Feb 19, 2023 4:17 AM

Walrath, Fenton claim state mat titles for Nikes

Posted Feb 19, 2023 4:17 AM
Burlington Notre Dame/West Burlington wrestling Isaiah Fenton is shown at the season opener at the Independence invitational.  Beacon File Photo
Burlington Notre Dame/West Burlington wrestling Isaiah Fenton is shown at the season opener at the Independence invitational.  Beacon File Photo

Beacon Sports

C.J. Walrath and Isaiah Fenton capped off their wrestling careers on the Burlington Notre Dame/West Burlington wrestling team by claiming state championships at 182 and 150 pounds, respectively, Saturday night at the state tournament in Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines.

The Nikes finished second in the team race, a year after winning the team title. Osage won with 170.5 pounds, followed by ND-WB with 106.5. Mount Vernon was third with 99 points, and Manchester, West Delaware, came in fourth at 97.5.

Walrath pinned Brody Sampson of Ballard in 4:43 in the Class 2A 182 finals. Having given up an early takedown, Walrath escaped and began building up a sizable lead before getting the fall in the third period.

Walrath, who will wrestle for the University of Northern Iowa next winter, was 56-0 this season and went 160-1 his final three seasons as a Nike.

Fenton closed out the season at 38-0 after winning a 10-3 decision over Cooper Sanders of Vinton-Shellsburg. Fenton was the No. 2 seed and Sanders was seeded No. 1.

Carter West, the other Nike finalist, settled for second in the 106-pound class with a narrow 2-0 loss to Brayden Bohnsack of Union, LaPorte City. West, a junior, went out at 50-2.

Other area finalists:

Mediapolis' Josh Glendening lost 3-1 overtime to Jackson Dewald of Westwood, Sloan, in the Class 1A 195-pound title match. Glendening finished at 48-2.

New London's Dominic Lopez, a senior, who recorded a state record 221st victory in the semifinals, lost the 1A 160-pound title 3-1 in overtime to Wyatt Reisz of Logan-Magnolia. Reisz's winning takedown came just as time expired, and the second official confirmed the main official's call. Lopez finished at 57-1 for the season and 221-9 for his career.

Tate O'Shea, a senior for Keokuk, came in second in the Class 2A 138-pound final. Shea, the 3 seed, lost to No. 1 seed McKinley Robbins of Greene County by a 15-5 major decision.

Top eight placers

Earlier Saturday, ND-WB sophomore Kaiden Dietzenbach finished third at 126 pounds. Dietzenbach (48-2) decisioned Amare Chavez of South Tama County 7-0 and then decisioned Jerren Gille of Dubuque Wahlert 4-2.

Fort Madison High School's Ike Thacher, a junior, took fourth in Class 3A at 195 pounds. He won his first consolation match Saturday by a medical forfeit from McCrae Hagarty of Waverly-Shell Rock before losing by fall to A.J. Petersen of North Scott in 1:11.

Other results involving local and area wrestlers during the tournament include :

Burlington High School

Sophomore Braxton Hutchinson went 2-2 at 106 pounds. Hutchinson, who closed out at 37-8, pinned Daniel Overall of Council Bluffs Lewis Central in 3:58. He then lost 2-1 to the eventual champion Carter Pearson of Southeast Pok. Hutchinson. He edged Brennan Geers of Cedar Rapids Washington 2-0 before losing by fall in 3:25 to Jaymeson VanderVelde of Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln.

Junior Salomon Cordero, at 182, finished at 27-13. He lost by fall to Xander Kenworthy of Ankeny in 1:10 and then lost by fall in 3:14 to Cohan Torres of North Polk.