By Mark Schafer | The News-Review
DES MOINES – Much like his season, the State tournament was full of ups and downs.
Wrestling at the Casey’s Center wasn’t a new experience for Ryker VanDenHeuvel. Prior to wrestling in high school the freshman had made the AAU State tournament and wrestled on the floor of the Casey’s Center.
However, as VanDenHeuvel quickly learned, the IHSAA State wrestling tournament is unlike any other.
VanDenHeuvel qualified to the class 1A State tournament as a freshman wrestling in the 138-pound class. The freshman worked his way through adversity and triumph to an eventual eighth-place finish.
“He showed a lot of resilience,” Sigourney-Keota head coach, Cory VanDenHeuvel said about Ryker, who is his son. “No one will know what that kid did and had to do to come here today and make it to today. He wants to come back, and God willing, we will have three more years for him to make a great name for himself.“
In his debut match at the State tournament VanDenHeuvel showed little fear. He wrestled a senior wrestler from Emmetsburg, and was able to gain a major decision, 10-0 win to make it to the second round of the championship side of the bracket.
In his next match, things weren’t quite as easy. He took on Gavin Wiig from Woodbury Central and, despite giving up a takedown early on, VanDenHeuvel was able to get an escape, and trail 3-1 after the first period. In the second period, VanDenHeuvel gave up four points.
The third period belonged to the freshman as he was able to get an escape, a takedown, two points off a reversal, and two more points off a nearfall at the end of the third period.
Despite the narrow 9-8 defeat, VanDenHeuvel’s tournament was still alive.
He would win his first consolation round match with a second period pin, advancing the freshman to the second day of competition.
The first match of the second day was a nail-biter for the freshman.
After building up a 9-1 lead the first two periods, VanDenHeuvel went up 12-2 early in the third period. In the closing seconds of the match his opponent scored nine points in the final 28 seconds as time ran out, and VanDenHeuvel survived with a 12-11 victory.
In the next round, VanDenHeuvel made sure there was little doubt. He started the match off with a takedown in the first period. He then recorded another takedown in the third period, and he was able to win the match 6-3, ensuring that he was going to place at the State wrestling tournament.
In the consolation quarterfinals VanDenHeuvel had a rematch with Woodbury Central’s Gavin Wiig. This time Wiig took control of the match early on and won with a 16-5 major decision.
That sent VanDenHeuvel to the seventh place match. There he wrestled a Saint Ansgar opponent Trace Huisman. After a good battle, Huisman pinned VanDenHeuvel in the second period, allowing the freshman to place eighth at the State tournament.
“He had a gutsy performance out there,” Coach VanDenHeuvel said about Ryker. “He had a lot of struggles throughout the year and before the state tournament. To even make it to the State tournament was a testament to him and how much he worked. He found a gut check and to wrestle several matches up here against tough kids.“
Overall the freshman finishes with a record of 30-7 in his freshman campaign.
Photos by Mark Schafer
