Tiger wrestlers fall short at districts

HARLAN — The Red Oak wrestling team will not be represented at the state tournament in Des Moines this weekend, after the district qualifiers fell short at Saturday’s Harlan District meet.

Tanner Mertz (106-lbs.) finished third, while Geoff Sellers (126-lbs.) and Jon Sands (160-lbs.) placed fourth at the district meet.

“We didn’t wrestle very well,” Red Oak wrestling coach Tiegan Podliska said. “We wrestled some tough kids and came up a little bit short. “

With Nick Rounds failing to make weight, the 106 bracket became a three-person tournament. Sergeant Bluff-Luton’s Devin Phaly benefitted with a forfeit win on his way to the finals.

Mertz, a sophomore, wrestled through multiple overtime periods with OA-BCIG’s Jake Wulf, but fell short in the fourth overtime when he was unable to escape.

“It could have gone either way, but it didn’t,” Podliskasaid.

Mertz and Wulf entered the overtime period with a 2-2 tie.

“We weren’t on our offense like we usually are and that’s what cost us,” Podliska said about the match.

Wulf lost to Phaly in the first place match. Because of Wulf’s semifinal win, he didn’t need to enter a wrestleback for second place.

Sellers lost both of his matches Saturday. He lost first to Dylan Forkner of Greene County in the semifinals via a 9-4 decision.

The senior found himself in a rematch from the 2011 districts against Chase Goodman of South Central Calhoun. Goodman, the top seed in the 126 bracket, was knocked off in the semifinals by Clarinda’s Cole Race.

Sellers fell short in the third place match as he lost via decision.

“Ultimately, he’s going to go down as the second winningest wrestler in Red Oak history,” Podliska said about Sellers. “He’ll be one of the greatest kids I’ve ever coached.”

Podliska thinks Sellers has meant a lot to the Red Oak wrestling program.

“He is a pretty darn good wrestler and it just goes to show it doesn’t matter what kind of kid you are, it doesn’t matter what body style you have, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a musical, you go out on the mat, you fight, you’re tough and you’re going to be successful,” Podliska said. “He may have never made it to the state tournament, but he’s one of the best kids I’ve ever seen to not do it.”

Sands also lost both of his matches at Saturday’s district meet.  In the semifinals, Sands lost via pinfall to Tyler Kutz of South Central Calhoun. In the third place match, Sands lost an 11-3 decision to Dylon French of Bedford/Lenox.

He’s the right kind of kid,” Podliska said. He’s a kid that, his record wasn’t there, but it doesn’t indicate the kind of wrestler he is, or the work he puts in the practice room. The work he put in the practice room is the reason he’s at this tournament.”

Red Oak finishes the season with nine dual wins, matching last year’s total. They’ve also had strong tournament performances, including a team title at the Treynor Invitational.

For the team that will be back next season, Podliska said he looks to get them back in the room and put this district meet behind them.

“Go out there every match, it doesn’t matter if you’re the favorite, it doesn’t matter who your mom or dad is, it doesn’t matter what number is next to your name, go out there with a chip on your shoulder and win,” he said.