Cardinal wrestling trio fine tunes for state

Fine tuning is all that is left to do as the work has been done.

Newton High’s seniors Gage Linahon and Destin Schroder and junior Anthony Bestell are using the final three days leading into the 2020 Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament to fine tune their game plans on the mat.

The Cardinal trio open Class 3A competition at 9 a.m. Thursday at the three-day all-class state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The morning session has the 3A first round and consolation first-round matches.

On Friday at 9 a.m. the Class 3A and 2A quarterfinals and consolation second-round matches will be contested. The 3A semifinals and third round of consolation is set to begin in the 2:30 p.m. session.

The consolation semifinals and finals for all three classes — 3A, 2A, 1A — begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. The grand march and finals for all classes begin at 6 p.m. Saturday.

“We’ll watch the matches we wrestled on Saturday at districts then if we can obtain film of our first-round opponents for state, we’ll work on our game plans,” said Newton head coach Andy Swedenhjelm as he guides the Cardinals into the state tournament for his seventh straight year.

Linahon’s overtime win for the 3A District 8 championship against Waverly-Shell Rock’s Brayden Wolf on Saturday secured Linahon the No. 1 seed in the 220-pound state bracket. Linahon (30-1) is ranked No. 4 in 3A and Wolf (35-1) is ranked No. 1. The two senior wrestlers are 1-1 in matches this season and are on the opposite sides of the bracket.

Only five of the top 10 ranked wrestlers in 220 are in the state tournament. Two were eliminated at the District 8 tournament Saturday by Linahon and Wolf. In the top part of the bracket with Linahon are No. 10 junior Gavin Bascom of Cedar Rapids Kennedy and No. 5 senior C.J. Stillman of Valley. Second-ranked Kalob Runyon, a junior from Southeast Polk, is in Wolf’s half of the bracket.

Linahon qualified for his fourth state tournament. A year ago he broke through to capture third in the 220 division.

As freshman he was third at district and found out Monday before the state tournament that he would replace the district second-place finisher. He finished second in districts as a sophomore and junior.

“It means a lot to go all four years. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Linahon said. “Last year I learned if I took good shots for takedowns, good things happen. I’m going into state just like I did this season — go out and compete the best I can and just have fun.”

Linahon drew senior Brenick Hoppe (35-10) of LeMars in the first round on Thursday. Bascom wrestles Pella’s Kody Huisman. The winners of those two matches meet in the quarterfinals.

“I’m getting back to practice on Monday and work on my game plan. I still want to be more aggressive on my feet and work on takedowns. I also need to work on busting through other people’s defenses,” Linahon said.

Schroder heads into his second straight state tournament at 182 pounds with a determination. The No. 5-ranked Newton senior has a 26-2 record this season after missing early competition because of a hand injury from football.

“State title — that’s my goal this season. I realize there’s no time for rest if I want to reach that goal,” Schroder said to begin the season and it hasn’t changed. He was happy to come back and claim second place at the district tournament on Saturday.

“But I expect more of myself. I have to work on taking more shots. I didn’t do that as well as I needed to at district,” Schroder said. “I’ll also work on being better at neutral. It’s been a strong part of my game on the mat. If I’m good there, everything else follows for me.”

The 182 division has nine of the top-10 ranked wrestlers in the bracket. Schroder faces sophomore Diego Cortes (18-15) of Bettendorf in the first round. On his side of the bracket are No. 2 ranked senior Will Host of Iowa City West, who could be a quarterfinal opponent for Schroder with a first-round win.

Also on that side are No. 3 senior Blake Underwood of Valley, No. 7 Justin Brindley, a senior from Southeast Polk, and No. 9 senior Jay Oostendorp of Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Brindley and Schroder are returners to the competition.

Sophomore Griffin Gammell, who beat Schroder for the District 8 title, is top-ranked and the top-seed. Gammell, went 0-2 as a freshman, in last year’s state meet. Seniors Jake Hosch, No. 4 from Western Dubuque, and Austin Lee, No. 8 of Fort Dodge, and sixth-ranked Taner Harvey, a junior from Boone, are in the top portion of the 182 bracket with Gammell.

Schroder went 1-2 a year ago and didn’t make the 182-pound podium. He said he’s worked hard in the offseason and this whole season to reach the state tournament again.

For Bestell, going to state is a validation of his hard work since beginning wrestling in the youth club.

As a freshman he broke his hand and didn’t wrestle in the district tournament and last year he finished third at 106.

“I’ve waited so long for this. I knew I could get there and I felt good the week going into district. I just had to believe and work my butt off,” Bestell said after winning the district second-place match at 113. “Now, I need to go to state and wrestle like I did here at district.”

Bestell also missed several competitions through the season with an injury but has a 15-10 record. His first-round opponent is third-ranked Blaine Frazier (47-1) who is a sophomore from Notre Dame/WB/Danville. The 3A 113-pound bracket had nine of the top-10 ranked wrestlers in contention.

“No matter who I get in the first round, he will be tough because everyone at state is a quality wrester and will be tough to wrestle,” Bestell said. “I just want to go out, execute my game plan, have fun and score points. I want to make the podium.”

Also in Bestell’s side of the bracket are second-ranked Bailey Roybal, a junior from Waverly-Shell Rock who beat Bestell in the district semifinals. Sixth-ranked senior Ethan Wood-Finley of Iowa City High and junior Lane Cowell of Fort Dodge, who is ranked No. 7.

Top-ranked and top-seeded Trever Anderson, a sophomore from Ankeny, leads the four ranked wrestlers in the top half of the 113 bracket.

Also there are junior Aime Mukiza, No. 8 from Des Moines Hoover, and sophomore Ryder Downey of Indianola, Jace Rhodes of Mason City and Ethan Mahoney of Dowling, ranked No. 4, No. 5 and No. 9, respectively.

Complete Class 3A brackets can be found on the IHSAA website or trackwrestling.com.

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