North Tama wrestler Kolt Knaack, second from left, stands on the podium Saturday evening at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Knaack earned a sixth-place finish at 144 pounds in Class 1A. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

DES MOINES — North Tama’s Kolt Knaack didn’t make the splash he had hoped last week at the Iowa High School State Wrestling Championships.

But the junior, and now-two-time state medalist after finishing sixth at 144 pounds in Class 1A last Saturday morning, can see the work in front of him to get the most out of his senior season.

“Sixth isn’t ideal,” Knaack said. “It just shows that I need to keep getting better to work in all positions.”

Collin Holm of South Winneshiek led 6-1 before pinning Knaack late in the third period in the consolation semifinal. In the fifth-place match, Knaack scored the first six points on a takedown and two two-point turns on Wilton’s Jordan Dusenberry, but head coach Andrew Knaack said Kolt appeared to hurt his ribs in the exchange.

Knaack rolled Dusenberry on his back again in the second period, but in the third period Dusenberry was able to take down and roll Knaack over for the pin.

PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

“I think it happened in that first transition where I actually thought he had [Dusenberry] pretty flat,” Andrew said. “We put him on his back again but the pain just kept getting worse and you usually don’t see Kolt getting whipped around and ran over like that. He couldn’t even walk back to the trainer — but that’s not to make excuses, the kid got us.”

Kolt only lost three matches this season — all of them at the state tournament.

“It’s a tough sport,” Andrew said. “It burned him after the quarterfinals, that hurt. It’s gonna drive him this summer and he’s going to have one last go at it.”

Kolt scored two quick wins in the consolation bracket of his bracket on Friday.

He made efficient use of his time, pinning Sibley-Ocheyedan’s Dawson Beyer and Pleasantville’s Zane Mullenix in a combined mat time of less than two minutes to guarantee his second state medal. Knaack also placed fifth last year as a sophomore.

PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

Thursday night’s loss hit Kolt hard, losing his first match of the season in the state quarterfinals and scuttling his hopes for a perfect ending. He was pinned by Lisbon’s Tiernan Boots in the second period.

Even with that pit sitting in the stomach, coach Knaack knew Kolt had to regroup for Friday’s action.

“We knew he’d feel a lot worse if we didn’t come home with a medal,” coach Knaack said. “We thought his confidence might have been knocked back a bit after that loss but he got it back in that first match (Friday) and rolled right into the second match.”

Kolt scored a second-period pinfall to kick off his journey at state last Wednesday. Receiving a first-round bye, Knaack’s second-round match with Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire’s Isaiah Malm started with a cradle for three back points and some more pinning predicaments before Knaack got the mat slap 41 seconds into the second period.

Max Monat

PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

North Tama 113-pounder Maxon Monat ended his first state tournament in the second round of consolation after losing by fall to South Winneshiek’s Aiden Feickert in the first period.

Monat’s sophomore season ended with a 32-10 record.

“He’s a sophomore, he’ll come back stronger,” coach Knaack said. “The next time he’s here it’ll all feel normal to him and he’ll be able to get ready to go. He faced a senior in his second match that dictated the pace and he took a back seat, we can’t let that happen. But he’s ready for next season to get going.”

Monat was upended in his opening round match with Clayton Ridge’s Kenny Colsch. Leading 9-7 in the third period after a Colsch escape, Monat was caught in a headlock from Colsch, who pinned Monat with four seconds remaining in the third period.

“When you’re up with 20 seconds left, you gotta run away at the state tournament,” coach Knaack said. “Nerves got the best of him, you get caught sleeping for one second and that’s all it takes.”