Algona has four wrestlers alive after day two of the IHSAA Boys State Wrestling Tournament in Des Moines, with Tate Slagle set to compete in the semifinals for the third straight year, while Barrett Morgan, Ashton Moreno and Gavin Goche are all one win from securing a state medal.
Slagle used a 3rd period takedown to defeat 5th seeded Liam Weber of West Delaware 11-8 in the Quarterfinals at 157. Slagle and Weber entered the tournament ranked #1 and #2 respectively by IA Wrestle, but ended up being seeded 4th and 5th. The Bulldog Senior will match up with Brent Dennehardt of Greene County in Friday’s semifinals, trying to become the first Algona wrestler since Joe Teague in 2015 to make Saturday night’s finals.
Algona Head Coach Nick Kuecker felt Slagle’s match with Weber was a top-level match.
Goche dropped an 8-2 decision to topped seeded Mason Koehler of Glenwood in the Quarterfinals at 215.
Morgan defeated Gavin Day of Winterset by a score of 7-5 before pinning Kinnick Geers of West Marshall in the 3rd period to advance to Friday’s blood round.
Moreno defeated Evan Kelsick of North Polk 10-3 and then got past Keaton Mulford of Iowa Falls-Alden by the same 10-3 score to keep his season alive.
Isaac Wilson (126), CJ McGregor (132) and Carter McGregor (165) each went 1-1 on Thursday, ending their seasons a win shy of the blood round.
Teague Alesch (106), Tommy Zabka (113), Tayten Rummel (175), and Jack Limbaugh (285) each fell in their opening matches on Thursday, ending their seasons.
Kuecker felt the Bulldogs wrestled with a different mindset in day two than they did on day one.
The 2A Semifinals and Consolation 4th round matches will begin at 6 PM Friday.
A pair of area class 1A wrestlers will compete for a state medal on Friday, with West Bend-Mallard’s Mason Knapp and North Union’s Brennan Bollinger still alive after day two.
Knapp picked up a win by forfeit and then a win by fall to advance to the blood round. The Wolverine Junior will take on South Central Calhoun Freshman Karson Wuebker Friday afternoon, needing a win to secure a top 8 finish.
Bollinger won both of his matches Thursday by fall, and will battle it out with Grant Gray of Northeast Community to try and earn a place on the podium.
North Union Sophomore Max Merrill dropped his opening match on Thursday to bow out of the tournament with a record of 35-19.
The class 1A semifinals and consolation 4th round matches will begin at 1:30 PM Friday.
