Recap: Iowa state wrestling tournament results from Day 1 at Wells Fargo Arena
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament.
Day 1 kicked off Thursday morning at Wells Fargo Arena. Cody Goodwin and Alyssa Hertel will be keeping you up to date on everything taking place in this year’s tournament.
With over 600 wrestlers qualified for the 2022 state wrestling tournament, there’s lots of action to watch over the next three days.
Waverly-Shell Rock, Waukee Northwest, Southeast Polk and North Scott fans have an exciting tournament ahead: The Go-Hawks qualified all 14 wrestlers to this week’s state competition, the Wolves brought 12, and North Scott and Southeast Polk each have 11 wrestlers.
More: Live updates from Day 2 of the 2022 Iowa high school state wrestling tournament
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More: Here's a complete class-by-class breakdown of the state wrestling tournament
Follow along as the Register provides live coverage throughout that day.
8:38 p.m. — Final 1A team scores
Here’s were the Class 1A schools stand in the team race at the end of Day 1:
Don Bosco – 36
Lisbon – 25
Logan-Magnolia -21
Nashua-Plainfield – 19.5
Underwood – 18.5
West Sioux – 18.5
Alburnett – 14
North Butler-Clarksville – 14
New London – 11
Akron-Westfield, Columbus Catholic, Emmetsburg, Interstate 35, West Hancock – 10
8:33 p.m. — Easton Eledge is last wrestler to advance from Day 1
All four of the consolation bouts at 285 pounds were won by decision. Underwood’s Easton Eledge (21-4) beat out Beckman Catholic’s Jason Koopmann (24-14) to advance to the quarterfinals on Friday.
8:26 p.m. — Onto the last round of wrestlebacks for Thursday
BGM-Brooklyn’s LJ Henkle won by decision over Akron-Westfield’s Cael Moffatt. Henkle was the first wrestler at 285 pounds to advance to the quarterfinals from the consolation round.
8:23 p.m. — Delay for final consolation rounds
Wrestlers waiting to compete in the 220 and 285 pound consolation rounds are currently delayed. Regulations require a certain period of time pass for wrestlers to rest before they compete again.
8:17 p.m. — Tight matchup in 182 wrestleback
Missouri Valley’s Gage Clausen won by fall over Bedford-Lenox’s Jake Cox in the consolation round at 182. Clausen pinned Cox after 3:11, and both wrestlers finished with identical 42-9 records at the end of the first round. Clausen moves on to the quarterfinals, while Cox’s state tournament run ends.
8:02 p.m. — West Branch gets its first state meet win since 2016
Sophomore Logan Wright (44-6) won by major decision over Lake Milles freshman Wyatt Hanna. It's the first state meet win for West Branch since 2016, and the Bears picked up another win in the consolation round.
Sophomore 220-pounder Logan Wright gave West Branch it's first state meet win since 2016 with a 9-0 major decision in his 220-pound opener. Lincoln Edwards added a win in the 113 consolation round for the Bears. #iahswr
— Ryan Murken (@rmmurken) February 18, 2022
7:57 p.m. — Update on Aaron Graves (basketball score)
In case you missed it, Southeast Valley's Aaron Graves went from winning his opening round match in the state wrestling tournament to playing for the Jaguars' basketball team.
Well, he's leading all Southeast Valley scorers with 27 points. And the game isn't even over yet.
This guy just pinned a dude this morning at The Well.
And is now almost single-handily beating a top 10 team in Class 2A basketball.
What on earth. #iahsbkb #iahswr https://t.co/dgluZbYm2T— Quinn Douglas (@Quinn_Douglas_) February 18, 2022
7:46 p.m. — 285 bout settled in overtime
Treynor’s Daniel Gregory (39-7) and Underwood’s Easton Eledge (20-3) needed extra time to decide a winner. It was Gregory who came out on top, winning in the tie breaker. Eledge moves on to the consolation rounds at 285.
285: Daniel Gregory (Treynor) beats Easton Eledge (Underwood) in overtime. #kmasports #iahswr
— Trevor Maeder (@TrevMaeder96) February 18, 2022
7:40 p.m. — Class 1A team scores after round one
Here is what the Class 1A team race looks like at the end of the first round, before most wrestleback’s get underway:
Don Bosco – 34
Lisbon – 23
Logan-Magnolia – 19
Underwood – 18.5
West Sioux – 18.5
Nashua-Plainfield – 15.5
Alburnett – 14
North Butler-Clarksville – 14
New London – 11
Emmetsburg – 10
West Hancock – 10
7:34 p.m. — Allen and Utterback set for wrestlebacks
The last two girls standing in the 2022 Iowa state wrestling tournament - Molly Allen and Reanah Utterback - will wrestle side-by-side in their consolation matches.
Molly Allen and Reanah Utterback side by side.
Mat 3 and Mat 5 #IAhswr pic.twitter.com/RHNGpXHVX2— IAwrestle (@IAwrestle) February 18, 2022
7:26 p.m. — Blake McAlister advances with a pin
The Southeast Central Calhoun senior needed just over a minute to advance to the quarterfinals of the state wrestling tournament.
It’s just business for @scc_titans senior @bmcalister_4 .
Facing off against Baxter’s Callyn Bishop in the First Round of the IHSAA State Wrestling Tournament’s 170 lbs. bracket, McAlister pinned his foe in 1:11.#iahswr pic.twitter.com/5bInCVo6VB— Tyler Anderson (@Tyler_Liger) February 18, 2022
7:23 p.m. — West Sioux off to a hot start
West Sioux went 5-0, all bonus wins: 3 pins, a TF, and a major.
May not have the horses to run after first, but that’s a hell of a start for the Falcons. #iahswr— Cody Goodwin (@codygoodwin) February 18, 2022
7:17 p.m. — Tenold keeps Don Bosco in the lead
Don Bosco continues to move ahead with the first win at 195. Senior Carson Tenold (24-2) won by fall over AHSTW’s Nate Jorgensen (14-16). We’re down to the last three weight classes before the consolation round on Day 1 of the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament.
7:12 p.m. — West Sioux's Lynott headed to Friday matches
West Sioux’s Carson Lynott has had a shorter season, but that didn’t matter on Thursday. The senior improved to 12-0 at 182 pounds with a win by fall over Caelen DeVault (31-8) from Nodaway Valley.
7:00 p.m. — 1A team scores after a handful of weight classes
Here’s a way too early look at the team race in Class 1A:
Lisbon – 17
Don Bosco – 16
Nashua-Plainfield – 15.5
Underwood – 14.5
Alburnett – 14
Logan-Magnolia – 12
West Sioux – 11
Central Springs – 8
New London – 7
Emmetsburg – 6
Ogden – 6
6:55 p.m. — Class 1A fans are getting into the action
It might be late in the opening day of the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament, but the fans in Wells Fargo for Class 1A action don't mess around.
This Class 1A Crowd here tonight is the best crowd we've had all day.
Just a reminder small schools freaking rule. #iahswr #kqradio— Quinn Douglas (@Quinn_Douglas_) February 18, 2022
6:50 p.m. — First win at 152 pounds
Logan-Magnolia’s Wyatt Reisz (46-1) wins the first 152-pound bout in 1A. He pinned West Hancock’s Creighton Kelly to advance to the quarterfinals. Kelly will compete in wrestlebacks for a spot in Friday’s competition.
6:40 p.m. — Rowdy Neighbor is heading to the quarterfinals
One of the Register’s favorite names in this year’s tournament is headed to the quarterfinals. Alburnett freshman Rowdy Neighbor (40-12) won by decision over Moravia senior Dalton Ervin (38-8). Rowdy Neighbor is a first-team selection on Cody Goodwin’s hypothetical All-Name Team.
6:35 p.m. — Freshman pair advance to quarterfinals
Lakes Mills' freshmen Lucas Oldenkamp (106) and Hayden Helgeson (113) both won their opening round matches to advacne to the quarterfinals on Friday.
Lake Mills' freshmen duo of Lucas Oldenkamp (106) and Hayden Helgeson (113) each win their state tournament debuts
Oldenkamp works two takedowns, two reversals to win 10-4; Helgeson hits three takedowns for the 8-2 victory
Both are into tomorrow's quarterfinals#iahswr— Zach Martin (@zach_martin95) February 18, 2022
6:29 p.m. — Porter extends unbeaten streak
Underwood’s Gable Porter (43-0) won by fall over Riverside-Oakland’s Taven Moore. Porter pinned Moore in 21 seconds, becoming the first 132 pound wrestler to advance to the 1A quarterfinals.
6:24 p.m. — On to 126 pounds
New London’s Marcel Lopez improved to 52-0 with a win by fall over Van Meter’s Garrett Cole. Lopez is one of three wrestlers in this year’s state tournament going for his fourth state title, and the only wrestler in 1A in a position to do that this season.
6:17 p.m. — Both 1A girl wrestlers to compete in wrestlebacks
Reanah Utterback (Sigourney-Keota) lost her opening round matchup. Mount Ayr’s Brock Shaha won by decision and improved to 31-10 this season.
Both Utterback and Molly Allen dropped their first round bouts, but both girl wrestlers will compete in wrestlebacks with hopes to make the quarterfinals.
6:14 p.m. — Allen drops opening match
North Tama’s Case Monat won by fall over Underwood’s Molly Allen. Allen will head to the consolation round in hopes of earning a spot in the quarterfinal round.
6:10 p.m. — First wins rolling in
First wins rolling in
Cascade’s Brock Morris won by fall over Eagle Grove’s Mack Morgan. Akron-Westfield’s Cael Morrow also won by fall over Davis Bramman from Riverside-Oakland. Don Bosco’s Caleb Coffin won his opening round match over Earlham’s Dallas Canoyer.
Att 113, Missouri Valley’s Eli Becerra was the first to advance with a win over Panorama’s Tage Monahan.
6:02 p.m. — It's time to start Session III
The final session of the day in underway. We have Class 1A wrestlers on deck to compete in the first round of the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament. Two of the wrestlers in the 106-pound class are Molly Allen and Reanah Utterback.
Allen and Utterback are two of three girl wrestlers to qualify for this year's state tournament.
5:45 p.m. — All-Iowa candidates in 1A
Sure, Class 3A had ten wrestlers that are making their case to be All-Iowa wrestler of the year. But Waverly-Shell Rock and Southeast Polk both compete in 3A, so that skews the balance a bit.
Well, there are four wrestlers from Class 1A on Cody Goodwin’s list of candidates. North Butler-Clarksville’s Chet Buss holds a perfect 44-0 record at 285 pounds. He’s also won 131 matches in a row, and recorded 129 career pins.
West Hancock’s Matt Francis is another player that made the list. The 220-pounder is 52-0 this season with 42 pins.
A 2020 state champ and a two-time finalist, Underwood’s Gable Porter has the potential to be the All-Iowa wrestler of the year. He’s also undefeated with a 42-0 record. He’s also already beaten four different state champions from four different states this season.
And then there’s Marcel Lopez, who has a chance to win his fourth state wrestling title this year. The New London senior is 51-0 this season at 126 pounds, and he’s won 121 consecutive matches.
Basically, there’s a lot of high-level wrestling happening in 1A to finish out Day 1 of the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament.
5:30 p.m. — Twin pins in Class 3A
It was a successful start to the Iowa high school state wrestling for two sets of twins in Class 3A. Dowling Catholic’s Jacob and Evan Frost both recorded first-round wins. Evan won by technical fall over Waukee Northwest’s Bain Jepsen in their 132 pound bout. Jacob moved on to the quarterfinal round with a pin over Dubuque Hempstead’s Kyrie Tate.
Southeast Polk has its own set of twins: Carter and Carson Martinson. Carter pinned his opponent in 58 seconds at 152 pounds and Carson won his first-round match with a pin in 30 seconds at 160 pounds. The Martinson brothers accounted for two of the Rams’ eight pins in the opening round.
Those are just the twins that won in 3A. Cody Goodwin has you covered with a look at how all the siblings performed in the second session in the wrestling state tournament.
5:10 p.m. — Two girl wrestlers set to compete in 1A
Ottumwa’s Jasmine Luedtke already competed in Class 3A, but now it’s time for the two freshman girl wrestlers in this year’s Iowa high school state wrestling tournament to compete.
Underwood’s Molly Allen and Sigourney-Keota’s Reanah Utterback will both wrestle at 106 pounds in Class 1A. Allen (32-5) will face North Tama sophomore Case Monat (32-7) in the first round. Utterback (38-3) will compete against Mount Ayr freshman Brock Shaha to open the tournament.
Allen and Utterback became the fifth and sixth girls ever to qualify for the IHSAA state wrestling championship.
Here is the full list:
Molly Allen (2022)
Reanah Utterback (2022)
Jasmine Luedtke (2021, 2022)
Ella Schmit (2021)
Cassy Herkelman (2011)
Megan Black (2011, 2012)
Both Allen and Utterback won their respective district’s 106-pound class. Allen won 1A’s District 6, while Utterback won District 7.
4:50 p.m. — Huge group of football players advance to 3A quarterfinals
Hi, it’s your friendly neighborhood recruiting reporter back with an update on how Iowa’s top football recruits are faring in the high school state wrestling tournament. It’s not our fault football players make excellent wrestlers, and vice versa.
But Class 3A needs an update like this, because there are a lot of high-level football recruits that double as successful wrestlers in this section. Take Ben Kueter, for example. He’s committed to Iowa for both wrestling and football. He’s headed to the quarterfinals with an undefeated 34-0 record at 220 pounds.
We’ve talked about Cael Winter, a Waukee Northwest wrestler with a pretty good story. He made it through to the quarterfinals after winning his wrestleback. North Scott’s AJ Peterson won by decision over Carlisle’s Joshua Hemsted in the 195-pound class.
Pleasant Valley’s Rusty VanWetzinga lost his opening round to Waukee’s Blake Hauck, but he won his consolation match to make it to the quarterfinals.
Here’s where it gets interesting for wrestling fans that also follow high school football recruiting. Class 3A’s 285-pound class has five wrestlers that are all Division I football recruits. And they all won their first round matchups to make it through to the quarterfinals.
Norwalk’s Maddux Borcherding-Johnson and Luke Gaffney (preferred walk-on) are committed to play for the Hawkeyes. Pleasant Valley’s Luke Vonderhaar will play football at Air Force. North Scott’s David Borchers and Waukee Northwest’s Ben Reiland hold several offers.
It’s going to be really fun to watch some of the state’s top football players compete head-to-head in Friday’s matchups.
4:30 p.m. — Busy weekend for Aaron Graves
Want to know how busy Southeast Valley's Aaron Graves' is on Thursday. Well, this morning he competed in the Class 2A first round, beating Creston's Quinten Fuller by fall. Then he'll suit up for the Jaguars boys basketball when they take on Roland Story in the second round of substates at 7 p.m.
Then he might want to get some sleep, because he has to be back at the Wells Fargo Center in the morning for 2A quarterfinals.
Here's what you need to know about heavyweight Aaron Graves of Southeast Valley (Gowrie).
1. He won his opening match by fall at the 2A Iowa HS state wrestling tournament.
2. He will play in a basketball game tonight for his HS team.
3. He signed to play football at Iowa. pic.twitter.com/3nts40DqKC— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) February 17, 2022
4:10 p.m. — Class 3A team scores at the end of Day 1
Here are the Class 3A team scores at the end of the second session:
Southeast Polk – 36.5
Waukee Northwest – 32
Waverly-Shell Rock – 32
Bettendorf – 24.5
North Scott – 22
Indianola – 20.5
Iowa City West – 19
Linn-Mar – 17
Bondurant-Farrar – 16
Dowling Catholic – 15.5
Class 3A Team Scores, Day One
1. Southeast Polk, 36.5 (9 front, 1 back)
T2. Waverly-Shell Rock, 32 (11, 1)
T2. Waukee NW, 32 (8, 3)
4. Bettendorf, 24.5 (6, 1)
5. North Scott, 22 (5, 3)
6-10: Indy IC West, L-M, B-F, Dowling.
Strap in, y'all. This one is gonna get wild. #iahswr— Cody Goodwin (@codygoodwin) February 17, 2022
4:05 p.m. — Winter is back in it
Cael Winter (Waukee Northwest) still has a shot in the state tournament. The 220-pounder lost in the first round but came back in the consolation round. Winter won by major decision over Muscatine’s Evan Franke.
He missed part of the Wolves football season when he was hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs and pneumonia. Now, he’s competing in this year’s state wrestling tournament. It doesn’t get much better than that.
3:54 p.m. — Wells Fargo is looking good
It's been a pretty packed house for the first day of the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament. And that hasn't let up, even as we get closer to the end of 3A competition.
This view never gets old. #iahswr pic.twitter.com/MDjL1FJwZU
— Tyler Anderson (@Tyler_Liger) February 17, 2022
3:50 p.m. — Storm Lake's state tournament run is done
Edgar Barreiro was the only Tornado's wrestler to qualifier for the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament. Storm Lakes time in this year's tournament came to an end when Clinton's Brooke Peters won by major decision over Barreiro.
Storm Lake’s Edgar Barreiro falls 11-3 in his consolation match. The Tornado’s state tournament trip ends on Thursday. #iahswr
— Matt Heinrichs (@mattheinrix) February 17, 2022
3:44 p.m. — Well, you don't see that every day
Official Rick Helmrich tosses the first coin flip and gets a 10.0 from the judges for sticking the landing. @FloWrestling pic.twitter.com/qKLCj7KCRv
— Iowa High School Sports Network (@Watch_IHSSN) February 17, 2022
3:35 p.m. — Six undefeated wrestlers advance to 3A quarterfinals
Class 3A had six unbeaten wrestlers heading into Thursday's first round competition. And those six athletes still have perfect records going into Friday's quarterfinal round.
Blake Gioimo, Prairie, 41-0, 113
Ryder Block, Waverly-Shell Rock, 35-0, 138
Hunter Garvin, Iowa City West, 45-0, 152
Aiden Riggins, Waverly-Shell Rock, 40-0, 160
Ben Kueter, Iowa City High, 34-0, 220
Carson Hagan, Dowling Catholic, 27-0, 285
3:23 p.m. — Ryan Rider beats Luedtke in wrestlebacks
Carlisle's Ryan Rider advanced with a win by fall over Ottumwa's Jasmine Luedtke. Rider's win ended Luedtke's time in the state tournament. Luedtke was one of three girls to qualify this year, and one of only two girls to make the Iowa high school tournament twice.
3:19 p.m. — Class 3A team score update
We’re heading into Class 3A wrestlebacks, so here’s what the team scores look like right now:
Southeast Polk – 34
Waverly-Shell Rock – 31
Waukee Northwest – 26
Bettendorf – 21.5
North Scott – 18
Linn-Mar – 17
Ankeny – 15
Bondurant-Farrar – 15
Iowa City West – 14
Dowling Catholic – 13.5
3:11 p.m. — Iowa City West sends tough competition to the quarterfinals
Iowa City West sends four wrestlers to the state quarterfinals, including three-time champion Robert Avila Jr. and undefeated Hunter Garvin. That's a pretty impressive lineup.
West High sends four into the Class 3A quarterfinals. Seniors Grant O'Dell (138), Robert Avila (145), Hunter Garvin (152) and Kael Scranton (160) all moving on for the Trojans. #iahswr
— Ryan Murken (@rmmurken) February 17, 2022
3:06 p.m. — Cael Winter drops first round match
Spencer’s Logan Huckfelt won by decision over Waukee Northwest’s Cael Winter at 220 pounds. Winter will have another chase in the consolation round, but even qualifying for the state tournament is nothing short of a big deal for Winter.
He missed part of the Wolves football season when he was hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs and pneumonia. Now, he’s competing in this year’s state wrestling tournament. It doesn’t get much better than that.
2:57 p.m. — How did Iowa wrestling commit Ben Kueter do in the first round?
Iowa City High junior Ben Kueter (34-0) won by tech fall over Linn-Mar’s Griffin Schultz at 220 pounds in the first round for Class 3A. He’ll move on to the quarterfinal round for a chance to compete for an individual state title. Oh, did we mention he’s also committed to Iowa for football?
2:53 p.m. — Rams making a serious case for a 3A team title
Southeast Polk just went 9-2 with 8 pins in the first round. Rams did not come to play games this weekend. #iahswr
— Cody Goodwin (@codygoodwin) February 17, 2022
2:45 p.m. — Southeast Polk on top
The Rams lead the way in the 3A team race with 28 points. Waukee Northwest is in second with 22 points and Waverly-Shell Rock is in third with 21. We still have a lot of wrestling, so that can change before the end of Thursday's matches.
2:38 p.m. — We have a quarterback heading to the quarterfinals
Lewis Central's Braylon Kammrad (34-7) won by decision over Ankeny's Xander Kenworthy at 170-pounds. In the fall, he lead the Titans to the first Class 4A state football championship in school history.
2:32 p.m. — Hunter Garvin's perfect record remains intact
Out of the undefeated wrestlers in 3A, those that have already competed still have perfect records. Iowa City West's Hunter Garvin (45-0) - another candidate for All-Iowa wrestler of the year - won by fall over Waukee Northwest's Isaac Vollmecke at 152 pounds.
2:26 p.m. — Waverly-Shell Rock wrestler disqualified
Sam Hornyak from Waverly-Shell Rock was called for misconduct in his match against Linn-Mar's Brayden Parke. Parke won by decision over Hornyak, and the Go-Hawk junior's disqualification could impact the team race.
Well …
Waverly-Shell Rock’s Sam Hornyak was ejected for a flagrant misconduct at 126. I didn’t see it. But it cost the Go-Hawks three team points.
SEP, meanwhile, has rolled up seven pins in their first nine weights.
Wild opening round so far. #iahswr— Cody Goodwin (@codygoodwin) February 17, 2022
2:18 p.m. — Go-Hawks' Block still undefeated
Waverly-Shell Rock's Ryder Block (35-0) won by fall over Austin Vandersee from Linn-Mar in the first round of 3A-138 competition. He'll advance to the quarterfinals as the only undefeated wrestler in his weight class.
2:13 p.m. — More wins for Waverly-Shell Rock and Southeast Polk
Go-Hawks senior Carter Fecht (31-8) won by decision over Dallas Center-Grimes' Logan Gard in the opening round for 3A-132. Also at 132 pounds, Southeast Polk's Cooper Hanson won by fall Ankeny Centennial's Cael Wiener. Looks like Waverly-Shell Rock and Southeast Polk are keeping the competition close.
2:09 p.m. — Three-time state medalist advances
Mason City's Jace Rhodes, a three-time state medalist, won by tech fall over North SCott's Cael Straley. Rhodes is on the quarterfinal round on Friday.
3A 132
Jace Rhodes (Mason City) tech fall Cael Straley (North Scott), 18-2 in 2:46
Pretty dominant first match for the three-time state medalist. Rhodes is into the quarterfinals tomorrow#iahswr— Zach Martin (@zach_martin95) February 17, 2022
2:00 p.m. — Hall of Pride honors Sgt. Anthony Beminio
Fans attending this weekend's tournament should make a stop in the Iowa Hall of Pride to see the exhibit on Des Moines police officer Anthony Beminio. He and fellow officer Justin Martin were killed in an ambush on Nov. 2, 2016.
He was a prolific wrestler for Iowa City West, helping the Trojans to a 4A State Title in 1995. His son, Cameron, shared his dad's passion for wrestling from an early age.
Fantastic exhibit here at the @iowahallofpride for the late Sgt. Tony Beminio of @DMPolice.
Includes his state championship bracket from his senior year at Iowa City West, and the 1995 Class 4A State Title trophy the Trojans won his senior year. #iahswr pic.twitter.com/Oa4FdHWVyP— Quinn Douglas (@Quinn_Douglas_) February 17, 2022
1:52 p.m. — Behrends wins by decision
At 113 pounds, Zane Behrends and Ryker Graff competed in the first head-to-head match between Waverly-Shell Rock and Southeast Polk wrestlers. The Go-Hawks and the Rams are two of the strongest programs in the state, and Behrends helped Waverly-Shell Rock to a win in 113.
1:47 p.m. — How did some of the wrestlers we've highlighted fare?
Ottumwa's Jasmine Luedtke is one of three girls in the 2022 Iowa high school state wrestling tournament. She's the second girl to qualify for the state tournament twice, but Indianola's Bowen Downey won by fall in their first round matchup.
Prairie's Blake Giomio (41-0) remains undefeated after winning by fall over Jonathan Ryan (Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln). He'll move on to the quarterfinal round at the top of the weight class.
1:42 p.m. — On to 113-pound matches
We’re already on the way to 113-pound matchups. Dru Ayala (Fort Dodge) improved to 40-2 and moves on to the quarterfinal round with a win by tech fall over North Scott’s Hayden Ulloa. Southeast Polk’s Carter Pearson, Carlisle’s Aiden Serrano and Bettendorf’s Timothy Koester all won their first matches, as well.
1:31 p.m. — Class 3A action is underway
It's time for the opening round of the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament. Kicking off the competition is Fort Dodge's Dru Ayala and North Scott's Hayden Ulloa at 106 pounds.
1:14 p.m. — A couple of must-watch matches in Class 3A
There’s a ton of talent in 3A wrestling, and we’d watch every match if we could. Thankfully, Cody Goodwin picked five first-rounds matches you won’t want to miss, and here are a couple that stand out.
Southeast Polk’s Ryker Graff and Waverly-Shell Rock’s Zane Behrends will go head to head in the 113-pound class, and has the potential to set the tone for the Class 3A team race. It’ll be freshman versus sophomore, with Graff making his first appearance in the high school state tournament and Behrends a returning place-winner.
Cael Winter (Waukee Northwest) versus Logan Huckfelt (Spencer) will go head-to-head in the first round of the 220-pound class for 3A. Cael Winter is another great comeback story. He missed part of the Wolves football season when he was hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs and pneumonia. Now, he’s competing in this year’s state wrestling tournament. It doesn’t get much better than that.
12:59 p.m. — Wait, which wrestler recovered from a gnarly leg injury to win his first round match?
If you’re looking for a great comeback story, look no further than Camanche’s Eric Kindkaid. The senior is the No. 1 seed at 145 pounds in Class 2A, but there were doubts if he’d even have a wrestling season after breaking his left leg – while playing for Waukon football – a little over three months ago.
“I was very nervous,” Kinkaid told Cody Goodwin. “I thought my senior season was taken away from me. That’s what my whole career was driving toward. I was really scared.”
But, on Thursday, Kinkaid opened with a 16-0 technical fall over Kordell Negrete (East Marshall) to advance to Friday’s quarterfinal round. An aggressive rehab allowed Kinkaid to return to the mat in late-January, and he posted a 13-1 record since.
12:35 p.m. — Is the race for All-Iowa Wrestler of the Year in Class 3A?
Earlier this week, Cody Goodwin identified 17 candidates for the 2022 All-Iowa wrestler of the year. If it wasn’t already clear how loaded Class 3A is with talent, well check this out: 10 of those 17 candidates wrestle for 3A programs. Let’s break it down.
Robert Avila Jr. (Iowa City West) is one of three wrestlers who could win a fourth state wrestling title this year. He’ll wrestle at 145 pounds, going up against Davenport West’s Kelton Youngberg in the first round.
Waverly-Shell Rock has a couple wrestlers in the conversation for wrestler of the year. Ryder Block is undefeated at 34-0 in the 138-pound class. Aiden Riggins is 75-0 and a returning state champ. He’ll kick off his state tournament with a match against Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Rashon Jennings.
No surprise here, but Southeast Polk has a couple athletes on the list, as well. The Rams brought a set of brothers and retuning state champs, Joel and Nate Jesuroga, to the tournament. Joel is 36-1 in at 145 pounds and Nate is 39-1 at 126 this season.
Linn-Mar has the youngest candidate on the list, sophomore Kane Naaktgeboren, who will compete in the 132-pound class. His older brother, Tate Naaktgeboren made the cut, as well. He qualified for states in the 170-pound class and is 36-2 this season.
Rounding out the 3A wrestlers on the list for All-Iowa are Iowa City West senior Hunter Garvin, Cedar Rapids Prairie junior Blake Gioimo and Iowa City High junior (and Iowa football and wrestling commit) Ben Kueter.
12:10 p.m. — What to expect in Class 3A
It looks like 3A is going to be a race between top-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock and No. 2 Southeast Polk, per usual. The Go-Hawks are three-time defending 3A state champs and qualified all 14 wrestlers for this week’s state tournament. That hasn’t been done since the IHSAA expanded to 14 weight classes in 2001.
The Rams brought 11 wrestlers, which gives Waverly-Shell Rock the advantage in at least three classes that Southeast Polk did not qualify (170, 220 and 285).
Waukee Northwest has a good chance at third place, or higher if Waverly-Shell Rock or Southeast Polk don’t perform up to expectations. The Wolves brought 12 wrestlers to the state tournament, including returning state finalists Koufax Christensen (113), Carter Freeman (120) and Griffin Gammell (182).
11:55 a.m. — Jasmine Luedtke set to be first girl to wrestler in 2022 tournament
There’s a little bit of a break between the end of Class 2A action and the beginning of Class 3A wrestling for Day 1. Iowa wrestling fans will get a look at one of three girls who qualified for the state tournament when Ottumwa’s Jasmine Luedtke competed in the 113-pound weight class.
Luedtke, a sophomore with a 19-14 record this season, will face off against Bowen Downey (37-3) from Indianola first. She finished second in 3A’s District 4 after losing to Bettendorf’s Steele Diercks in the finals. This is her second time qualifying for the state tournament, and Luedtke is only the second Iowa girl – behind Cedar Falls’ Megan Black (2011, 2012) – to qualify for the state tournament twice.
Luedtke will be joined in the tournament by Underwood’s Molly Allen and Sigourney-Keota’s Reanah Utterback, who both qualified at 106 pounds in Class 1A.
11:38 a.m. – Final scores for Class 2A after wrestlebacks
Notre Dame-West Burlington and West Delaware are tied for first at the end of the first round for Class 2A. Here is how the top ten looks after Day 1 of the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament:
Notre Dame-West Burlington – 25
West Delaware – 25
Vinton-Shellsburg – 19
Sergeant Bluff-Luton – 17
Osage – 16.5
Union-La Porte City – 15
Winterset – 15
Webster City – 14
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows – 13
Glenwood – 12
Sioux Center – 12
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11:25 a.m. — Pair of medical forfeits in 2A-145 wrestlebacks
Sergeant Bluff-Luton’s Hunter Steffans won by medical forfeit over Independence’s Isaiah Weber, while Albia’s Justin Keller also won by medical forfeit over Roland-Story’s Christian Eslick. It’s a tough end to the season for some of the state’s top wrestlers.
11:15 a.m. — Trip down memory lane
Fans have packed the stands at the Wells Fargo Center for the 2022 Iowa high school state wrestling tournament. But might we suggest taking a little trip down memory lane, when matches were held at Iowa's Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
State wrestling is probably a little more comfortable for fans at Wells Fargo Arena, but there was something great about being on the floor at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, moving with the herd of fans (and media) from mat to mat. #iahswr https://t.co/DAnizvmhSd
— Adam Wilson (@ad_wilson) February 17, 2022
11:07 a.m. — Class 2A team standings after round one
Here’s how the teams stack up at the end of the Class 2A first round, ahead of wrestlebacks:
West Delaware – 25
Notre Dame-West Burlington – 24
Vinton-Shellsburg – 16
Osage – 15.5
Union-La Porte City – 14
Webster City – 14
Glenwood – 12
Sergeant Bluff-Luton – 12
Sioux Center – 11
Winterset – 11
10:57 — Breaking down the top teams' results
Cody Goodwin has the breakdown of each team's results. Notre Dame-West Burlington is still on top with 22 points, and we'll have an update on final scores after the consolation round.
Class 2A, First Round
West Delaware: 7-2, 4 pins
Burlington-ND: 7-2, 4 pins, major
Union: 5-1, 2 pins
Webster City: 4-0, 3 pins
Osage: 6-1, pin, TF
Vinton-Shellsburg: 4-2, 2 pins, major
SB-L: 4-4, 2 pins
Wrestlebacks going now. Will have full team scores after. #iahswr— Cody Goodwin (@codygoodwin) February 17, 2022
10:55 a.m. — 285 is the place for high-level (football) talent
Look, we know you're here for all things wrestling state tournament. But we can't ignore that there are some really good wrestlers that are also really good football players.
West Lyon's Easton Fleshman (44-1) won by decision over North Fayette Valley's Colton Schupbach. Fleshman also made All-State First team last season. Southeast Valley's Aaron Graves (27-1) won by fall over Quinten Fuller from Creston. Graves signed with the Hawkeyes football program in December and is the No. 3 2022 player in Iowa.
10:37 a.m. — A look at team scores as consolation rounds get underway
Here are the top ten team scores for Class 2A right now:
Notre Dame-West Burlington – 23
West Delaware – 18
Union-La Porte City – 14
Webster City – 14
Osage – 13.5
Vinton-Shellsburg – 13
Glenwood – 12
Sergeant Bluff-Luton – 12
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows – 8
Greene County – 8
Winterset – 8
10:30 a.m. — Henry Christensen beats Jahsiah Galvan
Ballard’s Christensen won by fall over West Liberty’s Galvan in the 195-pound class. Galvan, a three-star Northern Iowa football recruit, is one of Iowa’s top football prospects competing in this year’s state wrestling tournament.
10:24 a.m. — Burlington-Notre Dame off to a hot start
Carter West started off with a win over Isaac Wilson in the 106-pound class. Kaiden Dietzenbach won by major decision in 113, and Blaine Frazier remains undefeated in 2A-132 with a win by fall over Easton O’Brien. Isaiah Fenton (152), Samuel West (160), River Belger (170) and CJ Walrath (182) round out the other wins for West Burlington-Notre Dame.
Burlington-Notre Dame went 7-2 in the first round with 4 pins and a major decision. That’s a hell of a start for the Nikes. #iahswr
— Cody Goodwin (@codygoodwin) February 17, 2022
10:19 a.m. — Brotherly love
West Delaware’s Logan Peyton won in sudden victory over Winterset’s Eduardo Garcia in the 152-pound class. Who followed the younger Peyton on the same mat? His older brother, Jadyn Peyton, who won by fall over Clarinda’s Karson Downey in the first period.
10:07 a.m. — A couple big results to pay attention to
Austin Chally (Saydel) won by injury default over Isaiah Weber (Independence). Weber was a three-time finalist and 2021 champion heading into this year’s tournament.
Indee’s Isaiah Weber, 3x finalist and 2021 champ, injury-defaulted out of his first match. Looked like a rib injury. He led 4-0 in the first when he started favoring it, then gave up a reversal in the second, grabbed it again and that ended the match.
Prayers up man 😢 #iahswr— Cody Goodwin (@codygoodwin) February 17, 2022
In 2A-145, Cale Kirstein (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows) won by fall over previously undefeated Christian Eslick (44-1).
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10:00 a.m. — 100 pins for Brody Hoversten
Iowa Falls-Alden's Brody Hoversten recorded the 100th pin of his high school career against Davis County's Taylor Huggins. Not a bad place to hit that milestone.
IF-A's Brody Hoversten's pin today was the 100th win of his high school tenure. Congrats to him to accomplish that feat on the big stage. #iahswr
— Justin Ites (@TwinkieItes) February 17, 2022
9:53 a.m. — Returning champs advance in 138
Not only did Carter Fousek advance to the quarterfinals, but four returning champs in the 2A 138-pound class moved on by fall.
We're through 138 pounds in Class 2A's first round. All four returning champs — Kade Blume, Cam Phetxoumphone, McKinley Robbins, Carter Fousek — advanced by fall. #iahswr
🤼https://t.co/zx1dCrA0N6 pic.twitter.com/xq5m4N2Q7r— IHSAA (@IHSAA) February 17, 2022
9:50 a.m. — Ty Koedam comes from behind for win in 138
Carroll senior Carter Drake jumped out to an early lead, but Koedam scored six straight points to win by decision.
Drake is defeated 6-4 in a heartbreaker. The SB-L opponent got a takedown right at the third period buzzer. #iahswr
— Mark Schafer (@mark_schafer) February 17, 2022
9:45 a.m. — Quick work for Kale Petersen
Greene County's Petersen (10-0) needed just 78 seconds to beat Crestwood-Cresco's Kole Johnson. Petersen won by fall and moves on to the quarterfinals.
Greene County’s Kale Petersen, the #2 seed at 120lbs, needed just 78 seconds to pin his first round opponent.
He’s on to tomorrow’s 2A quarterfinals. #iahswr— Brandon J. Hurley (@BrandonJHurley) February 17, 2022
9:40 a.m. — Carter Fousek is on his way
Crestwood-Cresco's Fousek picked up the first win in the 138-pound class with a fall over Creston's Austin Evans in 1:40. Fousek moves on to the quarterfinals and his hopes for a fourth individual state title stay alive.
More: Carter Fousek is authoring his own legendary chapter in Cresco’s rich wrestling history
9:36 a.m. — Will Waverly-Shell Rock continue success from duals title?
Last night, Waverly-Shell Rock and Southeast Polk went head to head in the Iowa state wrestling duals championship. It was the Go-Hawks that came out on top with a 30-26 win over the Rams. Waverly-Shell Rock won five of the final six weight and rallied from a 20-8 deficit for the win.
The question this weekend will be if Waverly-Shell Rock can continue it’s reign when Class 3A competition gets underway. With its second-straight 3A duals title, the Go-Hawks should continue that success into the state tournament.
9:30 a.m. — Moment of silence
Two major members of the Iowa wrestling community were remembered ahead of Thursday's matches.
Moment of silence for Wyatt Schultz and Mark Reiland. Still sucks, man. F*cking sucks, but we keep wrestling on the move.
— K.J. Pilcher (@kjpilcher) February 17, 2022
9:15 a.m. — Two wrestlers remain undefeated in 2A
Nevada's Kaden Weber (37-0) won by major decision over Mitchell Schmauss (30-9) and Union-La Porte City's Jace Hederman (43-0) won by fall over Ethan Long (31-15) to move on to the next round.
More: 15 first-round matches to watch at the 2022 Iowa high school state wrestling tournament
9:05 a.m. — We're officially underway
we are wrestling 💥 pic.twitter.com/S1uq6cJCi4
— Cody Goodwin (@codygoodwin) February 17, 2022
9:00 a.m. — Three wrestlers going for fourth state title
It’s been 60 years Bob Steenlage became the first Iowa high school wrestler to win four individual state titles. This year, there are three wrestlers in the state tournament that will be chasing the same goal. Robert Avila Jr. (Iowa City West), Carter Fousek (Crestwood) and Marcel Lopez (New London) will all be competing for their fourth individual state title this weekend.
More: Meet the 3 Iowa high school wrestlers trying to become four-time state wrestling champions
Avila will be competing in Class 3A, in the 145-pound weight class. His first opponent of the weekend is Davenport West’s Kelton Youngberg. Fousek will compete in the 138-pound class for 2A, and will take on Creston’s Austin Evans first. Lopez will be in the 1A 126-pound class, and will wrestle Garrett Cole from Van Meter.
8:45 a.m. — No surprise here, it's a packed house
We're about 15 minutes from the start of the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament, and there's no shortage of fans in the stands. Iowa wrestling fans are in for a packed three days with some of the best competition the stand has ever seen. Stay tuned here for more updates.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Recap: Iowa high school state wrestling tournament results from Day 1