2007 State Tournament Coverage
Quotes from the champions

Compiled by Matt Pfiffner

The Predicament caught up to several of the 2007 State Champions right after they won their titles Saturday night in Des Moines. Here is what they had to say.

Class 2A 112: Andrew Long, Creston
On beating freshman Blake Sorensen of Denver-Tripoli in the finals, 21-7:
"I wanted to get out ahead and increase the lead and make a statement. I think I did a good job of it. He's a good wrestler, but he's just a freshman. I had to show him what the big-time was like."
On also helping the team win the 2A championship:
"I feels really good. Not to just have one gold medal, but another one. It hasn't really sunk in yet. It just felt good to seal it and blow everyone out of the water like we did."

Class 3A 119: Matt McDonough, Linn-Mar
On beating Iowa State recruit and 2006 Illinois State champ Tyler Clark of Bettendorf in the finals:
"It feels amazing. He wrestled hard the whole time. I thought we both wrestled really good."
On getting the only takedown in the match against Clark, who is a takedown machine:
"Coming in I knew he was going to be great on his feet. Some shots opened up for me. It was key to get the first takedown. It definitely gave me a boost."
On winning a weight class that featured three 2006 State champs:
"I knew I was capable of winning it. It was a tough tournament and a tough weight class. I knew there were great guys in the the bracket."

Class 1A 125: Dalton Jensen, Missouri Valley
On winning a title as a senior to add to his title as a sophomore:
"It feels better after waiting for two years."
On pinning his way through the tournament (he was later named 1A OW):
"My goal was to dominate. I wanted to show some dominance in this tournament. Once I get people over, I'm confident I'll get the pin. Getting them over is the hard part."

Class 3A 125: Nate Moore, Iowa City West
On his goal entering State:
"My goal was to come to this tournament and just beat the crap out of everybody. That's what we're trained to do."
On coming from behind to win the team title over Waverly-Shell Rock:
"Once we started rolling, we kept rolling. It's Saturday night and we're on top. Coach just kept pressing everyone to go out and do your thing and we did."
On repeating as team champs:
"It's pretty important. We just wanted to make sure we won it again this year."
On his brother Nick's win in the semifinals over top-ranked Mark Ballweg of Waverly-Shell Rock:
I was more pumped about Nicks' win than mine. I knew he could do it, it was just a matter of whether he could perform."

Class 1A 130: Marshall Koethe, Akron-Westfield
On winning a second State title with a pin over Mitch Johnson of Interstate 35:
"I just want to get a third one next year and dominate even more. I just wanted to show everyone I'm a dominate force at 130 and I think I proved it. I just came into this year thinking it was a new year and put last year behind me."
On meeting Johnson for the second year in a row at State:
"I met him in the quarters last year and pinned him. It gave me a little more confidence, but I knew he was going to try anything to win."

Class 1A 135: Nate Herda, Central Lyon
On winning a State title after finishing 8th and 5th his first two seasons:
"I knew I was close. I worked my butt off this summer."
On his physical style and how it helped him score four points late in the match, including the winning takedown in overtime, against Jordan Hasenkamp of Twin River Valley:
"I come into a match working my tempo and pushing the guy around. I wouldn't say he was worn out, I just got a little go-behind for the takedown. He's a great wrestler."
On being ready for his first appearance in the finals:
"I was relaxed. I wrestled (3-time State finalist) Ben Knight this year and he led me through this and how to get ready for the finals."

Class 2A 135: Blake Hilmer, Denver-Tripoli
On scoring a reversal and two near fall points in the final seconds to beat Matt Stillman of Emmetsburg, his second come-from-behind win in the tourney:
"I didn't think he was going to keep me down. But he's a good wrestler. It's been a crazy tournament."
On being the first State champ for his coach after watching his teammates finish second at 103 and 112:
"That means a lot to me. Watching those two fall short drove me to win."

Class 2A 140: Cody Stanley, Wilton
On beating No. 1 ranked Ben Knight of Sergeant Bluff-Luton:
"He's been sitting in front of me in the rankings all season and I never got a chance to wrestle him. What better place than the State finals?"
On his championship match strategy:
"I just wanted to wrestle solid and not do anything stupid. I didn't want to be flashy in the State Tournament."

Class 2A 145: T.J. Moen, Saydel
On facing Trent Weatherman of Ballard for the fifth time this season and just a week after losing to him at Districts:
"I knew it was going to be a dog fight and he was going to bring it. So I had to bring it even more. The loss motivated me a lot. I felt if I wrestled my match I was going to beat him, no doubt. No one can keep up with my intensity."
On winning a second straight State title to close out his career:
"The second one is the better one. It just feels great."

Class 1A 152: Mike Finch, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn
On catching fellow undefeated opponent Gavin Nelson of Missouri Valley and pinning him in the third period:
"He was getting high and it was right there. I just hung onto his head. At first I wasn't sure if I had it, but I heard the ref counting and I held on tighter and knew it was over."
On being the first State wrestling champ at his school, one year after becoming the school's first place finisher:
"It's the best feeling in the world."

Class 1A 171: Cole Heimer, Nora Springs-Rock Falls
On being ranked No. 1 all season:
"My goal all year was not to lose. Being the No. 1 guy all year, I had a target on my back."
Did last year's runner-up finish motivate him this season?:
"That medal hung above my bed. Every day I saw that silver and wanted the gold."
On making it past the second and third ranked kids to make the finals:
"One slip-up and you're done up here. I had a lot of good guys along the road, but I knew if I wrestled my game, no one would stop me."

Class 2A 189: Vinnie Wagner, Osage
On winning a title after two thirds and a runner-up finish:
"It feels better than I thought it would. I've been dreaming about this since my freshman year. The work has paid off."
Does beating the No. 2, 3 and 5 ranked wrestlers in the tournament make it even better?:
"It really does. Right when the brackets came out I saw I had (No. 2 Joe) Johnson and (No. 3 Willie) Argo on my side. I knew I had to earn it. No one can say there wasn't anyone I couldn't beat."
On following teammate 171-pounder Ryan Ketelsen in the finals:
"It really helps having one of your best friends win right before you. That was extra motivation."
On beating Luke Stika of Crestwood for the third weekend in a row:
"I made sure that I didn't overlook him, because anything can happen here."