Decorah Topples No. 1 CGD in Thrilling Glenn Brand Duals Showdown

When your school board votes, Decorah News is there to report. Chip in to keep your voice in the room. CLARION, Iowa — It was a total upset for top-ranked Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Saturday, Sat. 10 at the Glenn Brand Duals in Clarion, as the Viking boys swept through the competition and defeated the team at their own home, 38–32, to claim the unofficial top spot in Class 2A team standings. The Vikings opened the day with a 70–12 rout of Hampton-Dumont-CAL, followed by a 56–19 win over West Marshall and a 70–10 victory against Ballard. The highlight came against No. 1 Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, where Decorah fought tooth and nail to a 38–32 win, a final rise to the top of the rankings. The dual against CGD was a back-and-forth battle. Decorah bit the heels of CGD after the team jumped to an early 19–0 lead, winning four consecutive matches to take their own 21–19 lead. CGD regained the advantage briefly, but Decorah secured three big wins down the stretch to nab the 38–32 victory. Isaac Quandahl, Kellen O'Gara, Meison Tollefson, Mason Glotfelty, and Mason Avila all recorded multiple pins, while Will Larson notched a technical fall along with two pins. Gavin Carolan stole the show at 144 pounds with four pins, including a lightning-fast 33-second fall. At 150 and 157 pounds, Grant and Gavin Knutson combined for three technical falls and three pins. William Fullhart and Kasen Tyler added quick pins and technical falls in the 165- and 175-pound classes, and Thomas Sexton racked up two pins and two technical falls. Ethan Kuennen closed the scoring with three pins at 215 pounds, capping the weekend's performance. The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows team had entered the day riding a full week, including participation in multiple duals earlier in the week. These earlier matches were not fruitless: with the team seeing wins over Ballard, West Marshall and Humboldt. However, despite strong performances on Saturday from their top wrestlers, including Cole Wibholm, Paxton Redenius and Adrian Phetxoumphone, Decorah's ensured that these early victories didn't carry quite into the end of the week. Performing under pressure, the Vikings had consistent, resilient guys in all weight classes. With their win, the Vikings not only captured multiple decisive wins but also earned the No. 1 ranking in Class 2A, leaving them a team to watch as the season progresses. Full results and views of individual wrestler performance can be viewed on FloWrestling. Stay connected and informed! Join the free newsletter for curated news, trending topics, and insider perspectives you won't find anywhere else.