Dodgers third at EG Invite
By JOHN McBRIDE, Sports WriterArticle Photos
Fact Box
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Ankeny 234, 2. Ballard 231.5, 3. Fort Dodge 172, 4. Emmetsburg 151, 5. Algona 139, 6. Oskaloosa 112.5, 7. Eagle Grove 81.
Individual Results
103 pounds
Championship: Matt Birnbaum, FD, pinned Austin Anderson, Ankeny; Third place: Dillon Hansen, Ballard, dec. Tayler Leuer, Emmetsburg.
112 pounds
Championsip: Reed Russell, FD, dec. Tim Miklus, Ballard; Third place: Sam Reichenbacker, Ankeny, major dec. Jake Anderson, Algona.
119 pounds
Championship: Seth Clark, Ankeny, dec. Isaac Lundgerg, Emmetsburg; Third place: Daniel Williams, Osky, dec. Jacob Adams, Algona.
125 pounds
Championship: Dakota Bauer, Ballard, won by tech. fall over Ben Reichenbacker, Ankeny; Third place: Duke Egli, FD, pinned Monty Arends, FDJV.
130 pounds
Championship: Matt Fontana, Ankeny, dec. Chase Grove, FD; Third place: Mondo Lindstrom, EG, pinned Jacob Burns, Osky.
135 pounds
Championship: Nate Schany, Emmetsburg, dec. Weston Baker, Ballard; Third place: Ryan Gean, Anekny, pinned Keegan Nelson, FD.
140 pounds
Championship: Tanner Hiatt, Ballard, dec. Trent Brown, Osky; Third place: Marcus Gatewood, EG, major dec. Jacob Stubbs, Emmetsburg.
145 pounds
Championship: Cole Clarken, FD, won by default over Brett Sams, Osky; Third place: Carson Powell, Ankeny, pinned Cody Harrison, EG.
152 pounds
Championship: Tanner Weatherman, Ballard, pinned Jake Larson, Algona; Third place: Jeff Robinson, Ankeny, pinned Austin McCartan, Emmetsburg.
160 pounds
Championship: Joey Naig, Emmetsburg, dec. Brad Mickelson, Ballard; Third place: Kyle Walker, Algona, pinned Blake Pagliai, Ankeny.
171 pounds
Championship: Brock Weatherman, Ballard, pinned Rob Myers, Ankeny; Third place: Blake Port, Osky, major dec. Will Chipman, Algona.
189 pounds
Championship: Dillon Weatherman, Ballard, dec. Erik Rasmussen, Ankeny; Third place: Bryce Olson, EG, pinned Ben Schnurr, FD.
215 pounds
Championship: Logan Johnson, Algona, major dec. Jacob Morris, Emmetsburg; Third place: Ross Larson, Ballard, pinned Alex Ryan, Ankeny.
285 pounds
Championship: Thomas Heiderseeit, Ankeny, pinned Clinton Eichinger, Ballard; Third place: Brandon Keller, Algona, dec. Zach Boyer, EG.
EAGLE GROVE - Two former Dodgers walked out of the Eagle Grove gym with their respective teams feeling pretty good after an action-packed Eagle Grove Invitational Saturday.
Dave Ewing's Ankeny Hawks claimed their second team title in the 71st installment of this tournament, scoring 234 points to edge out defending champion Ballard of Huxley, which finished with 231.5 points.
Fort Dodge, coached by Ewing's one-time teammate, Bobby Thompson, was third with 172 points.
Ankeny and Ballard were separated by just four points going into the finals while five points separated Fort Dodge and Emmetsburg, which finished fourth with 151 points. Both the Hawks and Dodgers used strong final rounds to pull away.
"I think we really won it in the wrestlebacks," said Ewing, whose team also won here in 2006. "The key was all the pins we got."
The meet, though, eventually came down to the 285-pound match where Ankeny's Thomas Heiderseeit pinned Ballard's Clinton Eichinger in the championship.
"I think he knew (the meet was coming down to that weight)," said Ewing. "The coaches didn't say anything to him, but some of the kids started talking and the parents started talking about it. But he's the kind of kid that relishes that kind of pressure."
Ankeny's other champs were Seth Clark at 119 and Matt Fontana at 130.
Fort Dodge walked away with three champs as well. Matt Birnbaum won at 103 pounds, Reed Russell at 112 and Cole Clarken at 145.
"I am impressed with how the guys battled and how we fought as a team," said Thompson, whose team dropped a dual to Ankeny on Thursday. "I wasn't quite the finish we wanted, but we placed all 14 guys in the top six. I am happy with that. We had eight guys wrestling their first varsity tournament."
Birnbaum beat Ankeny's Austin Anderson in the finals after pinning Emmetsburg's Tyler Leuer in the semifinals. In the process he accomplished something his father, Ed, a two-time state place winner and former Dodger coach didn't dowinning a title in this tournament.
Russell beat Ballard's Tim Miklus in the finals while Clarken won by default over Oskaloosa's Brett Sams, who injured his shoulder during the championship match.
Fort Dodge's Chase Grove finished second, losing to Ankeny's Fontana in the finals.
"Reed wrestled really well. I wasn't surprised at all after watching him in the room. It was nice to see him win in his first tournament," Thompson said. "I was pleased with how Duke Egli wrestled and Ben Schnurr did well, too, for their first varsity meet."
Egli, just a freshman, was third at 125 pounds while Schnurr, a sophomore, was fourth at 189.
Keegan Nelson was fourth at 135 while David Rogers (160) and Brant Anderson (285) were fifth.
Ankeny used solid team effort as well. The Hawks placed in all but one weight class, including second-place finishes from Austin Anderson at 103, Ben Reichenbacker at 125, Rob Myers at 171 and Erik Rasmussen at 189.
Sam Reichenbacker (112), Ryan Gean (135), Carson Powell (145) and Jeff Robinson (152) all won third-place matches for the Hawks.
Ankeny won four matches in the final round by fall and another by major decision to get valuable bonus points. Ballard beat Ankeny in head-to-head matches at 171, 189 and 215 in the final round to pull close before Ankeny's fall 285 sealed the deal.
"We just want the kids to be consistent and do the things we ask," said Ewing. "Coming into day we just wanted to wrestle one match at a time. We've got a lot of seniors that haven't wrestled a lot, but we want them to be leaders. We just want to get back to basic techniquesthe ham and eggs stuff."
Ballard's champs were Dakota Bauer at 125, Tanner Hiatt at 140, Tanner Weatherman at 152, Brock Weatherman at 171 and Dillon Weatherman at 189. The Bombers didn't score at three weight classes, though they came to the meet with no wrestlers at 130 and 145.
Emmetsburg's champs were Nate Schany at 135 and Joey Naig at 160.
The only individual champ not to come from the top four teams was Algona's Logan Johnson, who won a title at 215 pounds.
Saturday was part of a busy start to the season for the Dodgers. They wrestled Ankeny last Thursday and host Valley and Des Monies East Tuesday and Thursday, respectively in dual meets. They wrestle in the Emmetsburg Invite next Saturday then travel to Southeast Polk on Dec. 17 before hosting the Dodger Miller Invitational on Dec. 19 to close the first half of the season.
"We just want to get better every outing," said Thompson. "We got better from Thursday to (Saturday). If we can keep doing that when the conference, district and state meets come around we'll be okay.
"Having that meet on Tuesday doesn't give us a lot of time in the wrestling room to work on things. We'll have to get a lot done over the break. But at the same time, you can't substitute for competition."
Tuesday's meet with Valley has been designated Parents' Night for the Dodger wrestlers.
