Jefferson Wrestling

Jeff grapplers struggle at own meet

The Cedar Rapids Jefferson wrestling team likes to invite the best competition it can find to its own tournament every year.

The J-Hawks paid the price Saturday.

Jefferson finished in sixth place in the team standings and did not crown a single champion in the star-studded field at the Jefferson gym.

Fort Dodge, which is ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, won the team championship with 235.5 points. Alburnett, which is ranked No. 1 in Class 1A, placed second with 178.5 points. The tournament also featured Dubuque Hempstead, which is ranked No. 4 in Class 3A.

Kyle Briggs, who is ranked No. 2 at 152 pounds for Jefferson, suffered his first loss of the season with a 6-5 setback to Ryan Gorman of New Hampton in the semifinals. Briggs (28-1) bounced back and pinned Clem Butler of Clinton in 3 minutes, 50 seconds for third place.

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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.

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Baker, Briggs, Foreman win mat titles

VAN HORNE - Brenden Baker and Kyle Briggs of Cedar Rapids Jefferson won individual titles at the Benton Community wrestling tournament Saturday in Van Horne.

Will Foreman of Cedar Rapids Washington claimed the 126-pound title for the Warriors.

Baker claimed top honors at 120 pounds with a 4-0 victory over Jacob Fenske of Davenport Assumption in the finals. Baker collected two quickpins in 46 seconds and 25 seconds before blanking Fenske, raising his record to 20-4.

Briggs raised his record to 24-0 by winning the 152-pound title. Briggs collected a technical fall and two pins before topping Nick Johnson of Davenport Assumption, 12-6, in the finals.

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No. 6 J-Hawks fall to No. 4 Mustangs

DUBUQUE – The sixth-ranked Jefferson wrestling team recorded four pins but lost to fourth-ranked Dubuque Hempstead, 42-29, in a Mississippi Valley Conference dual meet Thursday at Hempstead.

Joseph Sibomana (120 pounds), Brenden Baker (126), Tavian Rashed (160) and Nick Dreckman (195) had pins for the J-Hawks. Kyle Briggs collected a 21-6 technical fall in 5:06 at 152.

HEMPSTEAD 42, JEFFERSON 29
106 – Dillon Gottschalk (DH) pinned Jaden Collins :17.
113 – Joe Pins (DH) pinned Colten Mastin 3:05.
120 – Joseph Sibomana (J) pinned Hunter Foht :59.
126 – Brenden Baker (J) pinned Jacob Faber :20.
132 – Nathan Feldman (DH) dec. Zach Main 11-4.
138 – Kaleb Phillips (DH) dec. Dalton Mastin 2-0.
145 – Alex Ward (DH) pinned Cody Clendenen 3:00.
152 – Kyle Briggs (J) tech. fall over Jackson Rigdon 21-6, 5:06.
160 – Tavian Rashed (J) pinned Kent Kragenbrink 4:54.
170 – Brandon Haas (DH) dec.Matt Culver 7-4.
182 – Henry Tran (DH) dec. Taylor Viktora 9-7.
195 – Nick Dreckman (J) pinned Adam Rang 5:16.
220 – Alex Freiburger (DH) pinned Blake Owens 1:59.
285 – Gannon Gremmel (DH) pinnedDavid Bonner 2:42.