North Tama tandem booking return trip to state
Blake secures regional championship, Hochstetler silver at state qualifier
- Redhawk Addy Hochstetler, center left, wrestles for true second place in the 145-pound bracket during last Friday’s regional state qualifier held at Williamsburg High School. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- Redhawk wrestler Addy Hochstetler, right, rushes to head coach Andrew Knaack’s side in celebration of her wrestleback win for true second at the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. Hochstetler’s win secured her ticket to state for the second time in as many years. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- North Tama’s Addy Hochstetler, left, faces off against Williamsburg’s Kimora Owens during the 145-pound quarterfinal round of the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. Hochstetler outlasted Owens in a 6-5 win by decision before later winning a wrestleback for true second and securing her ticket to state for the second time in as many years. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- North Tama’s Addy Hochstetler, right, works to bring down Williamsburg’s Kimora Owens during the 145-pound quarterfinal round of the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. Hochstetler outlasted Owens in a 6-5 win by decision before later winning a wrestleback for true second and securing her ticket to state for the second time in as many years. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- North Tama’s Addy Hochstetler, bottom, withstands the pin against Williamsburg’s Kimora Owens during the 145-pound quarterfinal round of the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. Hochstetler outlasted Owens in a 6-5 win by decision before later winning a wrestleback for true second and securing her ticket to state for the second time in as many years. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- Redhawk junior Addy Hochstetler, right, has her hand raised by the official after winning her 145-pound quarterfinal round over Williamsburg’s Kimora Owens, left, during the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- Redhawk junior Addy Hochstetler has her hand raised by the official after winning her 145-pound quarterfinal round over Williamsburg’s Kimora Owens during the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- North Tama junior Addy Hochstetler, right, grapples with Mt. Pleasant’s Zenlynn Lee in the 145-pound championship match during the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- North Tama junior Addy Hochstetler, top, grapples with Mt. Pleasant’s Zenlynn Lee in the 145-pound championship match during the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- Briar Blake, right, queues in anticipation of her regional championship match last Friday in Williamsburg alongside her coach and grandpa Dave Nicol, a Division II All-American wrestler at 126 pounds from Cedar Falls who competed for the University of Northern Iowa, earning his All-American status in 1973. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- North Tama’s Briar Blake, left, faces off against Fairfield’s Samantha Lyons during the 170-pound regional title match held on Friday, Jan. 31, as part of the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet in Williamsburg. Blake went on to claim a pinfall victory over Lyons to advance to the state tournament. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- North Tama’s Briar Blake, top, works to withstand Fairfield’s Samantha Lyons during the 170-pound regional title match held on Friday, Jan. 31, as part of the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet in Williamsburg. Blake went on to claim a pinfall victory over Lyons to advance to the state tournament. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- North Tama’s Briar Blake, left, works to break Fairfield’s Samantha Lyons’ hold during the 170-pound regional title match at the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. Blake went on to claim a pinfall victory over Lyons to advance to the state tournament. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- North Tama’s Briar Blake, top, looks to the officials during the 170-pound regional title match against Fairfield’s Samantha Lyons at the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. Blake eventually claimed a pinfall victory over Lyons to advance to the state tournament. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- North Tama senior Briar Blake takes off her headgear after winning the Class 1A Region 8 170-pound championship on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. The win secured her ticket to state for the second time in as many years. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- Undefeated Redhawk senior wrestler Briar Blake, left, has her hand raised by the official after winning the Class 1A Region 8 170-pound championship on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. The win secured her ticket to state for the second time in as many years. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
- Top: Undefeated Redhawk senior wrestler Briar Blake, left, has her hand raised by the official after winning the Class 1A Region 8 170-pound championship on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. The win secured her ticket to state for the second time in as many years. Bottom: Redhawk junior Addy Hochstetler, right, has her hand raised by the official after winning her 145-pound quarterfinal round over Williamsburg’s Kimora Owens, left, during the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Top: Undefeated Redhawk senior wrestler Briar Blake, left, has her hand raised by the official after winning the Class 1A Region 8 170-pound championship on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. The win secured her ticket to state for the second time in as many years. Bottom: Redhawk junior Addy Hochstetler, right, has her hand raised by the official after winning her 145-pound quarterfinal round over Williamsburg’s Kimora Owens, left, during the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
WILLIAMSBURG — A familiar duo is heading back to Coralville.
North Tama’s first two girls state wrestling qualifiers – Briar Blake and Addison ‘Addy’ Hochstetler – booked a return to the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) State Wrestling Championships in Coralville this week following the Class 1A Regional tournament held at eight sites throughout the state on Friday, Jan. 31.
Both wrestlers finished in the top two to advance from the Region 8 meet in Williamsburg with Blake, a senior, advancing as regional champion.
No. 1 Blake remained undefeated at Williamsburg, notching two pinfall victories in the 170-pound bracket. After waiting nearly three-and-a-half hours to wrestle, she efficiently took down Wilton’s Melany Fitzer in 55 seconds in the semifinals.
For the title match, she faced Fairfield’s Samantha Lyons, eventually claiming victory over the No. 6 ranked sophomore in three minutes, eight seconds in what amounted to Blake’s longest match this season.

Briar Blake, right, queues in anticipation of her regional championship match last Friday in Williamsburg alongside her coach and grandpa Dave Nicol, a Division II All-American wrestler at 126 pounds from Cedar Falls who competed for the University of Northern Iowa, earning his All-American status in 1973. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
“What can you say about Briar that hasn’t already been said?” North Tama head coach Andrew Knaack told the newspaper when contacted for comment on Sunday. “She is calm and collected while out on the mat, making for a dangerous wrestler – before you know it, she can have you on your back and pinning you. She had a goal of being a state champion since this season started. Now it is time to cash in on that goal.”
Also at Williamsburg, Redhawk junior Hochstetler – ranked No. 8 ahead of regionals – punched her return state ticket as a runner-up, bouncing back from a loss in the 145-pound championship match to win her wrestleback in a 10-1 major decision over Cardinal’s Macy Grove.
Hochstetler’s regional experience this year was grueling, to say the least. She outlasted Williamsburg’s Kimora Owens in her opening, quarterfinal match to win by 6-5 decision. In the semifinals, she wasted no time and quickly pinned Van Buren County’s Lexie Wiley in 38 seconds.
“She had to battle all day,” Coach Knaack said of the powerful Hochstetler. “I think this will help her at the state tournament. She knows she can win and come from behind if needed. It took a lot of guts and energy not to get pinned in the first round match. She was winning in her finals match and just had a mental break and got pinned. She bounced back well in her true second match when it mattered. She can use this going into this week – being able to bounce back after a loss and get victory.”
Knaack characterized the regional experience at Williamsburg on Friday as “brutal,” calling it a “roller coaster from start to finish” but felt his wrestlers performed well even in the face of such challenges.

North Tama’s Briar Blake, left, works to break Fairfield’s Samantha Lyons’ hold during the 170-pound regional title match at the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. Blake went on to claim a pinfall victory over Lyons to advance to the state tournament. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
“It is a new system of qualifying, so things are different,” he explained. “One little mistake, you are not going to the state tournament.”
At last year’s state tourney in Coralville, Blake finished third at 170 pounds and has been the top-ranked competitor in 1A at the weight class all year.
For her part, Hochstetler is looking to bounce back from a 1-2 finish at last year’s state meet.
Both wrestlers ware set to compete in the 2025 IGHSAU State Wrestling Championships beginning this Thursday at Xtream Arena in Coralville with Blake seeded No. 1 and Hochstetler seeded No. 9.
The Telegraph will feature coverage of the state tournament in next week’s edition.

North Tama senior Briar Blake takes off her headgear after winning the Class 1A Region 8 170-pound championship on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. The win secured her ticket to state for the second time in as many years. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Redhawk wrestler Addy Hochstetler, right, rushes to head coach Andrew Knaack’s side in celebration of her wrestleback win for true second at the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. Hochstetler’s win secured her ticket to state for the second time in as many years. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

North Tama junior Addy Hochstetler, right, grapples with Mt. Pleasant’s Zenlynn Lee in the 145-pound championship match during the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

North Tama junior Addy Hochstetler, top, grapples with Mt. Pleasant’s Zenlynn Lee in the 145-pound championship match during the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

North Tama’s Briar Blake, left, faces off against Fairfield’s Samantha Lyons during the 170-pound regional title match held on Friday, Jan. 31, as part of the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet in Williamsburg. Blake went on to claim a pinfall victory over Lyons to advance to the state tournament. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

North Tama’s Briar Blake, top, looks to the officials during the 170-pound regional title match against Fairfield’s Samantha Lyons at the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifying meet held on Friday, Jan. 31, in Williamsburg. Blake eventually claimed a pinfall victory over Lyons to advance to the state tournament. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Redhawk Addy Hochstetler, center left, wrestles for true second place in the 145-pound bracket during last Friday's regional state qualifier held at Williamsburg High School. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER