He did it! Marcel Lopez wins 4th state championship

DES MOINES — New London senior Marcel Lopez etched his name into the history books on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena. Lopez became just the 30th wrestler in the history of Iowa high school wrestling to win four state championships.

“I accomplished my ultimate goal,” Lopez said. “It almost feels like it's not real.”

Lopez polished off a perfect weekend with a 5-3 decision over Oakland Riverside’s Jace Rose to earn the title at 126 pounds.

Lopez cruised to the state championship match with a 1 minute, 6 second pin of Van Meter’s Garrett Cole in the first round, a 20-5 technical fall over Kendrick Huck of Nashua-Plainfield in the quarterfinals and a 5-1 defeat of Lisbon’s Quincy Happel in the semifinals.

In the finals, Lopez earned a quick takedown for an early 2-0 lead, and he never trailed again.

“I don't think it felt different until the very end,” said New London head coach Mark Chiri. “Right at the end, I think people started thinking, 'This is really going to happen.'”

After the match, an emotional Lopez credited brother Dominic, who polished off a third-place finish at 152 pounds earlier in the day.

“I'd give him all four (titles),” Lopez said. “He's been my practice partner since I was a freshman and he was in eighth grade. He's been one of my biggest helps.”

As Lopez came through the tunnel for interviews with the media, Dominic waited to greet his older brother.

“I'm really happy for him,” Dominic said. “He said he was going to do it, and he did it.”

He also spoke about the pressures that went in to a year of enormous expectations, all of which he met when the lights were at their brightest.

“I didn't say anything, but the pressure [was on], even at the home meets at the small New London gym.” Lopez recalled. “Over half my matches this year, I couldn't even feel my hands. I just felt nervous, scared.”

Lopez’s four championships came at 106 pounds, 113, 120 and 126 respectively. He was one of three wrestlers aiming for the feat of four championships on Saturday. Only two got it done.

“They were all hard to an extent,” Lopez said. “But this was the first one where it's going to be a big deal if I lose, and it's going to be a big deal if I win.”

Lopez, a Southern Illinois University Edwardsville commit, finished the season a perfect 55-0, but his 4-0 state championship record will be what sticks in the Iowa wrestling history books for ages to come.