By: Eric Pratt
Messenger Sports Editor
ESTHERVILLE — The Iowa Central wrestling squad decided enough was enough.
The sixth-ranked Tritons ended a five-year drought and became regional kings again on Sunday, qualifying all 10 grapplers for nationals and securing the Region XI/North Central District championship.
Head coach Luke Moffitt's team finished with 144.5 points, ahead of No. 4 Iowa Western (130) and 19th-rated Indian Hills (120). Matt Sarbo (149 pounds), Darnai Heard (157), Lawrence Rosario (174) and Trystin Irvin (184) were individual gold medalists, with Michael Myers (165), Joseph Lewis (197) and DJ Moehring (285) also reaching the finals before settling for second.
"We hadn't won this thing since 2019, and truth be told, I think we were all getting kind of impatient," said Moffitt, who was named the region's coach of the year. "You don't put a ton of weight into the regional title, necessarily, but if you're a competitor, yeah, it bothers you that it had been that long, given our expectations and history.
"We put a little heat on the guys beforehand to get the job done. To their credit, they responded and came up big."
Sarbo, a defending national champion, recorded a technical fall and a pin to rack up much-needed bonus points. Heard won by pin and decision; Rosario picked up a pair of decisions; and Irvin had a fall and two decisions.
Irvin was the No. 4 seed, but knocked off the top seed in the semifinals and the No. 2 for the crown.
"He beat a kid who pinned him in the (regular-season) dual," Moffitt said. "Trystin really set the tone for us. Even in matches where we were 'underdogs' on paper, we brough the fight to our opponent."
Jaydale Whitlock (125), Jamey Bruner (133) and Benjamin Fosdick (141) all placed third and moved on as well.
"It was a really good effort overall," Moffitt said. "The guys fed off each other's energy. It was good to see us take care of business and handle the little things.
"We won the ICCAC with a big (victory over) Iowa Western, but you never know in a one-day setting how the team will respond. It was great to see them handle the pressure in a very competitive tournament."
The Tritons have now earned 14 of the last 20 regional titles as a program under Moffitt's direction.
The national tournament is March 1 and 2 in Council Bluffs.