PCM’s Drake, Tool claim seventh-place state medals

DES MOINES — Prairie City-Monroe’s Payton Drake couldn’t hold back his emotions on the mat and then struggled to contain himself emotionally off it.

The Mustang senior knew his prep career had come to an end. But the final story included another podium finish as Drake captured his second straight seventh-place medal at the Iowa High School State Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday.

PCM junior Colby Tool also won his final match of the season as he took seventh at Class 2A 152 pounds. Drake’s state medal came at 2A 138.

“It’s important to not pack it in and show that we have some fight. They went out and competed and that’s what it’s about,” PCM coach Jeff Nicholson said. “Neither of those guys wanted to be in the seventh-place match, but it’s great to end the year with wins.”

Unfortunately, junior Landon Fenton ran into some trouble on Friday and lost both of his matches to fall short of his first state medal.

Eighth-ranked Drake defeated Hampton-Dumont’s Carl Barkema 7-5 in the seventh-place match.

Drake had to rally from a 4-0 hole to win in his final match. Barkema got a takedown in the first and a reversal in the second to lead 4-0 after two periods. In the third, Drake got an early takedown to close the gap and Barkema (43-12) made it 5-2 with an escape.

Drake (42-9) completed the rally with another takedown with 50 seconds to go and three nearfall points with 26 seconds left.

“They say it’s my signature move. I needed something so I tried it, and it worked out,” Drake said as he held back tears. “It means a lot to go out with a win. It’s hard because I know I will never step out on the mat again.”

Tool’s seventh-place match at 152 was a first-round rematch. Fifth-ranked Tool (20-4) defeated Forest City’s Kristian Gunderson 9-1 in the first meeting on Thursday and came out on top 3-1 the next time around.

Tool needed 29 seconds to get a takedown and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Gunderson (42-17) got an escape 9 seconds later. The only other point in the match came by penalty for Tool as he led 3-1 after two.

Tool rode out Gunderson for the entire third period, picking up one stalling call along the way.

It was the first time Tool ended the state tournament with a win. Tool now has three podium finishes in three seasons.

“The last two years I have walked out of here with a last-match loss so it might not be what I wanted and this week was a humbling experience but I am thankful to be here,” Tool said. “I wrestled for seven weeks (because of injury), which is a third of what most of the guys here wrestled.

“To be able to get here and back to where I am and get a medal is super special. It’s not what I wanted, but that last win was huge because it showed the fans I am still wrestling.”

Tool lost his quarterfinal match 4-3 to fourth-ranked Wyatt Appleseth (42-1) of Panorama. His second match of the day was a win by fall against Johnny Perez (41-13). Appleseth finished third overall.

Nicholson said Tool has the heart and talent to one day be a state champion. But not being able to wrestle competitively until January held him back. Nicholson expects his three-time placewinner to be back at the Well to give it one last try next season.

“He worked as hard as he possibly could to get back to form, but he didn’t have enough time,” Nicholson said. “You just don’t get the reps in that you normally get. I think he wrestled a little tighter down here because he didn’t get enough reps.

“It was good to see him competing until the end. I know he is going to work hard this offseason and he’s got one more time through and his goal is always to win a state title.”

Drake is a podium finisher for the second straight season. He lost 5-1 to second-ranked Kruise Kiburz of Winterset in his quarterfinal. Kiburz went on to finish third.

Drake earned a spot on the medal stand with a pin against West Delaware’s Logan Peyton in his elimination match.

“I’m really proud of Payton,” Nicholson said. “He is like one of my own kids. I have been coaching him for 12 years. Him and my son (Brian Nicholson) have been training partners for 12 years. Payton graduating and wrestling his last match is tough on me, too, because I will miss him.”

Drake finished his career with 156 wins, which is tied for fourth all-time at the school.

No. 8 Fenton (43-10) bowed out of the tournament after losing twice at 132 on Friday. He was defeated by fall in the third period of his elimination match.

Fenton lost 8-2 to fourth-ranked Keegan Scheeler (38-4) of Center Point Urbana in his quarterfinal match. Scheeler went on to place third.

In a consolation wrestleback match, Fenton was pinned by unranked Blake Abrahamson (33-13) of Okoboji. Abrahamson finished sixth overall.

Fenton goes into next season with 103 career wins. Tool starts his senior year with 101 career victories.