Xavier Wrestling

Lembeck wears crown at Marion Invy

Clint Lembeck of Xavier captured the 138-pound title at the Loyd Shaffer Invitational Saturday at Marion High School.

Lembeck, who is ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, raised his record to 24-1 with a 10-4 victory over Sam Elliott of Northwest Blue Valley in the finals.

Williamsburg won the championship in the 12-team tournament. Marion finished sixth and Xavier placed seventh.

Marion got second-place showings from Caleb Conway (145) and Colin Conway (152). Trey Clifton finished third for the Indians at 138.

Xavier got a second-place finish from Jeff Vipond at 113. The Saints got third-place showings from Keegan Schultschik (120), Josh Gerke (145) and Alex Francois (220).

TEAM STANDINGS

1. Williamsburg 218.5, 2. Oelwein 201, 3. Northwest Blue Valley 144, 4. Keokuk 142, 5. North Linn 135.5, 6. Marion 128, 7. Xavier 126.5, 8. Benton 120, 9. Grinnell 114.5, 10. Wilton 107.5, 11. Monticello 84, 12. Louisa-Muscatine 63.

Briggs enjoying perfect year with Jeff

There's only one word to describe the season Kyle Briggs is having with the Cedar Rapids Jefferson wrestling team.

Perfect.

Briggs raised his record to 26-0 Thursday night with a technical fall as the 10th-ranked J-Hawks defeated Xavier, 53-27, in a Mississippi Valley Conference meet at Jefferson.

Briggs is ranked No. 2 in Class 3A at 152 pounds and has won major titles this season at the Keith Young Invitational, Southeast Polk Invitational and West Des Moines Valley tournament. He also finished 5-0 at the Pipestone Duals in Minnesota and has cruised through his conference bouts as well.

Briggs finished with a 35-9 record last year and placed eighth at the state tournament at 132 pounds, but he's made a big jump this year at his new and more comfortable weight class.

Read more...

No. 9 Prairie matmen flex muscles

The ninth-ranked Prairie wrestling team earned a pair of wins and Xavier dropped two matches in a Mississippi Valley Conference double dual meet Thursday at Xavier.

The Prairie Hawks beat Waterloo West, 64-12, and the Saints, 62-11. The Wahawks beat Xavier, 42-39.

Conrad Braswell (106 pounds), Mike Jasa (152), Preston LaGrange (182) and Taylor Mehmen (195) had two pins for Prairie. Sam Uthoff had a pin and a technical fall at 132.

Clint Lembeck had a pin and a technical fall at 138 for the Saints. Josh Gerke had a pin and a decision at 145.

Read more...

Vipond, Gerke lead Xavier wrestlers

WAVERLY - Jeff Vipond and Josh Gerke enjoyed perfect days for the Xavier wrestling team at the Waverly-Shell Rock tournament Saturday.

Vipond went 5-0 at 113 pounds with three pins, a major decision and a forfeit. Gerke finished 5-0 at 145 pounds with three pins, a technical fall and a major decision.

Clint Lembeck, who is ranked No. 1 at 138 pounds, went 4-1 in the tournament with four pins. Tommy Pudil finished 3-2 at 285 pounds with three pins.

The Saints finished with a 1-4 record in the dual meet event. They beat Marshalltown (53-21) and lost to Bettendorf (45-27), Ballard (40-37), Hempstead (64-18) and Waverly-Shell Rock (44-28).