Central finishes strong at Iowa Conference Duals
Central College
PELLA— After falling to Dubuque and Wartburg in the first two matches of the day,
the Central College wrestling team finished the day on a high note with a 45-7 dual victory over Buena Vista at the Iowa Conference Duals Saturday in Waverly.
The Dutch (6-3) came up just short in a 22-15 loss to Dubuque in the opening match of the day, before succumbing to the hosts from Wartburg, 44-0 in the second match. Central was able to close out the day with a solid 45-7 victory over the Beavers from Buena Vista.
“We took a couple of losses early in the day, but we saved the best for last with our effort against Buena Vista,” Coach Eric Van Kley said. “The biggest takeaway for our team today was that we have to continue to get tougher in critical spots. It doesn’t get any easier from here and our guys know that, they really embrace the challenge of the Iowa Conference.”
Mike O’Connor (sophomore, Lockport, Ill., St. Rita HS) continues to win big matches for the Dutch at 157 pounds. O’Connor improved to 14-11 after earning a critical 6-5 decision against Dubuque and earning an impressive fall against Buena Vista.
“I thought Mike had our best effort of the day,” Van Kley said. “He got a reversal with 30 seconds left in the Dubuque match to get a really hard-fought win. He wrestled arguably Buena Vista’s best wrestler and he got a big pin for us. I thought Mike really battled and had a tremendous day.”
Tyler Lowy (senior, Phoenix, Ariz., Thunderbird HS) and Matt Seabold (sophomore, Burlington) each went 2-0 on the day for the Dutch at 184 pounds and 197 pounds, respectively. Both Lowy and Seabold earned their victories against Dubuque and Buena Vista. The pair each won by fall against Buena Vista, and Lowy earned a fall 47 seconds into his match against Dubuque’s Matthew Leveille.
Central will take a break from Iowa Conference action next Thursday as they host nearby William Penn in a non-conference tilt. Central took a 33-15 victory last year in Oskaloosa. The action will be in P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium starting at 7 p.m.
“William Penn is a fun rivalry, it’s obviously not an Iowa conference match, but it is a local rivalry,” Van Kley said. “We’re expecting a great match on Thursday and we’re going to come out and give a terrific effort.”
