Lemon’s state medal, Bendorf’s H-10 title cap another great year for Cyclone grapplers

 HARLAN -- One year after putting together one of the best all-around seasons in John Murtaugh’s 17-year coaching tenure at Harlan Community, the 2019-2020 Cyclone wrestling team barely missed a beat.
 HCHS finished with a 17-5 dual record - robbed of about eight wins due to the Mount Ayr Tournament being snowed out - and finished as tri-champions of the Hawkeye Ten Conference with Creston/O-M and Atlantic (all 9-1) to claim its first H-10 dual title since 1984.
 The Cyclones beat Atlantic/CAM in dual competition (42-30) for the first time in seven years and nearly made it through the league unscathed before falling to Creston 39-36 in a dual that came down to the final match.
 Despite competing without the services of three varsity regulars late in the season due to injury, HCHS put together a solid tournament series run. The Cyclones placed fifth in the Hawkeye Ten Tournament, highlighted by senior Carter Bendorf’s impressive conference title at 170 and four teammates placing second.
 One week later, HCHS won a tight three-team battle with 218 points at the Class 2A Sectional in Glenwood, claiming its first sectional championship since 2004 and advancing nine district qualifiers for the first time in the Murtaugh era.
 The sectional team title also earned the Cyclones a spot in the Class 2A regional duals, where they handled Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 51-28 in the first round before losing to the host Huskies in the finals, 44-35.
 At the 2A District meet in Atlantic, HCHS placed fifth as a team and advanced three wrestlers to state in seniors Ethan Lemon (126) and Carter Bendorf (170) and junior Jesse Schwery (220). Bendorf was a district champ.
 Lemon, a two-time state qualifier, won three out of five matches inside Wells Fargo Arena and capped his 145-win career with a state medal, placing seventh. Bendorf (1-2) and Schwery (0-2) did not place.
 Bendorf, who passed the 100-win mark in January and finished his career at 116-53, was named the team’s Most Valuable Wrestler. In addition to his Hawkeye Ten, sectional and district titles, Bendorf placed first at the Dan Hill Cyclone Invitational, the Boys Town Tournament and the Plattsmouth Tournament.
 Lemon led the team with 40 wins, 176 teams points and 24 reversals, sophomore Luke Musich (120) had the most takedowns (62) and escapes (33) and senior Nathan Henry (195) led the way with 30 pins.
 Carter Bendorf, Schwery, Henry and Musich all finished with between 35 and 31 wins, “Outstanding Freshman” Zane Bendorf had 26 wins and sophomore Luke Freund added 25.
 HCHS will graduate a talented and cohesive senior class in Lemon, Wyatt Obrecht, Carter Bendorf, Thomas Frederick and Henry, but will return nine underclassmen - seven of them district qualifiers - who saw extensive varsity action. Several others will join the varsity squad after putting together excellent JV seasons.