Six area wrestlers still alive after morning session
Feb. 1—CORALVILLE — At the second sanctioned Iowa High School Girls Wrestling State Tournament, six area athletes are still in the hunt for a podium spot after Thursday's morning session of wrestling.
S.W.A.T. senior Grace Britten of Nodaway Valley won both morning bouts at 170, qualifying for the evening session's quarterfinals where she will face Karissa Oldenburger of Waverly-Shell Rock.
Oldenburger, the 27-seed has won two upsets, topping the six-seed and the 11-seed. Britten, the three-seed, will look to sent Oldenburger to the consolation bracket in the quarterfinals.
Both of Britten's morning matches ended with first-period pins. Last season, Britten came into the state tournament as the 10-seed and placed sixth, earning a podium spot.
Highway 34
The 13-seed, Evy Marlin (130) won her opening match against Isabel Christensen of Sumner-Fredericksburg in a first-period pin. From there, she advanced to face Lexy Petersen, the four-seed from Bettendorf. Petersen earned the early takedown and was able to pin Marlin. A year ago at the state tournament, Petersen earned bronze.
Now in the consolation bracket, Marlin will face Alyssa Seippel, the 14-seed from Dubuque Senior during the evening session. She will need to win to stay alive.
Savannah Sistad, the 235-lbs 15-seed, won her first match with a pin late in the first period. From there, she advanced to face Breanna Peach of Iowa Valley, the two-seed. Peach took a win over Sistad who will now wrestle in the consolation bracket to stay alive.
During the evening session she wrestles Madysen Lippe of Decorah, the 17-seed.
Zoey Vandevender (125) gets back points on Ava Streeter of Duram in her second match at the Iowa High School Girls Wrestling State Tournament Thursday in Coralville. Vandevender won the bout in a second-period pin.
The 16-seed, Zoey Vandevender (125) lost her first bout to Edie Collins of Charles City, falling to the consolation bracket. Needing a win to stay alive, she pinned Ava Streeter of Durant. In the evening, she faces Pieper Lester, the 18-seed from Clear Lake.
Coming in seeded 24th, Quynn Foster (105) had a tough first opponent, facing Mercedes Ponce, the six-seed from Perry. Foster fought, making the bout go five minutes before Ponce was able to get the pin. In her second match, Foster was pinned by Kara Kennedy of Cresco, eliminating her from the tournament.
Area Results
Maddie McCoy (110) of Southwest Valley holds Rylee Rice of WACO in a cradle during the second round. McCoy won the match in a second-period pin.
Jazz Christensen (100) of S.W.A.T. and Maddie McCoy (110) of Southwest Valley both lost their first matches and won the second to stay alive. Christensen faces Poppy Malone of Boone in the evening round while McCoy will wrestle Lacy Reed of Southern Tier.
Kenzie Maeder of Southwest Valley (145) fell in both her morning matchups and has been eliminated from the tournament.
