Final No. 3 set for Hemann

By Kristi Nixon

CORALVILLE — Facing one of her toughest competitors of the season yet, and not quite feeling her best, Osage junior Gable Hemann gutted out a 5-2 win by decision in the 110-pound state semifinal in an attempt to win her first state title in three tries.

In gaining her only takedown of the match against Mount Vernon sophomore Kiersten Swart, the Mustang wrestler fish-hooked Hemann, but in the scramble of it all afterward, she said she didn’t even remember it.

“She’s my toughest competition this season,” she said, “I went into that match with a good mindset, but not feeling my best. Wasn’t my best match, you know? Still ready for the competition and she gave a good match, but even though I wasn’t feeling my best, I gave it my all. All that I could.

“I don’t really remember (the fish-hook).”

Coach Nick Hemann added, “She (Swart) doesn’t do a whole lot offensively, but she’s very strong, and she keeps matches close and I’m sure that’s how she wins a lot of matches. Gets them frustrated and out of position, and ends up in the top end most of the time. Fortunately for us, it wasn’t, and Gable is right back to the finals where she has been before. Excited about that.” 

Swart’s only points of the match were a reversal with 21 seconds left in the second and had a solid ride. Even still, Hemann chose bottom in the third, finishing the match by being ridden out.

“Personally, I’ve gotten better…I wasn’t very good on bottom, never have been good on bottom, but I’ve gotten better,” she said. “Every match, every chance that I get, I go down and try to get up from there, but she gave me a good match; she’s tough. Gave me a good ride.”

Coach Hemann also said, “we’ve been working a lot on bottom, with a 5-2 lead, we didn’t want to take any chances where she could get a five-point move. Get ahead 6-5 or something like that – you see a lot of that down here – that big move taking away things. I knew Gable would work on bottom and felt confident with that.”

Hemann has the defending 110-pound state champion, Ottumwa’s Jasmine Luedtke, in tonight’s final.

“Physically, I am getting a little sick, I think,” she said. “That’s bringing me down a little bit, but I’m going to go in and give my all and I want to become a state champ, so that’s what I’m going to do, give it my all and try my best.”

Luedtke won TB-1, 3-1, over Cedar Falls’ Lauren Whitt, who had given Hemann her only loss this season.

“It looked like she had a tough match, also, in the semifinal,” coach Hemann said. “With Lauren Whitt, who we’ve wrestled three times this season. We’re well aware of her, Looking forward to the opportunity and just let Gable do her thing.”

The Green Devils only other wrestler left on Friday, Maddie Swenson, was eliminated in the 120-pound blood round.

Heading into tonight’s final, Osage is 18th with 43 points.