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4 area grapplers medal at AAU state tourney

Adrian Phetxoumphone wins gold, brother Linden takes silver

Four area wrestlers took part in the Iowa AAU Kids State Championship inside Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines over the weekend, and all four came home with medals.

One even claimed a state title.

Not bad at all.

Adrian Phetxoumphone won the crown at 82 pounds in Division B (fifth and sixth grade) to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Cam Phetxoumphone, a high school junior who is a two-time state champion and three-time state medalist for Webster City.

But the family was nowhere near done.

Linden Phetxoumphone was the state runner-up at 85 pounds in Division C (seventh and eighth grade), and the youngest member of the family, Kendrick Phetxoumphone, claimed the sixth-place medal at 50 pounds in Division A (third and fourth grade).

Luke Estlund gave the local contingent a medal as well, as he finished seventh at 152 pounds in Division C.

Competing in the offseason for Team Valley Wrestling Club, Adrian Phetxoumphone went 5-0 with a fall, technical fall, major decision and two decisions en route to the state title. He knocked off Kyler Simons of Beavercreek Wrestling Club in the finals, 4-2 in sudden-victory.

Trailing 2-0 after one period, Kendrick Phetxoumphone drew even with Simons on a two-point near-fall in the second. He scored the winning takedown 24 seconds into the one-minute overtime period.

Adrian Phetxoumphone is a two-time AAU medalist. He finished fifth in 2019.

Linden Phetxoumphone rolled up four wins — two pins, a tech fall and a decision — on his way to the silver. Brayden Bohnsack of Knights Wrestling Club claimed a 7-4 win in the finals, as he moved ahead to stay on an escape with 1:11 remaining and then added a takedown with 29 seconds left on the clock.

Now a four-time AAU state medalist, Linden Phetxoumphone was also second in 2020 and third in 2019.

Kendrick Phetxoumphone reached the semifinals in his bracket with a pair of decision wins.

Estlund, a two-time AAU state medalist who competes in the offseason for the Webster City club, was forced to grind his way through the backside of the bracket following a second-round loss. He went 5-2 with three pins, a major and a decision. He decked Jayson Haley of Van Meter/Earlham in 3:31 in the seventh-place match.

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