progress: SPORTS & EDUCATION Comet girls boast state champion Kolheim, runner-up Stewart; Comet boys get lift from Haberkorn’s return
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CHARLES CITY PRESS | WWW.CHARLESCITYPRESS.COM | TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2025
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com It’s not like every state tournament has a No. 7 seed bust up the bracket on the way to claiming a title. But it has happened before. What made Destiny Kolheim’s run to the top from the seven spot at the Girls State Wrestling Championships was how dominant she was while do- ing it. The Charles City senior didn’t just bust up the Class 1A 155-pound brack- et; she obliterated it. Kolheim gave early notice of what was to become when she earned a 6-1 decision over No. 2-seed Lauren Luzum of Decorah. The week before at the regional state-quali fi er, Luzum pinned Kolheim in the championship round, forcing Kolheim to win the sub- sequent wrestleback for a state berth. If anyone thought Kolheim’s surpris-
ing win over Luzum was an anomaly, they may have gotten a wake-up call when she defeated No. 3-seed Lizzy Wolf of Benton County in the semi fi - nals with a 9-1 major decision. That set up a meeting with No. 1-seed, Earlham senior Haley Glade in the championship bout. “I never wrestled her before,” Kol- heim said about Glade, who she defeat- ed with a one-sided 13-0 major deci- sion for the crown while capping her fi nal season with a 27-5 record. “My coaches were able to fi nd vid- eos of her wrestling, but I didn’t want to see them. I thought they would only mess me up in the head,” she said. “But I wrestled the girl she beat in the semis (East Buchanan’s Miley Walz), and (Glade) only beat her by 1 point. When I defeated her, it was by WRESTLING , turn to page B7
Press photo by John Burbridge Charles City senior Destiny Kolheim and Comet coaches Rob Pittman and Jake Niichel celebrate after Destiny Kolheim defeated Earlham senior Haley Glade with a 13-0 major decision to win the Class 1A 155-pound title at the Girls State Wrestling Championships.
Press photo by John Burbridge Charles City senior Carter Haberkorn appears to record a match-winning takedown in the fi nal seconds of his 120-pound semi fi nal match against Waukon’s Kaden Mitchell during the Class 2A District 9 wrestling tournament at New Hampton, but the referee ruled it wasn’t in time as Mitch- ell advanced by way of a 16-15 decision and eventually was crowned the bracket’s champion. Haberkorn was able to bounce back to win the backside bracket before winning his wrestleback match to qualify for state for the second time in his prep career.
Press photo by John Burbridge Charles City senior Leah Stewart, left, tries to gain leverage against Mount Vernon senior Libby Dix in the Class 1A 190-pound title match during Friday’s championship round at Girls State Wrestling Championships. Dix capped her undefeated season (45-0) with a 1-0 decision over Stewart (40-2), whose only two losses this season were to Dix.
Jefferson and Adel coach Larry Niemeyer, whose 2,089 coach- ing wins is not only the all-time best in Iowa, but in the nation as well. But Bohlen and the Com- ets are due for some more wins in the future. One reason is the likely re- turn of middle in fi elder Payton Hadley. After working on her game extensively during the offsea- SOFTBALL Continued from page B3
son, Hadley had a breakout junior season after leading the team in home runs (4), doubles (11), runs batted in (28) and slugging percentage (.621). Then there is the potential for “four more years” with Addison Ellis in the pitching circle. As a prodigy eighth-grader, Ellis had a 24-3 pitching record with a 0.68 earned run average while striking out 270 batters and walking only 30 (not a mis- print) in 174 2/3 innings. Emerson Bohlen, the coach’s
daughter, is also due to return her senior season after leading the Comets in stolen bases (27 out of 29 attempts). The Comets will have some holes to fi ll, most notably at the “hot corner” (third base) where recent graduate Alex Wohlers led the team in hits (35) and bat- ting average (.357), and was an excellent fi elder. The Comets will also miss center fi elder Lauren Staudt, who led the team in runs scored (30) her senior season.
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Press photo by John Burbridge Charles City middle in fi elder Payton Hadley led the Comets in extra-base hits and runs batted in last season.
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