Central wins seven individual titles at Last Chance wrestling invitational

PELLA — The Central College wrestling team finished atop seven of the 10 weight classes Friday night at its home Last Chance Invitational.

No team scores were kept in the nine-team meet.

Sophomores Duncan Delzell (149 pounds, Burlington), Garrett Heater (157 pounds, Grinnell) and Gavin Davis (174 pounds, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Arizona Lutheran Academy) secured individual bracket titles. Stevie Maddox (junior, Tempe, Ariz.) and Miles Berg (sophomore, Indianola) shared the 197-pound title.

Freshmen Rheiner Stahlbaum (125 pounds, Johnston), Cael Cox (133 pounds, Ankeny) and Colby Tool (165 pounds, Reasnor, PCM HS) won their first collegiate tournament titles.

“Our guys wrestled really hard and had a pretty special night,” coach Eric Van Kley said. “All of our champions did a great job”

Van Kley also cited seniors Eric Santana (senior, 141 pounds, Palm Desert, Calif.) and Carlos Posas (fifth-year, 125 pounds, Madera, Calif., South HS) competing in a Central uniform for the final time. Santana went 2-1, losing in the 141-pound final. Posas was 2-1 and finished third.

“Those two have been a big part of our program since their arrival,” Van Kley said. “It was great to see them have success tonight.”

Central is off for two weeks before travelling to Dubuque for the NCAA Division III Central Regional Championships on February 25-26.