As the season approaches shortly, many wrestlers have started to enter open tournaments. We have seen Jakason Burks at Who’s Number One. We saw Isaac Trumble, Conor Knopick, and Garrett Grice at Super 32. Late September quite a few wrestlers entered the Cosmic Clash in Denver. Today was no different. 55 wrestlers from across the state were either in Kansas City at the Fall Brawl or Iron Elite Fall Nationals in Waterloo, Iowa. Next weekend we will most likely see the largest weekend of pre season wrestling with Pre Season Nationals going on in Des Moines.
In Waterloo, three wrestlers competed. Super Freshman, Quran Cook entered the tournament at 195 pounds and 220 pounds. He brought home a fifth place finish at 195 pounds. At 220 pounds, Cook went 3-0 with three falls in a round robin tournament to take home first place. Aquinas products Hunter Vandenburg brought home a sixth place finish and Noah Scott was able to finish in eighth place. Both wrestlers were in the 126 pound bracket
In Kansas City, 14 wrestlers brought home medals. Grant Lyman (170) and Michael Isele (285) brought home first place finishes in their respective weight classes. Lyman held on for a 3-2 win over Missouri state runner up Aiden Johnson. Isele went 3-0 in round robin matches to take him his weight class. Brandon Baustert (113), Drew Arnold (126), and Damen Pape (182) each brought home second place finishes. Arnold might have had the match of the day. Wrestling Jeremiah Reno, a Nebraska commit and #6 wrestler by Flo Wrestling, Arnold gave Reno a match he probably was not expecting. After an escape by Arnold made the match 4-3 late, he was in deep on a shot late in the third and just ran out of time. It was a great effort by the Class B runner up.
Keith Smith (106) and Noah Talmadge (145) brought home third place medals. Quentin Chavez (113), Juan Pedro (120), and Breckin Sperling (152) each finished in fourth. Dorian Diaz (138) finished in fifth. Rogelio Ruiz (120), Brody Arrants (138), and Tate Kuchera (160) rounded out the medals with sixth place finishes.
Many other wrestlers picked up valuable experience along the way and picked up wins. Connor Whiteley, Ein Obermiller, and Javier Pedro at 106. Whiteley was one match from a medal. He finished his day 4-2. Archer Heelen and Cole Toline each picked up wins at 113. Toline made it to quarterfinals before losing, finishing 2-2. Grady Arends, Paul Ruff, Case Jurgens, and Austin Munier each finished with at least two wins. Arends and Ruff each made consolation quarterfinals. Landon Weidner, Paul Garcia, Nick Kuehn, Cole Rehar and Grand Moraski all picked up wins along the way at 126 pounds. Weidner and Moraski each made consolation quarterfinals. Henry Jensen made quarterfinlas at 132 pounds before being knocked out. Dax Davis and Bryce Brown also picked up wins along the way. Collin Quandt, Trevor Kuehn, Kael Kingery and Trevor Reinke all were in the win column saturday at 138 pounds. Gage Ferguson went 2-2 on the day at 145 pounds. Mason Brumbaugh, Chase Kemmerer, and Ethan Steinfeldt picked up wins at 152 pounds. Round out the day at 160, Owen Friesen went 3-2 making it to the consolation quarterfinals.
We hope to see everyone back in action next weekend in Des Moines.