Redhawk wrestler Kolt Knaack, top, works to finish off Lynnville-Sully’s Skyler Stoll last Thursday during a home triangular with the Hawks and HLV Warriors. Knaack pinned Stoll for the win in one minute, 23 seconds, while also taking a win by forfeit against the Warriors. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

TRAER – Following the winter break, North Tama boys wrestling split last Thursday’s home triangular with an opening round loss to Lynnville-Sully 36-24, followed by a later win over HLV 36-24.

Against the HLV Warriors, both Max Monat (113) and Gavin Rausch (150) won by pinfall, while Case Monat, Kane Kucera, Kolt Knaack, and Brayton Stickles all received wins by forfeit.

In the dual with the Hawks, only Knaack took a win on the mats, beating Skyler Stoll by fall in 1:23, while both Rausch and Drayke Podhajsky won by forfeit.

Podhajsky and Case Monat were honored during the triangular as part of Senior Night.

North Mahaska Invitational

North Tama wrestlers (l-r) Addison Hochstetler, Grace Dvorak, and Briar Blake pictured at the North Mahaska Girls Invitational last Saturday in New Sharon with their first, second, and first place medals, respectively. PHOTO BY MEGAN DVORAK

NEW SHARON – Two days later both the Redhawk boys and girls teams traveled to New Sharon for the North Mahaska Invitational/Girls Invitational where North Tama earned three tournament titles including Kolt Knaack (144) for the boys, and Addison Hochstetler (135) and Briar Blake (170) for the girls. In addition, Max Monat (113) and Grace Dvorak (110) took runner-up in their respective brackets.

The Redhawk boys placed seventh overall with 79.5 points out of 13 teams with Knaack continuing his undefeated junior season by improving to 26-0.

For the 144-pounds title, Knaack went 4-0 with pinfall wins over North Mahaska (49 seconds), Grinnell, and Solon; while in the championship round, he took down Baxter’s Anderson Jack in three minutes, 42 seconds.

Max Monat went 2-1 with a bye followed by a pinfall win over Grinnell in the semifinal; he was pinned by Oskaloosa’s Ty Lorentzen in the first place match.

In addition to Knaack and Max Monat, several other Redhawk boys wrestlers placed including both Drayke Dvorak (113) and Case Monat (126) in third, and Gavin Rausch (150) in fourth.

Senior Case Monat pictured wrestling Lynnville-Sully’s Kimball Elliott last Thursday, Jan. 4 in Traer. Monat – a top-ranked wrestler this season at 126 pounds – lost by decision (9-5) to Elliott. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

The Redhawk girls team took second overall at North Mahaska with 46 points out of six teams.

For the 135-pounds title, Hochstelter was fast from the whistle, taking down Grinnell’s Adriana Versendaal in the opening round with a 45 second pin. She was even faster in the semifinal round, beating Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont’s Madison Connell by pinfall in just 24 seconds. In the final, she won again by pinfall, beating Oskaloosa’s Aleigha Sheets in two minutes, 40 seconds.

Blake earned her fourth tournament title this season at North Mahaska by going 3-0. Following an opening round bye, she took down North Mahaska’s Amara Edwards-Hinton by fall in one minute-four. For the championship, she pinned Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont’s Chelsea Smith in one minute, 25 seconds.

In addition to Hochstetler and Blake, Grace Dvorak (110) earned second place, Olivia Youngblood (115) and Faith Dvorak (140) both took fourth, and Ava Monat (125) took fifth.

This week, weather permitting, the Redhawk girls were scheduled to wrestle at BCLUW on Monday while the boys were set to travel to Wapsie Valley on Thursday for a triangular.

PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

Both squads will be back home one last time on Jan. 20 for the North Tama Wrestling Tournament which will be the girls final regular season appearance before the road to Coralville begins.

Boys teams scheduled to wrestle in Traer on Jan. 20 include Baxter, Beckman Catholic, BGM, Cascade, Columbus Catholic, Hudson, Mid-Prairie, Riceville, Sigourney Keota, Tripoli, and West Marshall; girls teams include BCLUW-South Hardin Storm, Cascade, and Moravia.

PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON