NORTH ENGLISH – After four long years of anchoring Montezuma’s wrestling program, senior Kennen Roadcap has earned his first trip to the state finals!
Roadcap achieved the feat by placing second in the Region 3 state qualifying meet on Saturday, Feb. 11, at English Valleys.
It wasn’t easy. Roadcap made it all the way to the championship match at 220 pounds, losing, and then coming back to win the match for second place.
Roadcap will take a 37-6 record into state competition, which starts at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Montezuma sent five wrestlers in all to the regional meet. None of the others were able to wrestle back to second place, but three of them did win matches.
Wrestlers had to place second or higher in order to make it to state. There is no longer a second meet after the first one, so wrestlers had to be prepared for a full day.
Montezuma Activities Director Tim Burgess said Roadcap is Montezuma’s first state qualifier since 2018.
Roadcap opened his day with a 53-second pin of Jaden Beal of Belle Plaine, then pinned Connor Cooling of BGM in 3:37.
That win put him into the championship match against Jared Thiry of Don Bosco, a two-time state champion at 220. Thiry showed why, scoring a 19-4 technical fall over Roadcap in 4:12.
In the second place bout, Roadcap went up against a 28-win wrestler in Kason Ingamells of Hudson. Roadcap prevailed for an 8-3 decision.
Roadcap had an injury-plagued junior season, but his work ethic never waned. He has continued to work to be the best he can be. Now, he will have a state meet appearance on an ever-improving wrestling resume.
Below are Montezuma’s results:
Class 1A State Qualifier
at English Valleys
Team – Don Bosco won with 267 points. Montezuma placed 9th out of 10 with 30 points.
Montezuma wrestlers
138 pounds – Owen Desrochers, Did not place
Desrochers pinned Landum Ankrum, HLV, 1:01.
Ben Holton, Hudson, pinned Desrochers, 0:33.
Desrochers pinned Travor Van Wyk, Lynnville-Sully, 2:40.
Gage Ries, North Mahaska, pinned Desrochers, 3:33.
170 – Brett Plants, Did not place
Plants pinned Cooper Winter, BGM, 2:45.
Wyatt Van Weelden, North Mahaska, pinned Plants, 1:36.
Reese Dunsbergen, Lynnville-Sully, pinned Plants, 2:27.
182 – Braxton Plants, Did not place
Max Reed, North Mahaska, pinned Plants, 3:45.
Plants pinned Zebidiah Lowry, English Valleys/Tri-County, :46.
Kyle Squires, Lynville-Sully, pinned Plants, :38.
195 – Marty Knox, Did not place
Emerson Hahn, Don Bosco, pinned Knox, 4:59.
Austin McMahan, North Mashaka, beat Knox, 20-8.
220 – Kennen Roadcap, second place, state qualifier
Roadcap pinned Jaden Beal, Belle Plaine, 0:53.
Roadcap pinned Connor Cooling,BGM, 3:37.
Championship – Jared Thiry, Don Bosco, beat Roadcap, technical fall in 4:12, 19-4.
Second place – Roadcap beat Kason Ingamells, Hudson, 8-3.