A confident champion: A-P/GC's Maitland heads to state

PARKERSBURG – There wasn't going to be another second chance for Hunter Maitland.

The Aplington-Parkersburg/Grundy Center senior had seen his ups and downs on the wrestling mats in the postseason, and the 182-pounder entered Saturday's district tournament in Parkersburg nervous, even after winning a conference championship and a sectional championship in the prior weekends.

Maitland got the better of any nerves he had once he stepped onto the mat, though, and earned a district title and a trip to the state tournament later this week. Maitland (33-7) will wrestle Southeast Valley's Kyler Fisher (51-1) during the first session of Thursday's action at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, with Class 2A bouts starting at 9 a.m.

"I just feel more confident in what I do," Maitland said in reference to past postseason performances. "I'm not so nervous and worrying about my opponent like in previous years."

In the semifinal match, Maitland pinned Clear Lake's Dalton Mennenga in the second period and set up a sectional rematch with Evan Rosonke of New Hampton/Turkey Valley.

A focused Maitland once again got the better of Rosonke in a 7-5 decision, with both wrestlers advancing to state.

"It's too late in the season to change anything, so I just had to stick with what I'm good at," Maitland said. "This is something I've been looking forward to for a long time."

Read more in the Feb. 14 Eclipse.

D-NH's Arends advances to state

Dike-New Hartford senior Chase Arends will return to the state wrestling tournament after a district runner-up finish at Jesup on Saturday.

Arends defeated Cascade's Quentin Recker 3-1 in the first sudden-victory period in the semifinals but fell in the district championship match against Jesup's undefeated heavyweight Brian Sadler to finish second.

"Qualifying for the state tournament was the ultimate goal," D-NH coach Tony Norton said. "He did a good job in the first round, was pretty conservative, there was a little on the line there, he knew he had to win that one. The other kid was more defensive than what we were used to but he got the takedown in overtime."

For the third consecutive weekend, Sadler and Arends met up in the finals of the heavyweight bracket, and Sadler pinned Arends as both moved on to state.