Nick Bronstad will have a chance to better his eighth-place finish at last year’s State Tourney after finishing second at the Class 2A District Wrestling Tournament held February 12 at Webster City. First and second place finishers at Districts qualify for the 2022 State Wrestling Tournament which will be held February 17-19 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Heavyweight Bronstad was one of five Okoboji/HMS grapplers who were looking to advance on Saturday. His fellow HMS student, James Gellerman, fell just short, placing third at 182 pounds. Finishing fourth were Tyce Hanson at 113 pounds, Caleb Jones at 126 and Sam Pas at 220.
Action at the State Tourney begins Thurday morning for Bronstad. The senior, with a record of 36-7, takes on Daniel Chavez of Clarion-Goldfield-Dows during Session 1 which starts at 9:00 a.m. It will be their third tussle in three weeks. Bronstad pinned the Cowboy senior in the 1st Place Match at Sectionals. Chavez returned the favor with a 6-5 decision over Bronstad in the District 1st Place Match to improve to 35-8 on the season.
Okoboji/HMS finished eighth among the 12 teams at the District Tourney with a total of 23 points. Osage was first with 135.5 points.
Bronstad faced Mac Muller in the semifinals and pinned the Osage wrestler in 2:37. After being decisioned by Chavez, Bronstad did not have to wrestle back to earn second because Muller was the winner of the 3rd Place Match.
Gellerman lost his semifinal match by fall to Braden Hansen of Hampton-Dumont. The HMS freshman then took on Clear Lake’s Kaleb Hambly in the 3rd Place Match, scoring a 9-0 victory by major decision. He received the opportunity to wrestle back for second place but was pinned by Pocahontas Area’s Deontez Williams, who had also beaten Gellerman at Sectionals. Gellerman concludes his first varsity season with a record of 27-15.
Team Scores
Osage 135.5, Hampton-Dumont 92, Webster City 90.5, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 80, Algona 44, Iowa Falls-Alden 32, Pocahontas Area 30, Okoboji 23, Clear Lake 21, Forest City 18, Estherville-Lincoln Central 10, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura 0.
HMS Wrestlers Individual Results
182-James Gellerman (third place) – Semifinal – lost by fall to Braden Hansen (Hampton-Dumont) in 2:56; 3rd Place Match – won a 9-0 major decision over Kaleb Hambly (Clear Lake); 2nd Place Match – lost by fall to Deontez Williams (Pocahontas Area) in 1:50.
285-Nick Bronstad (second place) – Semifinal – won by fall over Mac Muller (Osage) in 2:37; 1st Place Match – lost a 6-5 decision to Daniel Chavez (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows).
No wrestleback.