It was another busy week for the Cascade boys’ wrestling team that concluded with the Cougars earning a sixth-place finish at the Denny Christiansen Invitational, in Anamosa, Jan. 21.
Cade Rausch picked up his second tournament win in as many weeks, going 4-0 with three pins, at 220 pounds. Rausch won by fall over Sumner Fredericksburg’s Grant Henderson in the final.
“Cade continued to wrestle well and won his bracket at 220,” said coach Travis Andrews. “He’s developed a really nice shot the last couple of weeks and needs to continue to have confidence in his shot.”
Cascade had three fourth-place finishers, Kalvin Manternach at 120, Cory Bradtke-Stelken at 126 and Bayne Manternach at 285. Ty Frasher was fifth at 152 and Ben Gehl finished fifth at 170.
Riley Koppes (132), Eli Fritz (138) and Evan Vogel (160) finished seventh, and Cason Rausch (145) was ninth.
Anamosa was the team champion with 180 points, with Cedar Rapids Washington second at 165. Iowa City Liberty was third at 117, followed by Waterloo West (112), Sumner-Fredericksburg (94.5), Cascade (73), Cedar Rapids Prairie (63), North Cedar (60), Northwood-Kensett (57), Solon (55.5) and Central City (8.5).
“This was a tournament where all our guys got a bunch of mat time in having four or five matches. It was really nice to see some of our guys stick with it throughout the day,” Andrews said. “It’s tough to stay positive after losing two or three matches and then going out and winning their last match of the day. Cason, Cory, Riley, Ben and Ty all won their last matches, which was a good way to end the day.”
The Cougars hosted a River Valley Conference quadrangular meet with West Branch, Northeast and Monticello, Jan. 19.
West Branch defeated Cascade, 48-15. Vogel picked up the Cougars’ only contested win of the match, earning a 7-5 decision over Adam Gomez at 160 pounds. Bayne Manternach won by forfeit at 285 and Rausch did the same at 145 for the Cougars’ remaining points.
Northeast bolted to a 24-0 lead over the Cougars on the way to a 40-30 win. The Rebels won by forfeit at 182 and 195 to open the dual, and won by fall at 220 and 285. After double forfeits at 106 and 113, Kalvin Manternach got Cascade in the winning column with a fall in 2:58. Bradtke-Stelken received a forfeit at 126 to make it 24-12, before consecutive Northeast pins made it 36-12.
The Cougars rallied to win the next three. Rausch won by forfeit at 145, Frasher picked up a 27-second fall at 152 and Vogel won by pin in 1:35 at 160. Cascade was in striking distance at 36-30, but Northeast’s Sawyer Schmidt won by fall at 170 to seal the deal for the Rebels.
In the Monticello dual, Vogel completed a three-win night with a pin in 1:23 to put the Cougars up 6-0. The Panthers won by technical fall at 170, and received forfeits at 182 and 195 to lead 17-6.
Rausch won by forfeit at 220 to make it 17-12, but Monticello took the next eight matches — five by fall and three by forfeit — before Frasher picked up a quick 38-second pin to end the dual in a 65-18 Monticello win.
“There were a couple of matches that I know got away from some of our guys tonight,” Andrews said. “Looking back, there are a few things we need to have them clean up in the coming weeks.”
