|
Editorial: Wrestling tradition builds
Op-Ed · March 13, 2014
West Branch Wrestling continues to push itself further in what it expects of itself, and we would like to congratulate the team on another exciting year on the mat.
What the Bears wrestling program accomplished this past year is not our only focus. For the past several years, the wrestling team has sent two to five wrestlers to the individual state tournament in the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Like the girls track team, we now look at wrestling and wonder not if they will send anyone to state, but how many.
That is fantastic. That is a testimony to the coaches and wrestlers. That is the beginning of tradition.
And with that we have another season of great accomplishments and record-setting.
This year, West Branch sent three to the state individual tournament: seniors Casey Pence, Tyler Donovan and Carter Carew. Pence was undefeated when he stepped onto the mat at Wells Fargo, and finished with fourth place at 160 pounds. Carew finished fifth at 126 pounds and Donovan finished sixth at 152 pounds. Three qualifiers, three placewinners.
Add to that senior Justin Roth and sophomore Drew Finnegan joining those three at the district tournament, the vetting for state. Roth has improved greatly during his career and Finnegan displays great talent and can return next year.
The team finished the season with a dual record of 12-4, and finished with first or second place in five of seven tournaments, including sectionals.
Pence is now ranked ninth in school history for career takedowns with 192, 10th for career three-point near-falls, ninth for season three-point near falls, third in two-point near-falls, and fifth in career pins.
Donovan finished second in school history with career wins — 152 — second only to the team’s first state title holder, Kyle Kober, who had 154. Donovan also crushed the previous record for takedowns, Derrick Miller’s 281, with 402, a record we predict will last for many years. It is no surprise he holds first, second and fourth place on the season takedown record list as well. He also ranks sixth in career reversals, 10th on season reversals, eighth on career near-fall 3s and near-fall 2s, and seventh in career falls.
Several varsity wrestlers can return next year, including Ryan Grosvenor, Tony Rocha, Cole Lacina, Adam O’Neil, Nick Madsen, Cale Donovan, Luke Lenoch, Dayne Ehlts and Aaron Barnes, who make up a strong core for the team. Many of these first-year varsity wrestlers “took their lumps” but kept coming back, improving before our very eyes.
Once again we would like to give our regards to the West Branch Wrestling team for another exciting season on the mat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
