State medalists fill 2011 All-GTNS wrestling team

Southeast Iowa was a hotbed for some of the best wrestlers in the state in 2011, and Golden Triangle wrestlers were up with the best piling up wins.

New London?s Sawyer Farris and Fairfield?s Dakota Simmons lead the 2011 All-Golden Triangle News Service team after wrestling in front of 15,000 fans for a shot at a state title last month. Both happened to run into opponents who hadn?t lost all season and they were forced to settle for runner-up, but it certainly didn?t diminish the accomplishments of their seasons.

119-pound Farris was named the All-GTNS captain after posting a 46-3 record. Two of those losses came to his state final opponent ? Davenport Assumptions Topher Carton, who finished his high school career with a 119-0 record. With one more season left at New London/Winfield-Mt. Union, Farris is primed for another run at the state title he captured as a freshman at 112 pounds.

But no matter how good Farris was, Jake Kadel may have been the leader of the New London team and is now the best in school history. Kadel finished the season with an astounding 49-2 mark and racked up 189 career wins to break Jeret Chiri?s school record, The total ties him for sixth-best in Iowa history.

Kadel fell short of a 135-pound state title, but earned two wins by fall, two major decisions and one technical fall in his five victories at state on his way to third place in Class 2A.

125-pound Simmons was a star for Fairfield despite a good amount of adversity before getting hot at the right time. The senior battled an injury from the first week of practice as well as several illnesses only to save his best for last. Simmons blazed through the 125-pound bracket at the state tournament before coming up empty in the championship match against Clear Lake?s Jacob Colon.

He rolled up a 26-4 record and stood at the top of the podium in five tournaments, which included both sectionals and districts.

Three other Trojans join Simmons on the All-GTNS squad including 171-pound Jeff Guttry, who certainly didn?t take his senior season for granted. Guttry started the year off the radar and without a state tournament appearance, but he quickly changed that.

In his third trip to the district tournament in three years, he finally broke through to state and finished it off with an amazing run through the consolation bracket to grab four more wins ? three by fall ? and nab third place. Guttry finished the season with a 36-2 record and was named the Southeast Conference co-wrestler of the year along with Simmons.

285-pound Michael Smithburg was a terror at the bottom of the lineup for Fairfield opponents, and his 26-5 record shows it. The fifth-ranked heavyweight was in the wrong place at the wrong time at the district meet and saw his season end one week short of state for the third straight season, but he finishes his Fairfield career with 70 wins including 48 falls.

Jac Pilcher wasn?t even on a wrestling team a year ago, but filled a much-needed spot at 160 pounds for Fairfield. Pilcher?s natural talent carried him to a 23-11 record and a place in the district meet.

These Trojans at the district meet were part of eight total all led by head coach Bob Glenn. It was Glenn?s first season in the Fairfield corner, but he took control of a talented team and managed more than his share of injury and illness throughout the lineup. He had his team ready to go for the stretch run of the season and helped two wrestlers take medals at the state tournament.

Leading the charge for the rest of the All-GTNS squad is Columbus 145-pound senior Brady Milder. In his third trip to the state tournament, Milder finally made it to the medal stand, placing eighth in Class 2A at 145 pounds.

Complete story and All-GTNS selections are available in the Wednesday, March 16, 2011 Fairfield Ledger.