Fifth-ranked Aiden Zook (170) gets an early hold on defending state champion Cade Tenold of Don Bosco in the sectional championship match in Brooklyn on Feb. 5. Tenold came away with a 9-7 overtime win but both he and Zook qualified for the district tournament this Saturday in Jesup. Photo by Soren M. Peterson

Top-ranked Don Bosco Catholic left little room for anyone else, but North Tama advanced five runners-up through the Class 1A Sectional 7 wrestling tournament on Saturday at BGM High School in Brooklyn.

North Tama finished fourth out of six teams with 143.5 points, just behind host BGM (144).

North Tama’s five qualifiers are Case Monat, Christian Dronebarger, Kolt Knaack, Logan Rausch, and Aiden Zook. Each lost in the finals to a Don Bosco opponent and two of them — Knaack and Rausch — had to win wrestleback matches for true second place.

Following a win by fall over Cale Reding of BGM in the semis, North Tama’s eighth-ranked 106-pounder Monat (31-6) was pinned by top-ranked Caleb Coffin of Don Bosco in the championship match. Monat returns to the district meet to face Steel Rolison of Jesup who he defeated by fall earlier in the season.

After winning his semifinal match in a tiebreaker over Iowa Valley’s Jack Marshall, Dronebarger (18-10) was pinned by Andrew Kimball. Dronebarger will start the district tournament facing No. 5 Dawson Schmit of Wapsie Valley in the 120-pound bracket.

Christian Dronebarger stares down his opponent in his opening match last Saturday in Brooklyn during the Class 1A Sectional 7 wrestling tournament. Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker

Knaack (39-3), ranked sixth at 132, lost to No. 2 Garrett Funk by fall in 1:25, but bounced back to pin Iowa Valley’s Karter Thiessen in 1:05 for true second. He’ll also face a Wapsie Valley opponent at districts in Gavin Leistkow who he defeated by a 7-2 decision on Jan. 13.

Logan Rausch (19-22) fell to Jacob Thiry in the 160 finals, but rebounded to pin Belle Plaine’s Gavin Ward in just 38 seconds for true second. Rausch will square off against fourth-ranked Bowen Munger of Starmont at districts.

At 170, North Tama’s fifth-ranked Zook (36-4) won by fall over Mason Ward of Belle Plaine. In the championship match, Zook fell in overtime to top-ranked Cade Tenold 9-7. Zook will see Chase Ackerman of Wapsie Valley on Saturday in a rematch of their Jan. 13 bout that Zook won 11-2.

Senior Redhawks who wrestled for the last time in Brooklyn include Nathan Kucera (138) and Clay Hershberger (182). Following his third place match win by technical fall over Iowa Valley’s Emma Peach, Kucera was visibly affected by the magnitude of the final moment but his trademark smile was clearly evident as it beamed across the Bears’ gym.

“It was a good day!” head coach Andrew Knaack wrote on Facebook over the weekend following the tournament. “Had five guys make it through to districts next week at Jesup with a chance to go to the state tournament. Another week to get better! Thanks to the seniors who strapped it up for the last time! Helped set the standard!”

Head coach Andrew Knaack (left) speaks with his son Kolt Knaack during last Saturday's Class 1A Sectional 7 wrestling tournament in Brooklyn. Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker

The Redhawks will wrestle this Saturday, Feb. 12, in the Class 1A District 4 tournament in Jesup. Wrestling action begins at 11:00 a.m.

Sixth-ranked Kolt Knaack works to take down BGM’s Austin Shaull in his semifinal, opening match in Brooklyn on Saturday, Feb. 5, as his coach and father Andrew Knaack looks on in the background (right, white shirt). The younger Knaack pinned his Bears’ opponent in 59 seconds for the semifinal win. Following a loss for the championship, Knaack won the 138 wrestleback for true second place and secured his spot in this Saturday’s district tournament in Jesup along with four other Redhawks wrestlers. Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker

Eighth-ranked Case Monat (top) grapples with Cale Reding of BGM while on his way to a 50 second pin during the Class 1A Sectional 7 semifinal 106-pounds match on Saturday, Feb. 5 in Brooklyn. Photo by Soren M. Peterson

Nathan Kucera grapples with BGM's Chloe Etten before ultimately pinning her in his quarterfinal, opening match on Saturday, Feb. 5 in Brooklyn. Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker

Senior Nathan Kucera raises his hand in victory and walks off the wrestling mat in Brooklyn for the last time on Saturday, Feb. 5 during the Class 1A Sectional 7 tournament. Kucera took third place in the 138 weight class, just missing his chance to move on to districts. Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker

Fifth ranked Aiden Zook (left) queues on the sidelines ahead of his semifinal sectional match in the BGM gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 5, while head coach Andrew Knaack helps warm up his arms. Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker

Aiden Zook of North Tama and Mason Ward of Belle Plaine wrestle during the 170-pounds semifinal sectional match on Saturday, Feb. 5, in Brooklyn. Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker

Aiden Zook receives medical attention for a nosebleed during his semifinal match on Saturday against Belle Plaine's Mason Ward. Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker

Fifth-ranked Aiden Zook pins Mason Ward of Belle Plaine in his semifinal, opening match on Saturday, Feb. 5 in Brooklyn at the Class 1A Sectional 7 wrestling tournament. Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker

Fifth-ranked Aiden Zook (right) faces off against the Dons' No. 1 Cade Tenhold (left) during the 170-pounds Class 1A Sectional 7 champion round in Brooklyn on Saturday, Feb. 5. Photo by Soren M. Peterson

North Tama head coach Andrew Knaack watches as Aiden Zook wrestles in the 170-pounds champion match against Don Bosco on Saturday, Feb. 5. Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker

Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker