Put into perspective:
Area 110-pounders thrive at girls state wrestling
By Kristi Nixon
By Kristi Nixon
CORALVILLE — With the conclusion of the 2024 girls state wrestling meet, both area 110-pound competitors have to look on the bright side.
In the case of Osage junior state runner-up Gable Hemann, it meant the opportunity to wrestle in three state title matches. As for Saint junior Mariah Michels, she finally got the chance to say she finished her season with a win.
Hemann finished state runner-up for the third year in a row, this time losing an 8-1 decision to defending 110-pound state champion Jasmine Luedtke of Ottumwa.
“I’m just very grateful,” Hemann said. “I’m in the feels. It’s a great accomplishment, but at the same time, I’ve lost in the finals three times. That comes into play, too.
“I’m really grateful to be here. I know that a lot of girls would like to be in my position, but I’ve got to use it to be better next year through the highs and lows.”
Michels outlasted a quick athlete in Kate Seery of Linn-Mar to win by 6-3 decision in the fifth-place match. She got out with a big four-point move in the first period and added a pair of escapes in the second and despite a stalling call in the third, she had her hand raised at the end.
“I went into it with a pretty positive attitude,” Michels said. “After my last match, I went back to the hotel and relaxed a little bit. My coach asked me, ‘Would you rather end losing for fourth or winning for fifth?’ I thought that was a hard question, but now that I thought about it more, I think I’d like to win fifth-place even better…”
The full story and more photos are available in the Feb. 7 print and e-editions of the Enterprise Journal.
