Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Deontez Williams of Pocahontas Area competes at state in Des Moines on Wednesday. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

DES MOINES — Ryan Brennan, Jace Nelson-Brown and Ben Saxton of Emmetsburg all pushed through to the second day of the state wrestling tournament in Class 1A on the championship side on Wednesday inside Wells Fargo Arena.

Pocahontas Area’s Deontez Williams will join the E-Hawk trio in the quarterfinals here Thursday morning when the second session begins at 9 a.m.

A number of other wrestlers will try to keep alive their hopes for a state medal in the consolation rounds, including Manson Northwest Webster’s Ian Kohnen and South Central Calhoun’s Brock Nattress.

Kohnen earned his initial state win in the first round, topping Lisbon’s Matthias Kohl, 2-1. He fell to Emmetsburg’s Nelson-Brown, 6-2, in the second round at 170 pounds. Up next for Kohnen will be Baxter’s Callyn Bishop.

Nattress, competing at 145, was topped by Treynor’s Danny Kinsella, 9-5. He will take on Conor Cassady of Martensdale-St. Marys.

Williams, who received a bye, bested Blake Juhl of Pekin at 182 pounds, 10-6. Up next for the No. 8 seed will be top-seed Carson Hartz of Waterloo Columbus.

Joseph Sanders of Pocahontas Area earned a fall in 39 seconds vs. Trace Goemaat of North Mahaska to begin his tourney before falling to Don Bosco’s Mack Ortner, 5-1. Verdy Klocke, Ryan Sommerlot and Alex Welander all dropped their first matches.

Brennan downed Treycen Rollene from Northwood-Kensett in the second round, 3-2, to advance following a bye in round one. He takes on Karter Decker from MFL MarMac, who upset No. 4 seed Ryan Stortenbecker of East Mills with a pin.

Nelson-Brown gets GTRA’s Jordan Saul at 170 and Saxton, who scored back-to-back falls at 195 pounds, faces Akron-Westfield’s Ian Blowe.

Emmetsburg’s Justin Wirtz, Cade Shirk and Gage Jorgenson were all winners in the first round before coming up short in the second. They will be joined by Ryan Wirtz in the consolation round.

Charlie Veit of East Sac County lost in the second round after receiving a bye, while teammate Bradyn Burns will also be in the consys.