CORALVILLE — The view from the top is sky blue and red.
Twice runners-up, East Buchanan reached the pinnacle of Class 1A girls wrestling with 105 points and a first-place team trophy after the two-day IGHSAU state tournament at XStream Arena.
“Right in the middle of the trophy case,” a beaming head coach Dan Stiefel replied when asked where the program’s newest edition will go. East Buchanan was runner-up in the first two seasons of sanctioned girls wrestling, when the system was an all-class affair.
“A lot. It means a lot,” he added. “Big things for our school, yeah., It’s exciting, a lot of hard work.”
Stiefel and assistant coaches Kendra Burchett, Tim Connolly and John Johnson began the championship session being feted by the crowd for being named the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Class 1A coaching staff off the year. They ended it passing out roses, pink hats and tiaras.
“Amazing. It’s a great way to end our year,” senior Valeria Torres said. “Mine (individual tournament) didn’t go as planned, but I’m just grateful for the experience I had, and we’re team champs.”
The 105-pounder (46-13) didn’t place but closed her career with three straight trips to XStream Arena. She was one three seniors to end their careers with all the accolades and good vibes.
Classmate Andelyn Cabalka (140, 52-6, fifth place) rallied from two Saturday defeats to end her career with a pin, and victory. Cabalka closed a three-year placement run (sixth, fourth, fifth) and four-year state tournament run, including the IWCOA tournament in 2022.
“Mine didn’t go as planned, but that’s OK,” the Loras-bound multisport athlete said. “It happens. Enjoyed every moment. And we got a team title.”
Destiny Krum reached hers in the 135 championship match. Older sister Alyson, now at Hawkeye Community College, placed top-6 in three straight tournaments.
Destiny was fourth as a freshman, then fifth as a sophomore. After not reaching the podium as a junior, Krum (56-6) pinned her way to the title match.
She fell by 18-1 technical fall.
“I felt good going into it, and although it didn’t turn out how I wanted it to, I still feel good I got this far,” she said. “I’m proud this is the way I ended it, and I have medals to prove it.”
Brooklyn Graham was the other Buccaneer to reach the apex, and the 170-pound junior planted her flag with her third pin in four matches and her first state championship.
Graham (44-3) rose from fifth (2023) to third (2024) to the mountaintop.
“It’s been my goal all season,” she said a few minutes after the victory. “All seven years, five years, however many years I’ve been wrestling. I’m glad I could pull it out this year.”
She sprang off Logan-Magnolia-Woodbine’s Nancy Bowman in delight, throwing her arms skyward. Later, she jumped into Stiefel’s waiting arms.
“I guess we always try to be the best we can be. It’s just us, I guess,” Graham said of five individuals on the podium. “I think it shows how tough we are. With that being said, I think we can grow our program.”
Freshman Kambria Ries (110, 27-18) went 0-2 in her debut while junior Tayla Stiefel (145, 43-7) won her final match by pin to place third and junior Miley Walz (155, 39-6) placed fourth.
“Just everyone going out and doing their job, doing the best they can. That’s all we ask. That’s what they did,” coach Stiefel said. “We have a pretty small community, so all the girls are pretty close. We spend a lot of time together. It’s a good family.”
