Viking 126-pound Sectional champion Brady Ortner (center)
Viking 120-pound Sectional runner-up Damon Swenson (2nd from left)
Coach Brian Sheston's Vinton-Shellsburg Viking wrestlers have a pair moving on to Districts after Saturday's Sectional tournament at Williamsburg.
Sophomore Brady Ortner (39-6 on the season) became just the 12th Viking sophomore to win a Sectional title as he took the 126-pound crown. He'll be joined next Saturday at the District meet at Center Point-Urbana by teammate Damon Swenson (25-11), who captured the runner-up spot at 120.
After a first round bye, Ortner opened his title run with a hard-fought 6-4 decision over Williamsburg's Chase Malloy, then capped off the day with a 2-0 victory over Benton's Wyatt Bieschke to take the title.
Swenson got a first round bye then manhandled Mount Vernon's Jaruthat Dervo, 16-5 in the semis. He fell to 10th-ranked Kayden Gryp of Williamsburg, but Swenson got his ticket to Districts punched when Drevo won his consolation match.
The Vikings also picked a valuable third-place finisher as junior 138-pounder Jimmy Mull scored a pair of falls on his way to the bronze medal.In addition, junior 145-pounder Bryce Radeke, freshman 152-pounder Curtis Erickson, sophomore 195-pounder Curtis Rouse and senior 220-pounder Chris King all finished fourth.
Now it's on to CP-U next Saturday; Swenson will face ninth-ranked Blake Engel (29-5) of West Delaware in the first round, while Gryp (44-3) faces Monticello's Owen Ray (35-10).
Ortner will open against Ethan Tallman (25-11) of Monticello as Bieschke (35-5) faces off with West Delaware's Evan Woods (25-7).
The top two placewinners in each weight will advance to the Class 2A State wrestling tournament which opens Thursday, February 20 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
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