The Johnston wrestlers won their district at the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s 3A District Seven Tournament at Valley High School on Feb. 1o.  Johnston scored 258.0 team points, placing first out of the eight teams, followed by Valley, West Des Moines, with 236.5, Carlisle, with 121.0 points, Indianola just behind Carlisle with 120.0 points, Boone in 5th place with 103.0, Des Moines, North-Hoover with 94.o. Newton, with 88.o, and Ames, with 68.0.
In addition to winning the tournament, ten Johnston wrestlers won the first or second place in their brackets, earning themselves a place in the individual state tournament.

In the 106 lb bracket, Rheiner Stahlbaum ’21 began with a bye in the first round.  In the second, he defeated Valley, West Des Moines’s Dylan Fallacaro by fall in the second period.  In the finals, Stahlbaum pinned Aime Mukiza in the second period to take first in the bracket.  Stahlbaum will go on to wrestle at state in Wells Fargo Arena.

At 113 lbs, Caleb Helgeson ’21 also had a first-round bye, before pinning Skyler Walters from Boone 30 seconds into the match.  After losing to Valley, West Des Moines’s Nick Oldham in the finals, Helgeson placed second in his bracket, advancing onto State.

Thomas Edwards ’20 received a first-round bye in the 120 lb weight bracket.  Edwards won by fall against Carlisle’s Carter Logue, sending Edwards to the finals, where he defeated Valley, West Des Moines’s Brendan Nielsen by an 18-1 technical fall, taking 1st place and winning a spot at Wells Fargo in the state tournament.

Still in a cast after being out with a broken hand, James Edwards ’20 defeated Des Moines North-Hoover’s Michael Moore with an 18-2 technical fall after receiving a first-round bye in the 126 lb bracket.  Edwards went on to defeat Valley, West Des Moines’s Noah Micka in the finals.  Edwards also moves onto state.

Zach Price ’18 started the tournament with a Bye in the first round of the 132 lb bracket before pinning Carlisle’s Troy Schnathorst 36 seconds into the match.  Price defeated Valley, West Des Moines’s Caleb Corbin with a 13-4 major decision to take first place and continue to Wells Fargo.

Wrestling at 138 lbs, Sterling Brunk ’18 defeated Carlisle’s Dez Hummel with a fall in the first period before moving on to defeat James Runestad of Boone with a 9-6 decision.  Brunk came in second to Valley, West Des Moines’s Nick Oldham and is moving on to the state tournament.

Elliot Pohlmeyer ’18, wrestling at 145 lbs, started the tournament with a fall in the first period against Ryan Myers from Valley, West Des Moines.  Pohlmeyer then won with a 3-1 decision over Indianola’s Josh Barretta, moving onto the finals.  Pohlmeyer placed second to Boone’s Mason Hulse, earning a spot in the state tournament.

At the 152 lb weight class, Cade Moss ’19  pinned Ames’s Daimon Cloutier in the first 27 seconds of the match before defeating Indianola’s Nick Bonanno in a 6-1 decision.  Moss placed 2nd after Valley, West Des Moines’s Grant Stotts.  Moss also qualified for the state tournament.

Wrestling at 160 lbs, Noah Rogers ’18 defeated Ames’s Leo Wernau by fall in the second period.  Rogers lost in the semi-finals to Jimmy Boustead of Boone in a 6-2 decision.  Rogers then defeated Carlisle’s Tyler Squires with a 13-6 decision in the wrestle-backs, but could not wrestle for second place due to the fact that Boustead had lost in the finals.  Rogers placed third in his bracket.

Collin Hushagen ’18, at 170 lbs, won all of his matches by Fall.  He defeated Jacob Nicolas of Ames in the first period, before pinning Des Moines North-Hoover’s Arthur Sumie in the second period.  In the finals, Hushagen earned his 100th win by pinning Carlisle’s Ethan Reed 58 seconds into the match.  Hushagen took 1st place in his bracket and qualified for the state tournament.

At 182 lbs, Harrison Pauley ’19 lost his first match against Indianola’s Colt Carpenter.  Pauley then defeated Ames’s Aaron Wandling by Fall 51 seconds into the match before moving on to defeat Carlisle’s Gabe Hemsted in a 4-1 decision, placing fifth in his bracket.

Javian Rolley ’19, wrestling at 195 lbs, pinned Carlisle’s Nate Ramirez in the second period of the match.  Rolley lost in the semi-finals against Jaise Gulling of Newton, and then in the wrestle-backs against Gabe Greenlee of Ames.

At 220 lbs, Ben Standish ’18 defeated Carlisle’s Tommy Jones in an 11-2 major decision, before losing to Beau Lombardi of Valley, West Des Moines in the semi-finals.  Standish pinned Indianola’s Sam Wolff in the first wrestle-back but losing to Newton’s Gage Linahon in the second wrestle-back.  Standish placed third in his bracket.

Wrestling in the 285 lb bracket, Jake Ryan ’18 received a bye in the first round before defeating Ames’s Marshune Smith with a 16-1 technical fall.  Ryan then defeated Valley, West Des Moines’s Carter Lawrence in a 4-0 decision to take first place and qualify for state.

The Johnston wrestlers will compete against Southeast Polk on Feb. 14 at 9:00 a.m. in the dual team state tournament.  The individual state tournament will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 15.  Both tournaments will take place at Wells Fargo Arena.