North Tama junior Briar Blake, top, gets a handle on Clear Lake’s Kayma Burleson during her semifinal pinfall win at the Fort Dodge Girls Invite on Friday, Dec. 15. Blake, ranked third ahead of the tournament, went 2-1, losing only the championship round to the reigning 170-pound state champion, Naomi Simon of Decorah. PHOTO BY BRITT KUDLA/FORT DODGE MESSENGER

FORT DODGE – Briar Blake recorded her first loss of the season to the current No. 1 at 170 pounds, reigning state champion Naomi Simon of Decorah last week Friday at the Fort Dodge Girls Invite but not before slapping down two pinfall wins over Emmetsburg and Clear Lake ahead of the title match.

Blake – ranked No. 3 by IA Wrestle ahead of the tournament which featured 16 squads – won her quarterfinal match by fall over Emmetsburg’s Caitlyn Clark in a seering 38 seconds, followed by a semifinal win over Clear Lake’s Kayma Burleson in 3:25.

In the championship match, Simon pinned Blake for the title in one minute, 36 seconds, pushing Blake’s record to 16-1 on the season ahead of this week’s 13-team tournament at West Marshall set for Tuesday.

At Fort Dodge, North Tama took 10th out of 16 teams with 60 points just behind West Fork with 62 points.

Several of Blake’s teammates also finished near the top including Grace Dvorak (110) who notched two pinfall wins on her way to fourth place; Faith Dvorak (135 pounds) who also notched two pinfall wins and placed third – dropping her only match to No. 6 McKenzie Tollefsen of Decorah; and Addison Hochstetler (140) who went 1-3 and took fourth place.