Saydel's Colbie Tenborg wins third state title, Denver wins Class 1A
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CORALVILLE − Tres leches with a side of hashbrowns was one of the three things Saydel girls wrestling senior Colbie Tenborg was thinking about as she stepped off the mat for a final time in her high school career.
"IHOP's always calling me," Tenborg said with a laugh.
The second thing? Winning a third state title. The senior capped off a phenomenal career by defeating Logan-Magnolia's Teagan Carritt in the finals of the Iowa high school girls state wrestling tournament in a 9-3 decision.
Carritt, a 2025 state champion as a freshman, got the first takedown. However, the toughness and veteran presence of Tenborg shined as she persevered to finish atop the podium at 140 pounds in Class 1A.
She concludes her high school wrestling career as a four-time state medalist, finishing atop the podium three times with a 110-8 all-time record. Tenborg never had an unbeaten record, perhaps a sign of the toughness and resiliency she consistently brought to the table once she arrived on the big stage.
The final thing and most important thing she was thinking about was just how far Saydel has come since she was a freshman. Going from being the lone wrestler at the state tournament to the program having three in her senior year was a positive step. Her teammate, Sophia Carnes, finished third at 105 pounds. Behind that, Saydel was in ninth place as a team in Class 1A despite having just three athletes at the tournament.
No matter her accolades or post-match meal to come, how she left Saydel behind was critical to her. With Carnes' performance, it's clear the Eagles have plenty to build on after Tenborg's graduation.
"It's like an honor to have a lot of the younger girls say that they want to be like me," Tenborg said. "I loved to be able to pave the way for the next generations."
Denver wins thrilling Class 1A team title
For the team race, it essentially came down to one finals match at 130 pounds between Denver's Lilli Cooper and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont's Georgia Smith. Cooper trailed 4-3 after the first period, but rallied to win in a 10-5 decision to win her first state title and clinch the team state championship. Separated by just two points at night's end, a flip in the result would have changed who won Class 1A.
"I have been around this thing for a long time, and I have not had a script for this," said Denver coach Jared Pickett.
Cooper, 100-pound phenom freshman Abigail Peterson and junior two-time state champion (110) Violet Diaz all left with state crowns for Denver. Kennedy Burk took second at 190 pounds. Cooper reminisced on the days when she and Peterson used to practice as kids, wrestling until somebody cried from losing. It's things like that which helped them win the team state title.
"We all just work together, uplift ourselves and practice every day," Cooper said. "It's just a great community we have."
Iowa girls wrestling state tournament Class 1A finals results
100 - No. 3 Abigail Peterson of Denver over No. 1 Audrey Cummings of Wilton, fall (2:42)
Peterson didn't get the first-period pin as she had done through the tournament to the finals, but she did still get one in short-order midway through the second period to win her first state title as a freshman.
105 - No. 1 Ainsley Hemann of Osage over No. 2 Kenadee Helscher of Wapello, 6-3 Dec.
Hemann gave up the first takedown, but got one of her own in the second period and had two escapes and one point from stalling on Helscher to win her second state title.
110 - No. 1 Violet Diaz of Denver over No. 3 Macy Rasmussen of Audubon, 13-4 MD
Diaz became a two-time state champion with her major decision in the finals, recording three takedowns and four-near fall points.
115 - No. 1 Clara Ball of Wapello over No. 3 Kaelynn Roster of Vinton-Shellsburg, 8-0 MD
A takedown in the first, a takedown in the second and a reversal in the third earned Ball her first state championship.
120 - No. 1 Erica Irvine of Don Bosco over No. 3 Kate Krause of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, 6-1 Dec.
The legendary Don Bosco wrestling program got its first girls state champion, with Irvine's first-period takedown setting the tone.
125 - No. 1 Grace Storjohann of APGC over No. 2 Aileen Aragon of West Liberty, fall (2:43)
Storjohann fended off the talented youngster with a second-period fall. She recorded two takedowns and a reversal before putting Aragon's shoulders to the mat.
130 - No. 1 Lilli Cooper of Denver over No. 2 Georgia Smith of Eddyvillle-Blakesburg-Fremont, 10-5 Dec.
Cooper's win in this bout clinched the team race for Denver, giving the program a third state title and a big team trophy to take home.
135 - No. 1 Chloe Sanders of Vinton-Shellsburg over No. 2 Anna O'Rear of West Delaware, 14-1 MD
Sanders concluded her outstanding career with her first state title. She is Iowa's all-time winningest wrestler on the girls side and was the first to reach 200 wins.
140 - No. 2 Colbie Tenborg of SaydeloverNo. 1 Teagan Carritt of Logan-Magnolia, 9-3 Dec.
Count them up, Tenborg won her third state title by upending a state champion from last year's tournament with a comeback effort after conceding the first takedown.
145 - No. 1 Tayla Stiefel of East Buchanan over No. 2 Adeline Whisner of Mount Vernon, fall (1:05)
One of East Buchanan's three finalists, Stiefel left little doubt with a takedown 45 seconds into the bout and later won by fall.
155 - No. 5 Greta Brus of Davenport Assumption over No. 2 Miley Walz of East Buchanan, 13-6 Dec.
Brus made her return to the state tournament and pinned her way to the state finals, before recording three takedowns and some near-fall points to win a championship.
170 - No. 3 Gracie Pinckney of Mount Vernonover No. 1 Bricsia Garcia-Vasquez of West Liberty, fall (3:58)
Pinckney led a strong effort over the last two days from Mount Vernon. She gave up the first takedown but found her offense in the second period to rally to win a state championship.
190 - No. 1 Brooklyn Graham of East Buchanan over No. 2 Kennedy Burk of Denver, TB-1 (3-0)
Graham had to battle to win her second state title, being the lone title match to go into tiebreakers, as she gritted out a victory in her final match as a high schooler.
235 - No. 2 Haley Armstrong of Atlantic over No. 9 Rose Niewoehnerof Crestwood, fall (2:00)
How about four first-period pins at the state tournament? Is that good? That's what Armstrong did on her way to claim an individual state championship for Atlantic.
Iowa girls state wrestling tournament Class 1A final team standings
- 1. Denver (107 points)
- 2. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (105 points)
- 3. Osage (101)
- 4. Mount Vernon (91)
- 5. East Buchanan (81.5)
Match-by-match results and full team standings can be found on Flowrestling.com.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa girls state wrestling Class 1A finals, team race recap
