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Four Bulldog wrestlers are individual conference champs

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Coach Chet Bachman stands with MFL MarMac’s four individual conference champions, Tristen Koehn (left), Keith Anderson, Gabe McGeough and Kashton Mathis. (Photos by Audrey Posten)

Coach Chet Bachman called Keith Anderson’s 113-pound championship match the “most special win of the night.”

Tristen Koehn carried a recent string of tournament and dual success into conference, taking the top spot at 145 pounds.

Kashton Mathis, who Bachman said is riding a lot of momentum, placed first at 170 pounds.

Gabe McGeough continued his impressive senior season with a conference championship at 152 pounds.

Freshman TJ Coleman placed fifth at 106 pounds, in what was his first tournament of the season.

Andrew Heins (126 pounds) was one of six Bulldogs who placed second at the UIC tournament.

Holden Mathis wrestled his way to second place at 132 pounds.

Quinn McGeough came in third at 160.

Austin Schlee worked his way up to second in the 182-pound bracket.

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

 

Four MFL MarMac wrestlers were individual champions at the Upper Iowa Conference Tournament, held Jan. 28 in Monona. Freshman Keith Anderson took the top spot at 113 pounds, while sophomore Tristen Koehn was first at 145. Seniors Gabe McGeough and Kashton Mathis took the titles at 152 and 170 pounds, respectively.

 

“Keith Anderson was probably the most special win of the night, in an underdog match,” said coach Chet Bachman. “He’s really improving and gaining confidence.”

 

“Gabe wrestled well and Kashton is gaining momentum,” he added. “Tristen took care of business. He’s got another year of experience and just has to continue to wrestle smart, control matches and not get caught up in a flurry.”

 

Six more wrestlers—seniors Jack Vorwald (120) and Andrew Heins (126), juniors Austin Schlee (182) and Taylor Herzmann (195) and sophomores Holden Mathis (132) and Nolan Lerch (220)—all placed second in their brackets. 

 

“Heins was right in there and has got a lot of potential, and Holden wrestled well against a three-time state qualifier,” Bachman commented. “Jack Vorwald is also improving and gaining confidence. Schlee did great at 182 and Herzmann and Lerch finished where they should.”

 

Freshman Quinn McGeough was third at 160 pounds and freshman Rylee Kugel (138) and senior Collin Henkels (285) were fourth at their respective weights. Freshman TJ Coleman finished fifth at 106.

 

“TJ got his first tournament action and he enjoyed the day,” Bachman said. “They all wrestled well, and there’s not a whole lot more you can ask for.”

 

Junior Kadence Pape and freshman Mackenzie Bachman also did well in the tournament’s girls competition. Both won all their matches and took first place in their groups.

 

The two work well together and Bachman hopes their success will spur interest.

 

“I hope we can get some more girls out,” he said.

 

The Bulldogs placed second as a team, their 220 points just 10 behind winner South Winneshiek. North Fayette Valley was third with a score of 147.

 

Bachman called it a bittersweet ending. 

 

“We’ve either won big or lost big at that tournament. We’ve never lost that tournament that close,” he said. “It was tough to lose that way, but we have some missing parts still. We did extremely well with what we had, and there are a lot of good things to take out of it.”

 

Postseason wrestling will start Saturday, Feb. 5 for MFL MarMac. The Bulldogs will host Class 1A Sectional 1 in Monona, with wrestlers coming from Beckman Catholic, Bellevue, Cascade, Clayton Ridge, East Buchanan and Maquoketa Valley.

 

MFL MarMac has seen wrestlers from most of those schools at either duals or tournaments this season, which Bachman said is helpful.

 

“That’s the luxury with this sport. You can pick and choose where you want to go. We can look at our sectional and district and travel to somebody in our class who is going to be there,” he said.

 

Bachman feels good about the Bulldogs who will wrestle in each weight class.

 

“I know they will do the best they can do. They are scratching and clawing and fighting right now,” he shared. “The younger kids are doing well, and the older guys, you’d like to see them get what they deserve.”

 

MFL MarMac goes 3-1 in duals at Waukon

The MFL MarMac wrestling team wrapped up its dual schedule Jan. 25, going 3-1 in a meet at Waukon.

 

The Bulldogs’ lone loss—and just their second dual loss all season—came against state-ranked Nashua-Plainfield, 61-15. Gabe McGeough (152) and Tristen Koehn (145) both earned falls, and Andrew Heins won a 5-0 decision at 132 pounds, otherwise the team struggled to gain momentum.

 

In addition to forfeiting matches at heavyweight and 106 pounds, MFL MarMac dropped bouts at 170, with an 8-5 decision loss by Kashton Mathis, and 195, with a 10-2 major decision loss by Nolan Lerch. Austin Schlee (182), Austin Schaller (220), Keith Anderson (113), Kadence Pape (120), Jack Vorwald (126), Holden Mathis (138) and Karter Decker (160) were all pinned by their opponents.

 

MFL MarMac was able to pick up three victories, however, taking down Clayton Ridge, Postville and Waukon.

 

The closest of those duals was against Waukon, whom the Bulldogs defeated 60-24. McGeough and Koehn again had falls, and Heins, H. Mathis, K. Mathis, Decker and Lerch pinned their opponents too. Schaller, Pape and Schlee picked up wins via forfeit.

 

Anderson, Vorwald and Henkels were pinned in their respective matches, and the Indians earned additional points with an MFL MarMac forfeit at 106.

 

Against Postville, the Bulldogs cruised to a 60-19 win, benefitting from falls by Vorwald, H. Mathis, Koehn, Decker, Lerch and Heins. Anderson, McGeough, K. Mathis and Schaller all secured forfeit victories.

 

Henkels came out on the wrong end of a tough 2-0 decision, and Pape lost by 10-2 major decision. TJ Coleman (106) and Avery Thornton (170) were both pinned.

 

MFL MarMac’s largest margin of victory came against a small Clayton Ridge squad, 78-6, in a dual where only one match was actually wrestled. Henkels picked up a fall, otherwise the Bulldogs gained all their points due to forfeit. The Eagles’ six points came from an MFL MarMac forfeit at 106.

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