Dodge is among five Okoboji/HMS wrestlers heading to State
For a quintet of Okoboji/HMS wrestlers it was a particularly good day at the Class 2A District Wrestling Tournament held February 11 at Estherville. The fabulous five all qualified for the State Wrestling Tournament held February 15-18 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Bryce Dodge, a senior at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn was one of those qualifiers after a runner-up District finish at 152 pounds. Those who placed first or second at Districts earned the trip to Des Moines.
The other Okoboji grapplers advancing to State are seniors Dylan Jones at 120 pounds, Noah Strantz at 160 and Sam Pas at 220, along with sophomore Nathaniel Franklin at 170. Pas was the only Pioneer wrestler to capture first place. Jones also collected his 100th win during the tournament.
Two other HMS students competed at Estherville. Both 182-pounder James Gellerman and Ethan Wiersma, wrestling at 195 pounds, finished fourth.
Okoboji/HMS also placed fourth as a team with 130 points. They finished only one point behind third-place Sheldon/South O’Brien. The runaway team champion was Algona, which scored 235 points.
Dodge got his District Tournament underway by pinning Forest City’s Jeremiah Tegland in 35 seconds. He won his semifinal match by fall in 1:40 over Ian Fehr of Algona. In the 1st Place Match, Dodge faced two-time State qualifier Coy De Boer of Sheldon/South O’Brien. The Orab grappler had Dodge in deep trouble, but the HMS senior narrowly avoided a pin. Still trailing in the match, Dodge turned the tables and nearly had De Boer pinned. Ultimately, Dodge was on his back again and lost by fall in 5:03. Since Fehr won the 3rd Place Match there was no need for Dodge to be involved in a wrestleback.
Gellerman scored a 7-5 decision over Morgan Dalen of host Estherville Lincoln Central in their quarterfinal match. Next Gellerman was matched up against undefeated Jarrett Roos of Sheldon/South O’Brien and lost by fall in 1:00. Brock Good of Forest City was a pin victim of Gellerman in 1:38, moving the Okoboji/HMS grappler into the 3rd Place Match. There the HMS sophomore’s year ended with a loss by fall to Algona’s Foster Myhre in 3:25.
Wiersma won his first match by fall over Forest City’s Hunter Sunkle in 3:04. He was on the losing end of a pin in the semifinal, falling to Emmitt Fleshman of West Lyon in 46 seconds. The HMS junior responded by pinning Spirit Lake Park’s Logan Sandman in 4:52. It was also an Algona wrestler who closed out Wiersma’s season as Gavin Goche won their 3rd Place Match by fall in 5:49.
Team Scores
Algona 235, Estherville Lincoln Central 138.5, Sheldon/South O’Brien 131, Okoboji/HMS 130, West Lyon 89.5, Forest City 87, Spirit Lake Park 73, Cherokee 64.
HMS Wrestlers Individual Results
152-Bryce Dodge (26-13 record) second place – Quarterfinal – Bryce Dodge won by fall over Jeremiah Tegland (Forest City) in :35; Semifinal – won by fall over Ian Fehr (Algona) in 1:40; 1st Place Match – lost by fall to Coy De Boer (Sheldon/South O’Brien) in 5:03. No wrestleback.
182-James Gellerman (30-20 record) fourth place – Quarterfinal – won a 7-5 decision over Morgan Dalen (ELC); Semifinal – lost by fall to Jarrett Roos (Sheldon/South O’Brien) in 1:00; Cons. Semi – won by fall over Brock Good (Forest City) in 1:48; 3rd Place Match – lost by fall to Foster Myhre (Algona) in 3:25.
195-Ethan Wiersma (20-19 record) fourth place 4th – Quarterfinal – won by fall over Hunter Sunkle (Forest City) in 3:04; Semifinal – lost by fall to Emmitt Fleshman (West Lyon) in :46; Cons. Semi – won by fall over Logan Sandman (Spirit Lake Park) in 4:52; 3rd Place Match – lost by fall to Gavin Goche (Algona) in 5:49.