4 advance from Mediapolis

MEDIAPOLIS - Sometimes it is a good thing to not be noticed.

Of the four wrestlers at 285 pounds, WACO's Landan Provino was seeded last in Saturday's Class 1A Sectional 16 at Mediapolis.

Provino was in just his 10th match of the season, but took out the top seed with a 6-2 decision in his first match Saturday, then won by fall in 2 minutes, 8 seconds for the title.

Sectional champions advance to districts, which will be District 8 at Wapello Saturday for Provino and Highland's Bryce Thompson and Carlos Valenzuela. District qualifiers are also second-place finishers so Highland's Easton Schlabaugh will be at Wapello.

Thompson upped his record to 30-3 and backed up his No. 5 ranking with a domination of the 113-pound division. His two victories were pins, one in 3:22, the other in 3:01.

Valenzuela eked out a win over Matthew Helscher of Wapello, 8-7, to get to the championship match at 126. Valenzuela has a record of 29-8 and met top seed Trae Hagen of Wilton and his 22-5 record. Fans barely had time to peruse the records of the two before Valenzuela ended the match to become the sectional champion with a pinfall in 1:26.

At 106, Schlabaugh (38-5) won by fall to get to the title match but was pinned.

TEAM SCORES -

1. Wilton 247, 2. Wapello 188, 3. Iowa City Regina 153, 4. Mediapolis 119.5, 5. Highland 90, 6. Louisa-Muscatine 68, 7. WACO 39