CORALVILLE — The young Fort Dodge girls wrestling squad had their first taste of the deep talent from around the state of Iowa at the Dan Gable Donnybrook.

Fort Dodge earned one of its best finishes, placing 19th with 164 team points. Raccoon River-Northwest (381.5) was the team champion, followed by Basehor-Linwood (320.5) and Cedar Rapids Prairie (318).

Fort Dodge’s second-ranked (IAwrestle) senior Mariaha Benedict (17-1) didn’t get exactly what she wanted, entering as a defending champion. Benedict (135) lost to Linn-Mar’s Brielle Parke (12-1) by fall in 1:02. With her three pins on day one, Benedict is now 144-30 in her career.

“They (Benedict and Parke) got into a scramble and Mariaha was trying to reverse her and she countered and rolled Mariaha to her back,” Koenig said. “It’s a long season and I know it hurts now, but she’ll keep moving forward.”

Fort Dodge came away with eight Top-16 performances in all. Sophomore Brooklyn Nelson (14-6) closed the tournament with a 48-second fall to place ninth at 115 pounds. She had four wins in all.

“I’m super happy for Brooklyn,” Koenig said. “It’s a big accomplishment to place here. I know she wanted to jump up higher than her 10th-place finish last year, but she’ll use this to fuel her fire.”

No. 11 freshman Shayley Butrick (17-2) placed took with three wins. Classmate Ava Potter (16-2) won three via pin and earned 11th.

Sophomore Mariana Taute was 12th at 130, while freshman Tori Jakeman (170) and classmate Emma Potter were 14th and 16th, respectively. Freshman Lydia Cowell (100) was 16th, and classmate Greyson Hinds (125) was 22nd.

“The younger group with Lydia, Shayley, Greyson, Mariana, Tori, Emma and Ava wanted more,” Koenig said.

The Dodgers are back in action on Tuesday at Waverly-Shell Rock.