Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Coach celebrates 500th career win during tournament

Many of the best wrestling teams in the state came together in Waterloo Friday and Saturday in the 32-team Battle of Waterloo. Lake Mills had a strong showing, by knocking off two of the largest schools in Iowa and avenging a loss to fourth-ranked Nashua-Plainfield.

Action started Friday evening with a dual against 12th-ranked (3A) Pleasant Valley. The meet was close throughout, but Pleasant Valley secured the meet late, 42-27.

The Bulldogs next faced Waterloo West and got seven pins and a technical fall en route to a 59-17 blowout win.

Fifth place in the bracket was now to be decided in a meet against Valley of West Des Moines, the largest school in Iowa.

The Tigers and Bulldogs traded blows for the first nine matches, but Lake Mills got on a roll late. The team won the final five bouts to win, 50-26.

With the dual win, coach Alex Brandenburg earned his 500th career victory.

“Overall, we wrestled very well the first day,” Brandenburg said. “I was glad the kids wrestled so well in a milestone dual.”

For the second day of the Battle, all the fifth-place finishing teams from Friday were put in a round robin bracket. Lake Mills wrestled a tight dual against 3A’s 13th-ranked North Scott but fell, 40-32. Two important duals for the upcoming 1A dual rankings followed.

In the first, the Bulldogs held the lead over 5th-ranked Denver but faltered late to drop a 37-36 dual to the Cyclones. The loss was a hard one to take, but fortunately the team rebounded to avenge a loss from the first week of the season. Lake Mills wrestled their best dual of the tournament and took out Nashua-Plainfield, 45-29.

“Both of the final two duals were huge for dual ranking and possible regional sights,” Brandenburg said. “We were ever so close to knocking off both teams but just didn’t close the door on Denver late.”

The wrestling team heads into break with a good 16-5 dual record, considering the level of competition it has faced.

“We are in a good position to make a run at State Duals,” Brandenburg noted. “We have to clean up some little things, but I think that can be accomplished.”

Pleasant Valley 42, Lake Mills 27
190- Avyn Nelson (P) tech. fall Andrew Grunhovd, 22-4. 215- Josiah Kjeldahl (L) pinned Brayden Mulert, :58. 285- Wyatt Hanna (L) dec. Cary Cox, 5-1. 106- Lucas Reeder (P) won by forfeit. 113- Lucas Oldenkamp (L) pinned Liam Fitzgibbon, 1:05. 120- Karson Pulver (P) pinned Case Casperson, :55. 126- Carter Siebel (P) tech. fall Royce Peterson, 19-3. 132- Soren Kelsall (P) tech. fall Carter Christianson, 22-5. 138- Greyson Willett (L) pinned Carter Helgeson, 1:21. 144- Caleb Skogen (L) dec. Alijah Brown, 8-1. 150- Steve Brandenburg (L) pinned Gabe Thoene, 1:46. 157- Hayden Helgeson (L) dec. Marek Kelsall, 5-4. 165- Tanner Cournoyer (P) dec. Cody Cox, 7-6. 175- Chase Cournoyer (P) pinned Luke Fjeld, 1:48.

Lake Mills 59, Waterloo West 17
215- Kjeldahl (L) pinned Melakhi Hickey, 4:26. 285- Hanna (L) pinned Elijah Elliot, :21. 106- Cooper Dean (W) won by forfeit. 113- Oldenkamp (L) pinned James Knight, 1:13. 120- Sylvester Kotoe (W) pinned James Knight, 1:13. 126- Peterson (L) pinned Dan Hertel, 3:31. 132- Christianson (L) pinned Cole Dean, 5:55. 138- Luke Lindaman (W) pinned C. Helgeson, 3:28. 144- Skogen (L) dec. Payton Kacher, 9-4. 150- Brandenburg (L) tech. fall Ryan Lindaman, 18-0. 157- H. Helgeson (L) dec. Brady Dean, 4-1. 165- Austin Stene (L) pinned Isaiah Shepard, 5:59. 175- Fjeld (L) won by forfeit. 190- Grunhovd (L) pinned Perignon Holmes, :56.

Lake Mills 50, Valley, WDM 26
285- Hanna (L) pinned Ari Raridon, 1:41. 106- Oliver Lange (V) won by forfeit. 113- Oldenkamp (L) pinned George Mavromatis, 1:17. 120- Treveon Clark (V) pinned Casperson, 2:54. 126- Peterson (L) maj. dec. Aiden Schulz, 13-2. 132- Kash Kiner (V) pinned Christianson, 5:29. 138- Lincoln Wheelan (V) tech. fall C. Helgeson, 16-1. 144- Skogen (L) maj. dec. Jase Brumfield, 11-2. 150- JahKari Clark (V) dec. Brandenburg, 15-8. 157- H. Helgeson (L) won by forfeit. 165- Cox (L) pinned Brady Cochran, 1:09. 175- Fjeld (L) pinned Austin Hudson, 1:24. 190- Grunhovd (L) won by forfeit. 215- Kjeldahl (L) pinned Sam Roemmich, 2:47.

North Scott 40, Lake Mills 32
106- Dylan Ulloa (N) won by forfeit. 113- Oldenkamp (L) pinned Max Davis, 3:33. 120- Matt Williams (N) tech. fall Casperson, 16-0. 126- Peterson (L) pinned Hayden Ulloa, 3:27. 132- Tanner Yates (N) pinned Christianson, :55. 138- Gabe Ulloa (N) pinned C. Helgeson, 3:38. 144- Kepler Carmichael (N) dec. Skogen, 7-1. 150- Brandenburg (L) maj. dec. Evan Ralfs, 8-0. 157- Cole Green (N) dec. H. Helgeson, 4-0. 165- Ben Lightle (N) pinned Stene, 1:04. 175- Fjeld (L) pinned Kade Kelly, 2:44. 190- Trey Feist (N) tech. fall Grunhovd, 15-0. 215- Kjeldahl (L) pinned Aaron Huber, 2:35. 285- Hanna (L) maj. dec. Bryce Stewart, 13-1.

Denver 37, Lake Mills 36
113- Oldenkamp (L) pinned Kayden Landers, :24. 120- Jeb Ebaugh (D) pinned Casperson, 1:28. 126- Gavin Landers (D) tech. fall Royce Peterson, 18-1. 132- Christianson (L) pinned Jericho Grimmett, 1:46. 138- C. Helgeson (L) pinned Riley Brandt, :38. 144- Skogen (L) dec. Gavin McLaughlin, 7-0. 150- Brandenburg (L) pinned Xander Peterson, 1:43. 157- Boden White (D) maj. dec. H. Helgeson, 9-1. 165- Cox (L) tech. fall Braven Beaumont, 18-3. 175- David Warrior (D) maj. dec. Fjeld, 17-6. 190- Corbin Hill (D) pinned Grunhovd, 3:26. 215- Donavon Farrell (D) pinned Kjeldahl, 2:56. 285- Hanna (L) maj. dec. Cody Koepke, 9-0. 106- Tyson Primus (D) won by forfeit.

Lake Mills 45, Nashua-Plainfield 29
120- Nic Brase (N) pinned Casperson, :52. 126- Peterson (L) pinned Conner Sullivan, 1:37. 132- Kolbie Vance (N) maj. dec. Christianson, 15-7. 138- Jayden Rinken (N) pinned C. Helgeson, :40. 144- Luke Zwanziger (N) dec. Skogen, 4-2. 150- Brandenburg (L) pinned Lucas Sinnwell, 2:20. 157- H. Helgeson (L) pinned Tyler Hobert, 1:15. 165- Cox (L) dec. Devon Blanchard, 5-0. 175- Fjeld (L) pinned Dalton Downing, 3:45. 190- Aiden Gelner (N) maj. dec. Grunhovd, 12-2. 215- Kjeldahl (L) pinned Jaxon McDonald, 1:07. 285- Hanna (L) pinned Isaac Jones, 1:24. 106- Lincoln Huck (N) won by forfeit. 113- Oldenkamp (L) pinned Jagger White, 1:21.