NHTV freshman Addison Neville with 38 seconds left in the first period of their bout.

Comet 110-pound sophomore Emma Schmitt made quick work out of NH freshman Drey O’Brien while getting the 15-0 technical-fall at the 2:19 mark; and junior Tegan Cavanaugh managed to overcome an early deficit and pinned NHTV freshman Vanessa Salas midway through the second period of their 115-pound bout for other contested girls wins for Charles City.

The meet started on a high note for the hosts with the first wrestled match being the 190-pound boys bout. That’s where Comet freshman Micah Thompson was able to build up an 18-6 lead over Jackson Kellogg before pinning the Chickasaw sophomore at the 4:42 mark.

The Comet boys also took the second contested match of their dual when junior Jackson Warnke pinned NH freshman Chase Gebel at the 2:50 mark of their heavyweight bout.

NHTV 138-pound sophomore Carter Cajthaml, a state-qualifier as a freshman last season with the Comets, defeated Charles City sophomore and former teammate Connor Jenkins after he was able to accumulate enough points for a technical-fall 90 seconds into their bout.

Chickasaw senior 132-pounder Braiden Schaufenbuel pinned Comet sophomore Peyton Sargent less than a minute into their bout; and NHTV 150-pound sophomore Jax Skekleton stopped Comet sophomore Peyton O’Dell 3:28 into their bout for NHTV’s other contested wins in the boys dual.

Chickasaw freshman Harper Humpal pinned Comet senior Lillie Caster 2:38 into their 120-pound bout; and NHTV sophomore Sophie Glaser got a 12-1 major decision victory over CC freshman Sophia Stevens in the 125-pound match for NHTV’s other contested wins in the girls dual.