Wrestlers Make Trip to Omaha a Success
by Dan Mowinkel
Teammates Derek Mowinkel and Tyler Popken competed at the 2010 State Wrestling meet and came home with valuable memories. The two have been practice partners for the past two years and have helped make each other better both on and off the mat, Coach Mowinkel said. “I’m so proud of how they competed this year and the effort they gave at State.”
Mowinkel earns bronze! 189-pound junior
Derek Mowinkel earned his third trip to the state tournament and
improved on his 5th place 2009 state finish.
He began the 2010 tournament wrestling senior Jonathon Muchow of
Ravenna, who was 33-5 on the season. After a slow start in the
first period, Mowinkel won by a major decision, 13-4, and moved to
the quarter finals.
The quarterfinals pitted Mowinkel against sophomore Joshua Hoxworth of Bridgeport, 18-4 on the season. Derek registered a first period fall at the 1:39 mark. The semifinals would see Derek take on returning State Runner-Up Lucas Kastl of David City, a senior boasting a 43-2 record. The match was close throughout, but Derek trailed 3-2 in the final period before Kastl recorded a takedown, Mowinkel earned an escape, and the match ended 5-3.
With a medal guaranteed, Mowinkel faced an
opponent who had defeated him earlier this season, Tyson Sutton, a
junior from Central City who claimed a 36-4 record. Derek recorded
a first period take down but gave up a reversal to make the score
2-2. The tie breaking moment came in the third period, when
Mowinkel earned an escape, a 3-2 victory, and the right to compete
in the 3rd and 4th place consolation match. Derek faced senior
Jeremy Dettmer of Syracuse, who had a 33-8 record. Aggressive,
Mowinkel scored early and often, building a 15-4 lead before ending
the match in the third period with a fall, and claiming a 3rd place
State finish with a 34-5 season record.
Popken 1-2! 171-pound senior Tyler Popken earned his first trip to State and began with the tough assignment of wrestling #1 rated (and eventual State Champion) Willy Schwartzkopf of Mitchell, the junior boasting a 40-3 record. “I was surprised at how calm Popken was for his first time at the state meet,” said Coach Mowinkel. “Tyler came out confident but lost by a fall in the first period.”
Friday pitted Popken against senior Michael Buresh of David City, who boasted a 16-14 record. Popken gained a 3-0 lead in the second period off a penalty point and a reversal. Things got interesting in the third period as Buresh earned two penalty points, and we chose to release Buresh to tie the match. Tyler earned a takedown, and we chose to release Buresh, again-- finishing the match on our feet with a 5-4 victory.
Tyler’s next and final match put him against Jonathon Martin of Wood River, a senior with a 35-7 record. Tyler battled to the end, trying a desperation throw before dropping in an 11-3 decision. Popken finished the season with a 27-12 record.
Logan View finished 28 out of 64 teams. Full season results will be published in the March 3 Rustler-Sentinel.
