GRIMES — Creston/Orient-Macksburg junior Mitchel Swank came into the championship match of Saturday’s Dallas Center-Grimes Tournament plenty motivated.
Standing across was Prairie City Monroe’s Xavier Miller.
The last time they met, Miller edged Swank 9-7 in sudden victory in the first round of the state tournament.
Swank gained the upper hand this time, pulling out a 5-3 win to claim the title at 145 pounds.
“He kind of wanted revenge,” said Creston/Orient-Macksburg coach Darrell Frain.
Swank reached the final with a 3-1 sudden victory win over Webster City’s Luke Rohmiller.
“He had a really good semifinal match,” Frain said.
Swank was one of four champions for the Panthers.
Swank’s win was a big springboard for him early in his junior season.
“That was huge for Mitchel to get that win and prove that he can do that,” Frain said.
Creston/Orient-Macksburg, ranked third in Class 2A, used its strength from 182 pounds on up to claim the team title with 208 points. Ankeny Centennial was second with 166 points, while Webster City was third with 162 points.
“From 182 on up we did well,” Frain said.
Chase Shiltz pinned Interstate 35’s Dante Arzani for the second time in a week for the title at 182. Jackson Mikkelsen picked up the title at 195 with a 10-5 decision win over Des Moines East’s Tanner Tillotson.
Kadon Hulett kept the winning going with a second period pin over Ankeny Centennial’s Riley McClaskey at 220 pounds.
“Chase dominated like we anticipated,” Frain said. “Jackson had a couple close matches. Kadon dominated.”
Cody Tanner pushed top-ranked Cooper Lawson for a full six minutes before Lawson edged ahead for a 6-4 win.
Tanner led 2-0, then the match was tied at 4-4. Tanner was in on a takedown attempt that would’ve tied the match at 6-6 late in regulation, but couldn’t finish it off in time.
Tanner moved forward mentally when it came to a tight match.
“In the past, that’s the type of matches that are really tight that come down to the wire, I don’t know what happens, but he psychs himself out,” Frain said. “He was a totally different person.”
The Panthers added a runner-up finish from Jacob Goodson at 113 pounds. Kelby Luther was third at 126. Cade Vicker was fourth at 132, while Trevor Marlin was fourth at 138.
“Our guys in the consolations all wrestled well,” Frain said. “Kelby, Colby, Trevor were probably not where they wanted to be, but they contributed quite a bit for us.”
The Panthers took a couple steps forward overall in its first traditional tournament of the season.
“That’s what we’re shooting for,” Frain said. “We’re not preaching anything about wins and losses. We want to keep getting better. That will go a long way. Hopefully this is a stepping stone for the rest of the way.”
UP NEXT — Creston/Orient-Macksburg opens Hawkeye 10 Conference dual meet action Tuesday in Red Oak with the Tigers and Atlantic.
Atlantic comes in as the preseason favorite to win the Hawkweye 10 dual meet title.
The Panthers will have a significant test right out of the gates.
“We’re going to be the underdog in seven or eight matches,” Frain said. “We’re going to have to have a couple of upsets if we want to knock them off.”
The Trojans, who won the Joe Fitch Invitational Friday in Humboldt, enter with six ranked wrestlers.
The Panthers will find out where they stand early in the Hawkeye 10 dual season.
“The kids will get tested,” Frain said. “We’ll figure out where we’re at and hopefully we can build off that.”
Final team standings
1. Creston/Orient-Macksburg 208; 2. Ankeny Centennial 166; 3. Webster City 162; 4. Des Moines East 150; 5. Interstate 35 149.5; 6. Carlisle 125; 7. Prairie City-Monroe 120.5; 8. Dallas Center-Grimes 117.5; 9. A-D-M 99; 10. West Marshall 88.5; 11. Carroll 47; 11. Greene County 47; 13. Nevada 16.
Championship matches
106 — Ben Monroe (AC) maj. dec. Andrew Flora (ADM) 10-1; 5. David Huck (DME) pinned Brodie Starlin (C/O-M) 1:17.
113 — Nathan Phillips (I35) dec. Jacob Goodson (C/O-M) 11-4.
120 — Drake Doolittle (WC) pinned Hunter Pfantz (WM) 21-6, 6:00.
126 — Max Tracy (DCG) dec. Brock Espalin (DME) 2-1; 3. Kelby Luther (C/O-M) dec. Will Hansen (GC) 7-3; 5. Brody Nelson (I35) dec. Lucas Olson (CAR) 4-2.
132 — Matthew Jordan (DME) dec. Carson Hartnett (WC) 2:54; 3. Zac Willey (I35) dec. Cade Vicker (C/O-M) 7-2.
138 — Cooper White (WM) dec. Bryce Morano (DCG) 5-2; 3. Nolan Harsh (ADM( dec. Trevor Marlin (C/O-M) 4-0; 7. Alan Ayers (AC) dec. Brayden Egli (I35) 10-5.
145 —Mitchel Swank (C/O-M) dec. Xavier Miller (PCM) 5-3; 5. Matthew Scott (DME) maj. dec. Travis Brownlee (I35) 12-2.
152 — Wes Cummings (PCM) pinned Zane Mulder (DCG) 1:17; 5. Jacob Steinlage (I35) dec. Michael Lopez (DME) 6-0;
160 — Colin Honderd (AC) pinned Aaron Denney (CAR) 15-0, 4:42; 3. Mason Woosley (I35) inj. def. Lucas Roland (PCM).
170 — Jarron Trausch (PCM) pinned Zane Williams (WC) 3:00; 5. Dale Boyer (C/O-M) dec. Brock Wuebker (GC) 17-10.
182 — Chase Shiltz (C/O-M) pinned Dante Arzani (I35) 1:25.
195 — Jackson Mikkelsen (C/O-M) dec. Tanner Tillotson (DME) 10-5.
220 — Kadon Hulett (C/O-M) pinned Riley McClaskey (AC) 2:35.
285 — Cooper Lawson (WC) dec. Cody Tanner (C/O-M) 6-4; 5. Jake Hutton (I35) maj. dec. Case Tillotson (DME) 13-3.