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Union's Coy Mehlert grits through pain to win first 2A state title
Mehlert trailed early but scored seven straight points to grab the victory 7-4 in the 113-pound title match
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DES MOINES — Union Community’s Coy Mehlert finally wrestled his way to the Class 2A finals.
But the third-seeded 113-pound junior’s left meniscus locked up in the grueling process — and a conversation with his dad and coach, Bart, put the physical pain in perspective.
“Like I said, ‘It’s a long way from your heart,’” Bart Mehlert said of the ill-time injury. “He said that, (so) go get it, right?”
That he did.
Mehlert struck for three near-fall points in the first tiebreaker to beat North Polk’s Charlie Boelman, 7-4, and grasp gold at the Iowa High School Athletic Association state wrestling meet Saturday just as his dad did 26 years ago.
“He’s done it, so he knows what it feels like to be on top,” said Coy, who basked in the Knights’ fans loud cheers at the Casey’s Center. “Now that’s me. And I still have one more year left, so I expect myself to be at the top next year.
Mehlert finished fifth at state as a freshman and third last season. He’d scored bonus points in each of his matches until the title bout — and actually trailed 4-0 early before scoring seven straight points to clutch the crown.
Both Mehlerts then united in a heartfelt top-of-the-podium embrace that was a long time coming.
“Dad nerves are a little bit different,” Bart Mehlert said.
Adrenaline trumped both nerves and pain for Coy, though, as he finally smiled as a gold medal was draped around his neck.
“No one’s gonna just give you something at the state tournament,” he said. “You have to work for it and, yeah, (the knee) is a long way away from your heart, and my heart is what won me that match.”
Vinton-Shellsburg’s top-seeded 106-pounder Jackson Parmater felt similarly after outlasting Solon’s second-seeded Anderson Osgood, 4-0, to win his first state title.
The talented sophomores had faced each other three times earlier this season, with Parmater winning the first two matchups, and Osgood triumphing in the third.
“The last (meeting), I just didn’t get to my attacks,” said Parmater, the Vikings’ second state champ and first state champ Gabe Sanders won the 152-pound 2A title in 2022. “I kind of let him do everything, and I told myself, ‘OK, if I want to win this match, I have to go do everything I know (I can) do. With my coaches’ help, that’s what I did. I just attacked, attacked, attacked.”
Parmater finished fourth at 106 last year and spent the day hanging out a mall by his hotel. Relaxed. Composed. Ready to win.
“Tonight was my night to do it,” he said. “And I did it.”
The other title bouts weren’t complete when The Gazette went to press, but Decorah entered the championship round in a rare position: On top of the 2A team standings.
The Vikings racked up 131 points by the end of the placing rounds — 9.5 points better than second-place Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (121.5). Alburnett, which had two finalists in 144-pounder Owen Henriksen and heavyweight Eagan Fleshman, stood third with 110 points.
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