Blain Swenson avenges previous pair of championship losses, earns State Tournament berth as District Champ


Waukon wrestling 182-pound senior Blain Swenson celebrates after winning the Class 2A District 1 championship Saturday, February 11 at Decorah and earning his first-ever qualification for the Class 2A State Wrestling Tournament taking place later this week in Des Moines. Swenson began his District Tournament success with a 6-0 first-round victory over Independence senior Peyton Nolting before avenging two previous championship losses to Decorah senior Daniel Ott (photo at right) with an 11-5 triumph in the championship match. Swenson will now wrestle Charles City senior Alex Koehler in the opening round of the Class 2A State Tournament in Des Moines, which begins this Thursday, February 16 at 6 p.m. Photos courtesy of Nate Troy, Cresco Times Plain Dealer.

Opens State bid Thursday against Charles City opponent

For Waukon wrestling 182-pound senior Blain Swenson, the Saturday, February 11 Class 2A District 1 Tournament at Decorah High School just kept getting better and better, with every wrestler’s ultimate goal of State Tournament qualification being just the beginning.

While Swenson’s first-round win put him in great position to achieve that ultimate goal, making that achievement even better was the fact that he then also won his second match to finish an undefeated day as the District champion and earn automatic State Tournament qualification. To then top it all off, that District championship came by virtue of an 11-5 win by decision over Decorah senior Daniel Ott, who had beaten Swenson in two previous championship matches the past two Saturdays at the Northeast Iowa Conference Tournament and Class 2A Sectional 2 Tournament.

Entering the District tournament as the Sectional 2 runner-up, Swenson started his day with a 6-0 controlling of Independence senior Peyton Nolting, who was the champion from Class 2A Sectional 1. That win advanced Swenson to the championship match against Ott, a first-round winner by fall over Denver/Tripoli freshman Trevor Dorn. In a match Swenson also controlled, he took Ott down initially and put him to his back for three nearfall points, and then took him down three more times while only allowing Ott points on escapes in sealing the 11-5 victory and earning Swenson his first-ever State Tournament qualification.

Ott’s day got considerably worse following his loss to Swenson, as he was then pinned in a consolation wrestleback match with Nolting in just 38 seconds. That result eliminated Ott from State Tournament qualification and, instead, secured the advancement for Nolting.

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