LEON — One point. One measly point.
That was the margin between a team title and the runner-up spot at Friday’s 15-team Dan Christensen Invitational, hosted by Central Decatur. Van Meter/Earlham finished with 178 points to secure first place, with Panorama as close as possible, totaling 177 points. Centerville (175) and Creston (168.5) were in the hunt as well, with Class 1A No. 6 Martensdale-St. Marys rounding out the top five with 157.5 points.
Panorama left the 113 and 126-pound divisions open, and while doubtless wishing they could have returned to Panora at 2 a.m. with the team trophy, the Panthers still had plenty to roar about.
The team had three champions crowned, with two others placing third and two fourth. One fifth, three sixth and one seventh-place effort helped accumulate the team points.
Third-ranked Gunnar Grunsted was the first Panorama champion crowned after the senior finished 3-0 at 170 pounds. Grunsted (12-0) pinned Josh Baumfalk of Red Oak in 1 minute, 16 seconds before winning an 8-4 decision over Creston’s Kolby Thomas. A 3-2 win over VM/E’s Caleb Button secured first place honors.
Eighth-ranked Dalton Holmes (9-1) claimed the top spot at 195 with three victories. He pinned both Noah Hale (VM/E) and Reid Walters (Chariton), in 2:58 and 1:15, respectively, before posting a 9-1 major decision over Creston’s Sam Chapman in the finals.
Heavyweight Dan Jensen (9-3) made it a trio of champions by winning at 285. The senior posted a 10-0 major decision over Matt Bellon (Wayne) and followed up with a 4-3 win against Taylor Good (Chariton) and a 14-7 victory against Josh Cox (Mt. Ayr).
Wyatt Appleseth (9-2) provided 15 team points in placing third at 138. He topped M-SM’s Vincent Girardi, 8-3, but dropped a 6-4 decision to 10th ranked Dominick Morris of Albia. Appleseth bounced back with a 9-0 major decision over Central Decatur’s Elliot Ness, then defeated Cade Vicker of Creston, 9-3, for third place.
Also third and tallying 15 team points was 160-pounder Kaleb Stogdill (11-2). He suffered an 8-4 opening loss to VM/E’s Bryce Cole, but responded by pinning Chariton’s Gavin Mills in 2:46 and Albia’s Jacob Fisher in 1:14. A 4-3 win against Centerville’s Josh Morgan secured third place.
Noah Kirtley (8-4) was fourth for Panorama after finishing 2-2 with a pair of pins at 152, with Trevor Carey (9-2) fourth at 182 with a 2-2 mark and two pins of his own while Brady Howard (8-5) finished 2-2 and in fifth place at 220 behind a decision and a win by injury default.
Wyatt Clark (4-9), Danny Nordquist (8-3) and Emry Colby (9-3) finished sixth for the Panthers at 120, 132 and 145, respectively. Clark was 3-2 with a trio of pin fall victories, with Nordquist 1-3 with a win by decision while Colby was 1-3 while scoring on win by pin.
Panorama also received points at 106, with Logan Christe (5-6) finishing 2-2 with a pair of pins. His nine team points could easily be lost in the overall picture, but every point is crucial, and without the nine points the Panthers would have placed fourth overall.
The Panorama matmen will be in action three more times before the holiday break. They will join AC/GC and Southeast Valley for a quadrangular at Ogden Thursday, then compete in the WCAC tourney at AC/GC Dec. 16 before hitting the mats at Saydel Dec. 22.
