It took a while for Iola Middle School’s wrestlers to get over the fact they were competing in front of the home crowd Tuesday, their head coach said.
“I think we psyched ourselves out,” IMS wrestling coach Cameron Jesseph said. “It took until the second round for the kids to realize it was just another match.”
Still, Iola brought home several wins at the Iola Middle School Invitational, including a pair of first-place finishes.
One of the top finishers could be expected. Eighth-grader Matt Komma has proven to be a standout athlete in multiple sports at IMS, and already has thrived on the mat.
The second was a pleasant surprise, Jesseph said.
Eighth-grader Isaiah Wicoff won all three of his matches with pins to win his bracket at 190 pounds.
“This was a nice confidence boost for Isaiah,” Jesseph said. “He wrestled very well. I think he proved to himself how well he can compete.”
The competition ended in memorable fashion, with Iola’s Nathan Sprague taking on Logan Herman of Burlington in the 127-pound bracket.
With both wrestlers competing on the mats for the first time Tuesday, their final match — the last match of the day, it turned out — went into two overtimes tied at 1-1.
With matches on the other two mats finished, the large crowd’s full attention was on the two novice wrestlers at center court. Cheers grew steadily louder throughout the three periods, then into the overtime.
Herman eventually got the 2-1 win with an escape in the third overtime period.
“It was a heck of a match,” Jesseph agreed.
Iola had 14 wrestlers among the 160-plus competitors from nine schools.
“I wish we had a few more medals, but the kids got better as the competition went along,” Jesseph said.
Iola’s individual results follow.
75 Pound
Jacob Benedict (0-3; fourth in bracket)
Devon Walker, Royster, def. Benedict, (Pin)
Bruce Sommer, Central Heights, def. Benedict (Dec.)
Logan Smith, Coffeyville, def. Benedict, (Pin)
105 Pound
Jackson Cone (1-1; second in bracket)
Nathan Akes, Prairie View, def. Cone (Pin)
Cone def. Braden Pollet, Burlington, (Dec.)
115 Pound
Blake Mittelmeier (1-1; second in bracket)
D.J. Smith, Central Heights, def. Mittelmeier (Pin)
Mittelmeier def. Tanner Tush, Anderson County (Pin)
127 Pound
John Lynn (1-1; second in bracket)
Donte White, Coffeyville, def. Lynn (Pin)
Lynn def. Mike Horn, Prairie View (Pin)
127 Pound
Nathan Sprague (1-1; second in bracket)
Sprague def. Levi Sims, Jayhawk-Linn (Dec.)
Logan Herman, Burlington, def. Sprague (Dec.)
141 Pound
Dalton Ryherd (1-2; third in bracket)
Ryderd def. Antoinette Kerr, Prairie View (Pin)
Kylar Lee, Burlington, def. Ryherd (Dec.)
Braden Robinson, Royster, def. Ryherd (Pin)
141 Pound
Will Bath (1-1; second in bracket)
Bath def. Drake Kline, Prairie View (Dec.)
Jordan Ishimura, Frontenac, def. Bath (Pin)
165 Pound
Trevor Stover (2-1; second in bracket)
Stover def. Kursten Metzger, Burlington (Dec.)
Stover def. Bryan Butler, Prairie View (Pin)
Eric Syens, Burlington, def. Stover (Pin)
180 Pound
Parker Smith (0-2; third in bracket)
Sam Chambers, Prairie View, def. Smith (Pin)
Jacob Hawkins, Burlington, def. Smith (Pin)
180 Pound
Keisha Blazek (1-1; second in bracket)
Blazek def. Tyler McCrea, Prairie View (Pin)
Dylan Lee, Anderson County, def. Blazek (Pin)
190 Pound
Matt Komma (2-0; first in bracket)
Komma def. Orion Brown, Royster (Pin)
Komma def. Dominic Sutton, Anderson County (Dec.)
190 Pound
Isaiah Wicoff (3-0; first in bracket)
Wicoff def. Mark Ryan, Coffeyville (Pin)
Wicoff def. Blake Barker, Frontenac (Pin)
Wicoff def. Ryan Gettler, Anderson County (Pin)
215 Pound
Nic Zimmerman (2-2; third in bracket)
Kolt Knoblich (0-4; fifth in bracket)
Jackson Stinger, Coffeyville, def. Knoblich (Pin)
Wyatt Cox-Halliburton, Prairie View, def. Zimmerman (Dec.)
Braden McCulley, Anderson County, def. Knoblich (Pin)
Zimmerman def. Knoblich (Pin)
Cox-Halliburton def. Knoblich (Pin)
Zimmerman def. McCulley (Pin)
Stinger def. Zimmerman (Pin)
IMS wrestlers find their footing
