DES MOINES — Perry seniors Zachary Thompson (120 pounds) and Zach Stewart (138) were joined by junior Kaleb Olejniczak (126) in recording comfortable wins in their first round bouts at the Class 3A State Wrestling Tournament Thursday.
All will compete in the quarterfinal round at 9 a.m. Friday. A win there or a win after a loss, would send the wrestler into the 7:30 p.m. session Friday evening.
Thompson (41-5), ranked fourth, scored an 8-5 decision over Fort Dodge sophomore Jeremy Ayala (7-4). He faces Ankeny Centennial sophomore Ben Monroe (37-6), who was a 10-2 winner in his first match.
The winner moves to the semifinals to face either Carlisle junior Carter Logue (33-12) or Burlington sophomore Duncan Belzell (27-9). A loss would drop Thompson into a win or depart bout against Linn-Mar senior Cole Kracklio (27-14).
Olejniczak (46-5), the fifth-ranked grappler at 126, dominated Southeast Polk sophomore Camden Baarda (26-18), ranked 10th, with a 14-1 major decision. He will duel Bettendorf senior T.J. Cole (22-6), an 8-3 winner. Either third-ranked junior Caleb McCabe (35-4) of North Scott or sixth-ranked Evan Yant (40-11, So.) of Waverly-Shell Rock awaits the winner in the semifinal round.
Jared Cordes (32-16, So.) of West Delaware will be the opponent should Olejniczak suffera quarterfinal round loss.
Top-ranked Stewart (52-5) need just 44 seconds to pin Johnston sophomore Sterling Brunk (34-12), setting up a quarterfinal meeting with seventh-rated Nathan Marchand (33-9, Jr.), who defeated fourth-ranked Will Jefferson of Bettendorf (40-6), 7-5, in Sudden Victory I.
A win would send Stewart into a semifinal bout against either No. 9 Joey Harney (35-5, Sr.) of Iowa City High or No. 4 Drevon Ross (41-10, Sr.) of Fort Dodge. A loss creates a win-to-survive contest against Kyle Kuekta (22-11, Sr.) of Lewis Central.
Any wrestler winning in the quarterfinals, or who wins his next match after dropping a quarterfinal match, is assured of no worse than eighth place overall and thus a place on the podium.
