Redhawk wrestler Blake Briar, left, has her hand raised by the official after winning by fall over Warhawk Amara Edwards-Hinton, right, in the semifinal round on Nov. 23 at the BGM Girls Tournament in Brooklyn. Blake – ranked No. 1 in Class 1A at 170 pounds in the preseason – went on to secure the tournament title with a win by fall over 2023 state qualifier Raelene Hawkins of Iowa Valley-HLV. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

BROOKLYN – In their first foray on the mats this season, Redhawk wrestlers Briar Blake and Addison ‘Addy’ Hochstetler have laid it out plain – they’re here to win.

Both grapplers – Blake a senior and Hochstetler a junior – dominated on the mats in their respective weight brackets on Saturday, Nov. 23, during the BGM Girls Tournament held in Brooklyn at the high school.

Fresh off a No. 1 IAWrestle preseason ranking at 170 pounds in Class 1A, Blake began her morning with a swift 41-second pin of English Valleys’ Taylor Mikesell in the quarterfinal match. She followed that up with a win by fall in the semifinals over North Mahaska’s Amara Edwards-Hinton in 52 seconds.

For the championship, Blake faced Iowa Valley’s Raelene Hawkins, a 2023 state qualifier from HLV who wrestles for the Tigers as part of a sharing agreement. Blake triumphed over Hawkins for the 170-pound tournament title with a win by fall in three minutes, 54 seconds. It was a good match-up “to get out of the way” early, North Tama head coach Andrew Knaack said.

Hochstetler – who is up two weight classes this season – also zoomed to victory on Saturday, spending a mere 150 seconds in total taking down the competition for the 145-pound tournament title.

North Tama wrestler Addy Hochsteter, right, has her hand raised by the official after winning by fall over Pekin’s Ella Rose in the semifinal round on Nov. 23 at the BGM Girls Tournament in Brooklyn. She later won by fall over Osky’s Aleigha Sheets (1:07) to secure the 145-pound tournament title. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

After receiving a bye in the first round, Hochstetler pinned Tri-County’s Layla Shilling in 57 seconds, followed by a resoundingly quick win over Pekin’s Ella Rose in 26 seconds for the semifinal match.

For the championship, she won by fall over Osky’s Aleigha Sheets.

And while none of Hochstetler’s competitors on Saturday were ranked in the preseason, Coach Knaack said she showcased her skillset well by efficiently taking care of business.

“Addy didn’t have any ranked opponents, but that is what she should be doing to other girls that are not at her level.”

Out of the 15 teams wrestling on Saturday, the Redhawks took seventh overall.

North Tama wrestler Briar Blake’s family and supporters including her mother Sara Blake (third from left on bleachers) watch with anticipation as she works to turn North Mahaska’s Amara Edwards-Hinton on Nov. 23 at the BGM Girls Tournament in Brooklyn. Blake won the 170-pound tournament title in her first foray of the 2024-25 season. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“The girls all wrestled well,” Knaack continued. “They have been getting better every year. Their [skills] continue to impress me with the few years of experience they have.”

In addition to Blake and Hochstetler, senior Ava Monat took fifth at 130 pounds. After receiving an opening round bye, she lost to North Mahaska’s Macie Little in the quarterfinal. In the semifinal round, she pinned Albia’s Sydney Ballard in a match that lasted one second shy of four minutes. She then won by major decision 10-0 over Pekin’s Ivory Small for fifth place.

Rounding out the Redhawk roster, Grace Dvorak (110 pounds) and Jocelyn Harms (135 pounds) both took seventh at the tournament, while Olivia Youngblood took eighth at 120 pounds.

Following the Thanksgiving holiday, the Redhawks will be back on the mats on Saturday, Nov. 30, for the Belle Plaine Girls Wrestling Tournament. Teams scheduled to wrestle besides the host Plainsmen include Albia, Aplington-Parkersburg, Bettendorf, BGM, Columbus Catholic, Don Bosco, Grinnell, Moravia, Pekin, Pleasantville, Sigourney Keota, Waterloo West, West Branch, and Wilton.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Redhawk senior Briar Blake, top, grapples with North Mahaska’s Amara Edwards-Hinton on Nov. 23 at the BGM Girls Tournament in Brooklyn. Blake – ranked No. 1 in Class 1A at 170 pounds in the preseason – quickly pinned her Warhawks opponent in 52 seconds for the semifinal win before later securing the tournament title with a win by fall over 2023 state qualifier Raelene Hawkins of Iowa Valley-HLV. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

North Tama junior Addy Hochstetler, left, grapples with Tri-County’s Layla Shilling during the 145-pound quarterfinal round on Nov. 23 at the BGM Girls Tournament in Brooklyn. Hochstetler won by fall over Shilling in 57 seconds before later notching pins over Pekin’s Ella Rose (26 seconds) and Osky’s Aleigha Sheets (1:07) to win the tournament title. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Redhawk junior Addy Hochstetler, right, faces off against Pekin’s Ella Rose, left, in the 145-pound semifinal round on Nov. 23 at the BGM Girls Tournament in Brooklyn. Hochstetler pinned Rose in a whiplash 26 seconds for the win. She later won by fall over Osky’s Aleigha Sheets (1:07) to win the tournament title. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Redhawk junior Addy Hochstetler, top, overpowers Pekin’s Ella Rose in the 145-pound semifinal round on Nov. 23 at the BGM Girls Tournament in Brooklyn. Hochstetler pinned Rose in a whiplash 26 seconds for the win. She later won by fall over Osky’s Aleigha Sheets (1:07) to win the tournament title. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER