Prairie Wrestling

Prairie claims PV wrestling crown

BETTENDORF - Cedar Rapids Prairie put five wrestlers in the finals and Josh Wenger claimed the 138-pound title to lead the Hawks to the championship of the Mike Hall Invitational Saturday at Pleasant Valley High School.

Prairie beat Washington, Ill., by 23 points. Millard South, Neb., was third.

Cedar Rapids Jefferson crowned a champion in Brenden Baker at 106 pounds and the J-Hawks finished sixth in the 16-team field.

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Lions nipped for title; Hawks upend No.1

The Linn-Mar Lions came within a whisker of derailing the top-ranked high school wrestling team from Wisconsin on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Prairie Hawks succeeded in knocking off the No.1 team from Iowa.

It was a good day for the two Metro powers at the 22nd Annual Five Seasons Dual Wrestling Tournament.

It was nearly a great day.

Linn-Mar split its 14 matches with Kaukauna (Wis.), but the Galloping Ghosts got enough bonus points to nip the Lions, 33-32, in the championship match of the prestigious 16-team tournament at Cedar Rapids Washington.

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Cadena's pin lifts Hawks by Lions

Jarod Cadena was the most popular guy in the Cedar Rapids Prairie gym Thursday night.

Cadena pinned Joe Gallo in 15 seconds in the final match at 182 pounds to give the fifth-ranked Prairie Hawks a dramatic 38-34 victory over No.4 Linn-Mar in an exciting Mississippi Valley Conference meet.

Prairie trailed, 34-32, when Cadena took the mat against Gallo.

"I was really pumped for that match," he said. "I was ticked that it was that close anyway. I just wanted to go out there and get it done quick.

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Lembeck wins 152 crown; Prairie takes title

INDEPENDENCE - Ross Lembeck has been wrestling for a long, long time.

"Probably since I could walk," he said Saturday afternoon. "I started competition probably in kindergarten or first grade."

Lembeck is a senior at Linn-Mar now and ranked No.1 in the state at 152 pounds. It's a nice accolade at the start of the season, but the only top ranking he really cares about would come at the end of the year at the state tournament in Des Moines.

His goal for the season is obvious.

"Nothing but No.1," he said. "That's been my goal since freshman year, to get at the top of that stand. It didn't happen last year, so I'll try to make it happen this year."

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