Sigourney-Keota dominates SICL wrestling tournament

BROOKLYN — They say the cream of the crop rises to the top, and the Sigourney-Keota wrestling team showed they were just that in the world of South Iowa Cedar League wrestling.

The Cobras had five individual conference champions en route to a 237-point performance as a team. They won the tournament in flying colors, 83 points ahead of second-place Iowa Valley (154 points).

Reanah Utterback took care of business in the 106-pound bracket to earn the Cobras’ first championship of the day. He pinned Evan Grieder of Belle Plaine in 1 minute, 52 seconds, and Joel DeJong of North Mahaska in 1:24 to win the bracket.

DJ Hammes pinned three different matmen to earn the top spot at 132 pounds. He earned pins over Belle Plaine’s Parker Weeda and Colfax-Mingo’s Kylie Doty to make the championship, and pinned Hunter Wernli of North Mahaska in 1:51 to earn the crown.

Jack Clarahan wrestled two matches and won both by decision to earn a 170-pount title. Clarahan beat Belle Plaine’s Mason Ward 8-2 in the semifinals. in the finals, he won a shootout, 18-13, over Brody Hoyt of Iowa Valley.

Cade Striegel rolled to victory at 195 pounds. He pinned Ashton Meland of North Mahaska in 33 seconds to earn a spot in the final. After that, he defeated Taite Peach of Iowa Valley on a 9-1 major decision to win the title.

Conner Reed had the Cobras’ last individual victory of the day, winning the 220-pound bracket. Reed won two matches, beating Cole Fontinel of HLV 7-0 in the semifinals and pinning Colfax-Mingo’s Shane Aikin in just 47 seconds to win the bracket.

TEAM SCORES: 1. Sigourney-Keota 237; 2. Iowa Valley 154; 3. Plaine 140; 4. BGM 137; 5. North Mahaska 132.5; 6. Lynnville-Sully 127; 7. Colfax-Mingo 93; 8. English Valleys-Tri-County 50.5; 9. HLV 31; 10. Montezuma 30