Cardinal grapplers lose on Senior Night

Newton High’s Little Hawkeye Conference wrestling dual turned into a chess match from the opening match. Grinnell began switching wrestlers up and own the lineup following the introductions.

The visiting Tigers’ moves paid off with a 38-33 win over the Cardinals on Senior Night.

Newton junior Gage Linahon, who moved back into the Class 3A rankings at No. 8 at 220, moved up to the 285-pound match with senior teammate Jaise Gulling going at 220 instead of his normal 195 pounds. The dual began with the 285-pound match, which the Tigers had indicated they would not have a wrestler.

Linahon reported in and out onto the mat when the first chess move was made by Grinnell head coach Chad Beck. Beck went to the score table and sent Kamrin Stevenson out to wrestle at 285. Stevenson had been introduced at the Tigers’ 220-pound wrestler.

After six-minutes of regulation wrestling and the two minutes of the three overtime periods, Linahon and Stevenson were tied at 2-2.

The two ended regulation at 1-all and each scored an escape in the second and third OT periods.

It came down to the Ultimate Tie-Breaker period. Stevenson was on bottom. Linahon had Stevenson on his back but not long enough and Stevenson scrambled for the one-point escape to win 3-2.

Gulling would have the final match of the evening, taking a forfeit at 220.

“I was disappointed that I was trying to get a senior a match in his final action at home and Grinnell’s moves didn’t allow that,” Newton head coach Andy Swedenhjelm said. “It is what it is. We looked a bit flat tonight as a team. We’re not where we want to be yet but we’re three weeks out from districts. We go back to work.”

Newton honored its six senior wrestlers — Gulling, Blake Cockerton, Reece Caves, Colby Jones, Thomas Cox and Joe Ross — and their parents before the varsity dual. Ross is the only wrestler who did not compete on Senior Night. Also honored were the senior NHS wrestling cheerleaders and their parents.

Cockerton, Jones and Cox notched victories in contested matches at 132 pounds, 152 and 170, respectively. Caves lost at 160.

“It was a roller coaster of emotions tonight for me — standing in and running out of the Cardinal tunnel for the last time, to see everyone supporting you and it’s great to finish my home season with a win,” Cox said after winning 3-0 over Grinnell’s Bronson Alter.

Cox has an up-and-down season and with the win Thursday he improved to 8-15. When Cox took the mat, Newton trailed Grinnell 14-38. He scored on a first-period takedown then went up 3-0 with an escape in the second period.

On the mat second for Newton was sophomore Anthony Bestell. He pinned Grinnell’s Jack Dahlby-Albright with 1:04 remaining in the first period of their 106-pound match. Newton led 6-3, but it was the final time the Cardinals were leading the Tigers.

Grinnell’s Dalton Gosselink pinned Newton freshman Damien Bayles at 113 and Brock Beck had a 17-2 technical fall over Newton freshman Kaden Homes at 120. The Tigers were up 14-6 when Grinnell switched wrestlers at 126 sending Jake Green out to face Newton freshman Kaden Holmes. Green pinned Holmes late in the second period.

Cockerton claimed a 10-5 win in front of the Newton home crowd for the final time. He beat Grinnell’s Landon Kirby at 132 pounds. Newton trailed 20-9.

The Tigers got a first-period pin by Eli Rose over Newton freshman Colin Sharp in the 138-pound match. Newton junior Canaan Terpstra and Grinnell’s Wyatt Dillon had a fast-paced, tumbling 145-pound match with Dillon winning by a fall.

“I’m proud of Colby Jones. He stepped in for us at 152 pounds tonight because Zane (Kohlmeyer) was ill. Colby wrestled well and got a varsity win as a senior,” Swedenhjelm said.

Jones built a 10-1 lead by the end of the first period against Grinnell’s Gabe Gilman. Jones had Gilman on his back enough time to stack up seven more points in the second period to post a 17-1 technical fall at the 3:13 mark.

At 160 pounds, Caves led Grinnell’s Josh Osborne 2-0 on a takedown in the first period. Caves used a reversal to go up 4-0 in the second period, but Osborne came up with a reversal and pinned Caves in a quick move with 1:21 left in the period.

“We learned we have to put things behind us. Each meet is a new day. Every practice and every match is a new opportunity to get better,” Cox said about the Cardinal wrestlers. “We can’t worry about what happened before — have a short memory — and keep wrestling.”

Following Cox’s win at 170, Newton junior Destin Schroder, who is ranked No. 7 in Class 3A at 182 pounds, won by forfeit in the 182 match. Grinnell moved Wyatt Hunter to 195 pounds as Schroder reported to the mat.

Newton sophomore Owen Sanger was up to the move at 195 pounds. He posted an 11-4 major decision over Hunter.

“We had a tough week of practice and our kids were flat tonight. We don’t run from anyone so we wrestle in some tough tournaments to prepare for districts and the state tournament,” Swedenhjelm said. “You have to wrestle on the mat in pressure situations and environments. You have to wrestle against kids who won’t wrestle you back

“We tell our kids sometimes life isn’t fair. They can do everything you can to win a match and not win it. We have to learn how to overcome some of those things on the mat.”

Newton is 2-3 in LHC duals with one more remaining. The Cardinals wrestle at 6:30 p.m. on Jan 24 at Dallas Center-Grimes. Then on Jan. 26, Newton is at the LHC tournament hosted by Grinnell.

Varsity

Grinnell 38, Newton 33

285: Kamrin Stevenson (G) over Gage Linahon (N) (UTB 3-2) 106: Anthony Bestell (N) over Jack Dahlby-Albright (G) (Fall 0:56) 113: Dalton Gosselink (G) over Brennan Amos (N) (Fall 0:59) 120: Brock Beck (G) over Damien Bayles (N) (TF 20-2 3:49) 126: Jake Green (G) over Kaden Holmes (N) (Fall 3:31) 132: Blake Cockerton (N) over Landon Kirby (G) (Dec 10-5) 138: Eli Rose (G) over Joseph Colin Sharp (N) (Fall 1:42) 145: Wyatt Dillon (G) over Canaan Terpstra (N) (Fall 1:36) 152: Colby Jones (N) over Gabe Gilman (G) (TF 17-1 3:13) 160: Josh Osborne (G) over Reece Caves (N) (Fall 2:40) 170: Thomas Cox (N) over Bronson Alter (G) (Dec 3-0) 182: Destin Schroder (N) (For.) 195: Owen Sanger (N) over Wyatt Hunter (G) (MD 11-1) 220: Jaise Gulling (N) (For.)

Junior Varsity matches

145: Austin Brady (N) pinned Christian Clark (G) (1:31), Andres Cantillo (G) dec. over Austin Brady (N), (6-4); 152: Gavin Gilman (G) dec. over Braydon Chance (N) (8-5); 160: Max Loveall (G) dec. Braydon Chance (N) (9-5).

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com