Baxter wrestling finishes fourth, Bolts send three to districts

NORTH ENGLISH — For the first time in program history, three Baxter Bolt grapplers will compete in a district wrestling meet.

Cole Smith and Aiden McFadden both won their weight classes and Micah Kearns placed second at the Class 1A Sectional 4 tournament on Saturday at English Valleys High School.

The Bolts placed fourth as a team with 142 points. Seven Baxter wrestlers finished in the top three and the Bolts had two champions for the first time in program history.

Smith won the 120-pound bracket after going 2-0. He won both of his matches by fall and is now 27-16 on the season.

McFadden also went 2-0 and won his bracket at 285. He won his first match 8-5 and then won by fall in the championship match. He improved to 22-16 on the season.

Kearns, who placed sixth at sectionals last year, was 2-1 on the day with two pins at 220. He had to wrestleback for a true second and defeated three-time girls’ state champion Millie Peach of Iowa Valley by fall to advance. Kearns is now 22-14.

Ashton Kerwin (120), Brad Matthews (145), Callyn Bishop (152) and Cody Samson (160) also were third in their weights. Curtis Gliem (138) and Jacob Hiemstra (170) took fourth.

Kerwin was 1-2 on the day with a win by pin. Matthews was 2-2 with two wins by pin. Both Kerwin and Matthews lost wrestleback matches.

Bishop and Samson were both 1-1 on the day.

Iowa Valley won the sectional championship with 183 points. BGM, which will host districts this weekend, was the runner-up with 179 points. The rest of the field included Belle Plaine (168), Baxter (142), English Valleys (110.5), HLV (107) and Montezuma (46).

The Bolts brought nine wrestlers to sectionals. They had open weights at 106, 113, 132, 182 and 195.