Wrestlers enter semifinals

The semi-final round is underway at the state high school wrestling tournament. At 112-pounds, Pleasant Valley’s Nick Voss improved to 43-0 with a 9-0 win over Ryan Gotto of Western Dubuque. Voss advances to tonight’s semifinal round against Brian Hessenius of LeMars. It will be a rematch of last year’s semifinal round won by Hessenius.The match of the quarterfinal round took place at 130-pounds where a pair of unbeatens matched up. Iowa City HIgh’s Cory Connell used a third period escape to edge last year’s 112-pound champion Travis Paulson of Lewis Central 1-0.Connell says a key was the second period when he was able to ride out Paulson with the match still scoreless.In the class 1-A quarterfinal round at 112-pounds, trailing 2-0 with 20-seconds remaining Belle Plaine’s Dustin Hinschberger turned Nodaway Valley’s Marion Galanakis over and pinned him to claim a battle of unbeatens.Hinschberger says even though time was running out he felt he still had a chance.Defending 125-pound state champion Tysen Christensen from Lenox advanced to the semi-final round. Christensen scored a takedown in overtime to edge Thomas Sweeney from Council Bluffs St.Albert 3-1.