Creston/O-M finishes just shy of No. 3 Crestwood

CRESCO – Creston/Orient-Macksburg made a four-hour drive to visit Cresco native and former Panther head coach Jerome Hruska’s hometown tournament, finishing in second place as a team with five wrestlers battling for first place Saturday.

Current Creston/O-M head coach Cody Downing – Downing’s father served as Hurska’ assistant coach – labeled Hruska as “the one who put Creston wrestling on the map,” and he helped organize Creston/O-M making the trip to the Flanagan Individual Tournament for the first time in school history.

“It was a cool experience,” Downing said. “I don’t think a lot of people know the back story.”

The Panthers finished just behind Class 2A No. 3 Crestwood in team rankings. Creston/O-M scored 199 points while Crestwood scored 229.5 points with six champions.

“We gave Crestwood a run. It was tied in the final round, but we had a miserable final round,” Creston/O-M head coach Cody Downing said. “A couple matches I thought we could have won we got pinned in. I think we were 1-5 in the finals. There’s no reason we couldn’t have been 3-3. Even with that, we wouldn’t have been able to catch them.”

Of five wrestlers in the finals match, Class 2A No. 2 195 Jackson Kinsella took the crown at 195.

He scored two pins at 1:13 in the first two rounds to send him to the finals against Riceville’s Drew Fox. Kinsella scored a 9-2 decision for the win.

Lincoln Keeler (113), Austin Evans (120), Triston Barncastle (138), Briley Hayes (170) and Chris Wilson (285) all ended their day in second place.

“Chris Wilson, Briley Hayes, Triston Barncastle all making the finals for the first time was really cool,” Downing said. “We wore gold singlets in the finals, so it was really cool for them getting to experience that for the first time.”

Keeler went 1-1 on the day with a pin victory and pin loss Crestwood’s Class 2A No. 9 113 Anders Kittelson. Evans won a 4-2 decision win before falling to pin against Waukon’s Jakob Regan. Barncastle scored a pin in the first period of his first match and pin in his semifinal match, facing Mason City’s Cooper Wiemann in the finals.

Barncastle was pinned in the first period to take second. Hayes scored a pin in the semifinals after a bye to take on Decorah’s Garrett Lovstuen. A pin in the second period put Hayes in second place.

Wilson received a bye in the quarterfinals, scored a pin in the semifinals and was pinned in the second period against North Fayette Valley’s Jackson Blue.

“I think (Crestwood) was impressed with us. That was good,” Downing said. “I definitely think the tournament served its purpose. ... Going up to see them was probably worth it.”

UP NEXT – Creston/O-M had a long three days after traveling to Glenwood Thursday and wrestling four hours away Saturday. Downing said the team has a week off to practice, helping out with the Creston/O-M JV tournament Monday.

The Panthers take the week off from competition before wrestling in Centerville at Lakeview Athletic Complex Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

Results

Team scoring — 1. Crestwood, Cresco 229.5; 2. Creston/O-M 199; 3. Decorah 143; 4. Mason City 108; 5. North Fayette Valley 103; 6. Riceville 61.5; 7. Waukon 49.

106 — 1. Nathaniel Bigalk (CC) dec. Ryan Wilson (CC), 1-0. 3. Justin Parsons (C/O-M) pinned Kale DiMarco (MC), 1:28. 5. Kollin Henry (Dec) dec. Christian Ahrens (C/O-M), 4-1.

113 – 1. Anders Kittelson (CC) pinned Lincoln Keeler (C/O-M), 2:56. 2. Lincoln Keeler (C/O-M) pinned Gavin Sandoval (MC), 3:26.

120 – 1. Kakon Regan (Wauk) pinned Austin Evans (C/O-M), 2:50. 3. Nick Kock (NFV) pinned Cole Schmauss (CC), 3:24. 5. Wyatt Gulia (Wauk) by forfeit.

126 – 1. Carter Fousek (CC) pinned Gabe Rolon (MC), 1:45. 3. Collin Holm (Dec) pinned Trey Chesnut (C/O-M), 3:59. 5. Lane Rolfs (Dec) pinned Lucas Byrnes (Wauk), 4:47.

132 – 1. Jace Rhodes (MC) maj. dec. Cole Butikofer (CC), 19-7. 3. Brady Stille (Dec) pinned Brandon Briley (C/O-M), 1:19. 5. Marcus Gibbs (Wauk) pinned Dillion Sparrgrove (NFV), 0:44.

138 – 1. Cooper Wiemann (MC) pinned Triston Barncastle (C/O-M), 1:27. 3. Austin Wilkins (Dec) maj. dec. Brennan Hayes (C/O-M), 9-0. 5. Bryce Shea (CC) pinned Hale Rhodes (MC), 0:51.

145 – 1. Jackson Rolfs (Dec) dec. Chase Thomas (CC), 4-2. 3. Keaton Street (C/O-M) dc. Aidan Anderson (C/O-M), 1-0. 5. Jack Siglin (MC) pinned Jacon Homp (Wauk), 2:57.

152 – 1. Lawson Losee (Rice) maj. dec. Clay Schemmel (CC), 9-1. 3. Kaden Bolton (C/O-M) maj. dec. Seth Ihlenfeldt (MC), 16-4. 5. Alex Streif (NFV) pinned Chris Aragon (C/O-M), 5:17.

160 – 1. Garrett Lovstuen (Dec) pinned Briley Hayes (C/O-M), 2:50. 3. Trent Pisney (CC) pinned Ahston Howe (CC), 2:30. 5. Ethan Olsen (MC) pinned Dylan Lerch (NFV), 2:31.

170 – 1. Hunter Bye (CC) dec. Keenan Tyler (Dec), 3-1. 3. Corbyn Palmer (Dec) pinned Kaden Street (C/O-M), 1:50. 5. Riley Monahan (MC) dec. Austin Seaton (C/O-M), 2-0.

182 – 1. Landen Schemmel (CC) SV Kale Rodgers (NFV), 3-1. 3. Andy Weis (C/O-M) dec. Cael Gulrud (Dec), 7-1. 5. Kody Bodensteiner (Dec) pinned Drew Jackson (CC), 1:58.

195 – 1. Jackson Kinsella (C/O-M) dec. Drew Fox (Rice), 9-2. 3. Isaiah Corbin (NFV) SV Jagger Luther (C/O-M), 3-1. 5. Landen Bergan (CC) pinned Brendon Dixon (CC), 0:42.

220 – 1. Treyton Burnikel (CC) dec. Mitchel Marr (Rice), 7-1. 3. Noah Storts (Dec) pinned Liam MIntyre (NFV), 0:50. 5. Max Chapman (C/O-M) dec. Brandon Gulrud (Dec), 7-2.

285 – 1. Jackson Blue (NFV) pinned Chris Wilson (C/O-M), 2:14. 3. Brayden Ishman (CC) dec. Edwin Holyoake (Dec), 1-0. 5. Alex Goetzinger (Wauk) inj. Andrew Davis (C/O-M), 0:00.