Iowa City High’s Gabe Arnold wins in Iowa high school wrestling debut
CORALVILLE — Gabe Arnold made his high school wrestling debut in Iowa over the weekend, and the outcomes recommend wrestling followers throughout the state, in addition to Hawkeye diehards in every single place else, will likely be in for a deal with this winter.
Arnold, who’s now at Iowa City High after three years at Wyoming Seminary, broke by way of the 182-pound class at Dan Gable Donnybrook. He went 5-0 and beat two wrestlers ranked in the top-10 in the nation en path to first place.
The Donnybrook is simply two years outdated however has already established itself as Iowa’s premier high school wrestling season opener. Following final 12 months’s epic debut, the second iteration this week on the Xtream Arena was larger and higher, with a two-day, 29-team ladies’ match coupled with a two-day, 38-team boys’ competitors.
TIED TOGETHER:An thrilling first season of wrestling for ladies continues to unfold at Dan Gable Donnybrook
The boys’ match included 4 groups from the MatScouts nationwide Fab 50 rankings, in addition to seven of the state’s high 10 groups in the IAWrestle Class 3A ballot. Each weight featured lots of Iowa’s finest wrestlers, in addition to a number of the nation’s finest from neighboring states.
Coincidentally, 182 kilos was one of many essential weights to observe for — and Arnold, a wrestling recruit from Iowa, heralded his arrival with all of the subtlety of a rocket launch.
Arnold opened with three straight technical falls, beating his first three opponents 64-19. In the semifinals, he hit three takedowns in an 8-3 win over Linn-Mars Tate Naaktborne, a two-time state champion who’s ranked fifth nationally by MatScouts.
In the Finals, Arnold scored a late takedown for a 4-3 win over West Bend’s Connor Mirasola, a Junior Freestyle National Champion ranked #3 nationally. In the 2-2 draw with 30 seconds left in the third interval, Arnold hit a unclean tremendous duck to take gold.
Iowa City High’s Gabe Arnold hits with a takedown in the third interval to defeat #3 Connor Mirasola 4-3 in the Donnybrook Finals with 182. Absolutely soiled duck for the 2nd
Arnold and his household moved right here in August earlier than the City High school 12 months began. They got here for extra than simply wrestling, however for our functions right here, it was probably the most intriguing half. He’s as acknowledged because it will get: a nationwide 16U freestyle champion, ranked sixth nationally and regarded twenty fourth general prospect in the 2023 class.
His addition to Iowa High School Wrestling’s huge expertise pool was all the time attention-grabbing and he was excited by the chance. He loves the state’s obsession with wrestling — the raucous crowds, the electrical environment, how high-quality performances deliver all of it to life. That’s one of many causes he dedicated himself to the Hawkeyes.
Semifinals at 182: Gabe Arnold over Tate Naaktborne 8-3. Gabe scored three takedowns, together with this one in the third to successfully ice him.
Wrestling at an insanely high stage. Shots, defenses, setups, assault reattacks. Hopefully we’ll see extra of that this season. #iahswrpic.twitter.com/54PCrfA6CS
This week was his first alternative to see the whole lot up shut and he took full benefit of the chance. One of the extra intriguing subplots of the 2022-23 season would be the potential rivalry between him and Naaktborne, a recruit from the state of Iowa. They may see one another 4 extra instances by February. How fortunate are we?
Nothing vital is gained or misplaced in the primary week of a sports activities season. But Gabe Arnold is right here and he is extremely enjoyable to observe — and that is why Iowa High School wrestling followers are this week’s and this season’s winners.
MORE:Introducing the highest 50 boy wrestlers for the 2022-23 Iowa High School wrestling season
Marmion (IL) wins Donnybrook workforce title
City High was one among three faculties to complete with two particular person champions, adopted by two faculties from Illinois, Mount Carmel and Lockport Township. But it was really a 3rd Illinois school, Marmion Academy, that received the workforce title with 289 factors.
Marmion, ranked twenty fifth nationally in MatScout’s nationwide workforce rankings, led the sphere with 5 high three place winners. They beat Liberty (MO), who completed second with 269 factors and three finalists, and Thirty sixth-placed Mount Carmel, who completed third with 268 factors and 5 top-four finishers.
The highest-placed workforce from Iowa was really Linn-Mar, who completed fourth with 212 factors. The Lions completed with 4 top-five place winners, led by Grant Kress’ singles title at 152 kilos. They completed forward of Waverly-Shell Rock, who completed sixth with 203 factors; Bettendorf, seventh with 194; and Iowa City High, who positioned twelfth with 175.
It’s laborious to get something concrete from these workforce outcomes. The Donnybrook used a non-traditional match software program firm referred to as SmoothComp. The remaining workforce rating might not be fully correct, particularly as some groups had a number of entries of the identical weight, however different stats assist in wanting on the larger image.
For instance, Bettendorf led the entire 17-pin Iowa groups by way of the two-day match, which helped them into the top-10 because the Bulldogs solely had three top-five berth winners. Linn-Mar completed the match with 15 pins and helped them usurp the Go-Hawks, which had three finalists and 4 general winners in the highest three spots.
Teams like Waverly-Shell Rock, Linn-Mar, Iowa City High and others are anticipated to be aggressive in Iowa’s Class 3A this season. But it is solely week one. This image will turn out to be clearer because the season progresses.
Three spectacular Donnybrook performances
Of all of the excellence at Donnybrook – and there have been many – these three stood out:
ALEX PIERCE, IOWA CITY WEST: An thrilling younger freshman who received 5-0 at 106lbs. He scored a 5-1 win over high seed Cole Welte, an Omaha Skutt All-American, after which scored an escape in the third interval to beat Marmion’s Nicholas Garcia 6-5 in the ultimate.
KOUFAX CHRISTENSEN, WAUKEE NORTHWEST: A returning Class 3A state champion, successful 5-0 to win at 120, topped by an insanely spectacular 5-2 remaining win over Liberty’s Hunter Taylor, a junior nationwide champion and high 20 nationwide contender. Christensen scored takedowns early in the primary and late in the third, chasing Taylor all around the mat each six minutes. Christensen was named the match’s Outstanding Wrestler.
JAYCE LUNA, BETTENDORF: A two-time 3A state medalist who notably caught lightning in a bottle on Saturday.
Luna stormed into the finals with 132 factors with a 7-2 win over Waukee Northwest’s two-time state champion Carter Freeman and an 8-6 win over City High’s Kael Kurtz. That was Freeman’s first profession loss in the state. Against Kurtz, who beat Luna in districts final season, Luna hit a takedown and two nearfalls in the final 20 seconds to recuperate from a 6-4 deficit and win.
Luna confronted Mount Carmel’s Sergio Lemley, the nation’s No. 1 wrestler, in the ultimate. Lemley pinned Luna after constructing a 15-5 lead. But that does not change what Luna did in the primary place to achieve the finals. Great match.
Donnybrook pocket book dump
We’re going to be making an attempt out a brand new function for our high school wrestling protection this season. We name it the Notebook Dump the place we finish with totally different ideas and observations from any competitors we broadcast dwell.
Here is the Donnybrook pocket book dump:
Fort Dodge’s Dru Ayala over Bettendorf’s Jake Knight, 6-4 in SV, in an exciting 113lb quarterfinal match. Was 2-2 after one, Dru led 3-2 after two, then Jake scored to pressure OT 4-4.
There have been quite a lot of enjoyable in-state matchups at 113 kilos. Fort Dodge’s Dru Ayala completed third after defeating Minnesota’s Albert Lea’s #15 Michael Olson after Ayala defeated Bettendorf freshman Jake Knight 6-4 in a sudden quarterfinal victory. Knight then defeated Bondurant-Farrar’s Connor Fiser 13-6 to take fifth place after Fiser defeated Waverly-Shell Rock’s Ryker Graff 3-2. All these guys will likely be among the many title contenders in February.
At 120, Bettendorf’s TJ Köster, a returning state champion, scored a 7-5 win over Ben Bast of West Bend, who’s ranked sixteenth nationally. Köster then misplaced in the semifinals to Liberty’s Taylor 2-3.
At 126, Cale Seaton from City High reached the finals after a 5-2 semifinal win over Wayzata’s Logan Swenson, Minnesota State finalist and 16U Greco-Roman All-American.
Waverly-Shell Rock had three finalists, in Ryder Block (138), Bas Diaz (145) and Jake Walker (285). Block was the one champion with a 1-0 remaining win over Liberty’s Chris Coates. Block rode out Coates in the third interval to win.
Grant Kress by Linn-Mar gained a wide-open weight at 152. He received 5-0, beating all out-of-state opponents, capped off with a 5-2 remaining win over Braxton Strick of Ozark in Missouri.
At 195, Waverly-Shell Rock’s McCrae Hagarty, a two-time state champion, recorded a 3-1 win in extra time over Fort Dodge rookie Dreshaun Ross for third place. Chances are we may see a rematch on a Saturday evening in February.
City High’s World Champion Ben Kueter steamed to his second Donnybrook title at 220 kilos, beating his 5 opponents with a mixed 49-6. He recorded 4 pins and an 18-2 technical fall in opposition to Hempstead’s Joe Lewis in the finals en path to gold.
Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports activities for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.
2022 Dan Gable Donnybrook
Boys finals
106 kilos: Alex Pierce (IC West) Dec. Nicholas Garcia (Marmion, Illinois), 6-5
