Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

City High

Coach: Cory Connell (7th Season)

Assistant coaches: Morgan DePrenger, Josh Marin, Taylor Hotek, John Osterhout, Patrick Darby

Last season: MVC Conference champion; 8th at Class 3A state meet with 71 points

Returning starters: Ethan Wood-Finley, Jr., 106; Kyle Hefley, Sr., 152; Brandon Lalla, Sr., 170; Jacob Murry, Sr., 285

Other returning letterwinners: Garrett Bormann, Jr., 120; Reese Hayden, Jr., 113; Michael Santoro, Sr., 126; Ryan Ceynar, Sr., 138; Reese Caven, Jr., 145; Joe Ring, Sr., 182; Jason Lemus, Jr., 220

Headliner: Junior 106 pounder Ethan Wood-Finley hopes to give the Little Hawks a state champion for the second consecutive season after Jacob Dykes won the 195-pound title a year ago. Wood-Finley went 42-7 and finished fifth at state last year at 106 pounds.

Keep an eye on: Senior Kyle Hefley is intent to end his career on a high note following a junior season that featured 44 wins but ended with three consecutive losses, the final two at the state meet.

Circle the date: January 3 vs. West High. The Little Hawks go for a fourth consecutive win in the cross-town series against West High.

Breakdown: City High is coming off its most success season in a decade that included an MVC title, a trip to the state dual meet and a seventh-place finish at the 3A state meet.

There are holes to fill in the lineup with the loss of state champion Jacob Dykes, state runner-up Wilfred Kadohou and state qualifiers Joey Harney and Lance Bormann.

Highlighted by Wood-Finley and Hefley the Little Hawks have enough talent returning to avoid a drop off from last season.

Seniors Brandon Lalla (32-20) and Jacob Murry (36-15) were state qualifiers last season and open the season ranked in the top 10.

Seven other upperclassmen return with varsity experience including four different wrestlers that won 22 or more matches a year ago.

Senior Michael Santoro (24-23) and juniors Jason Lemus (22-26), Reese Caven (29-16) and Garrett Bormann (25-19) will all look to step up this season.

West High

Coach: Nate Moore (1st season)

Assistant coaches: Kody Pudil, Byron Tate, Aaron Stumpf, Matt Lepic, Joe Argo

Last season: Fourth at MVC Conference meet; 7th at Class 3A state meet with 73.5 points

Returning starters: Elijah Bruss, Soph., 126; Keaton Speicher, Sr., 132; Graham Gambrall, Soph., 138; Collin Leavy, Jr., 145; Jo Dixon, Sr., 160/170; Will Hoeft, Jr., 170/182; Landon Green, Sr., 195

Other returning letterwinners: Mason Sorge, Sr., 170; Marco Avalos, Sr., 195/220

Newcomers to watch: Grant O’Dell, Fr., 106; Parker McBride, Fr., 113; Hunter Garvin, Fr., 120; Mason Applegate, Fr., 152; Brett Pelfrey, Fr., 220

Headliner: Sophomore Graham Gambrall won 47 matches and placed sixth at the state meet at 138 pounds in his debut season last winter.

Keep an eye on: Junior Will Hoeft could be in for a breakthrough season after posting a 46-17 record and qualifying for the state meet a year ago.

Circle the date: November 29 vs. Cedar Rapids Jefferson. The Nate Moore era opens with a home dual against Mississippi Valley Conference rival Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

Breakdown: For the first time in 19 seasons there is a new coach leading the West High program.

Former West High and University of Iowa standout Nate Moore takes over for long-time, hall of fame coach Mark Reiland who led the program since 1999.

A two-time state champion as a prep while wrestling for Reiland, Moore takes over a team that returns a trio of state qualifiers.

Senior Keaton Speicher joins Gambrall and Hoeft as returning state qualifiers while Elijah Bruss, Collin Leavy and Jo Dixon all return with varsity experience.

West High could get a boost from the return of Landon Green who missed last season with an injury.

Liberty High

Coach: Joe Williams (2nd season)

Assistant Coaches: Louis Mazzetta, Chris Arnold, Cody Smith, Taylor Gibbins

Returning starters: Jarrod Alger, Soph.; Ashton Barker, Soph.; Mike Luyeye Mbonda, Jr.; Gavin Luze, Sr.; Klein Thoensen, Soph.; Kaleb Williams, Jr.

Other returning letterwinners: Drew Snyder, Soph.

Newcomers to watch: Carson Steffen, Sr.; Ethan Armstrong, Fr.; Darius Newell, Fr.; Elijah Terwilleger, Fr.

Headliner: Sophomore Ashton Barker just missed a state meet berth a year ago finishing 27-11 and placing third at the 2A district meet at 145 pounds.

Keep an eye on: Jared Alger posted a 23-20 record and advanced to the 2A district meet at 132 pounds a year ago.

Circle the date: December 13 vs. Dubuque Hempstead. The first home date in program history is a dual meet against Dubuque Hempstead.

Breakdown: Liberty High didn’t have a state qualifier a year ago in its first varsity season but with six full-time starters returning, including four that posted winning records a year ago that should change this season.

Alger and Barker lead the list of returners along with juniors Mike Luyeye Mbonda (12-23) and Kaleb Williams (23-15) and sophomore Klein Thoensen (18-14).

Senior Gavin Luze was 15-22 last season 220 pounds and Drew Snyder was 20-6 at 145 pounds.

Liberty High joins the Mississippi Valley Conference this season and will make the move up from Class 2A to 3A for postseason competition.

Regina

Coach: Adam Martensen (6th season)

Assistant coaches: Kile Beaver, Rick Kron, Zach Ries, Mason Simpson

Last season: 7th at RVC Conference Meet; 43rd at Class 1A state meet with 9 points

Returning starters: Nick Milder, Sr., 182; Scott Blondin, Sr., 160; Rowan Udell, Jr., 195; Will Bobst, Jr., 138; Drew Demory, Soph., 170; Sean Nugent, Soph., 132; Seth Lenz, Soph., 106

Newcomers to watch: Carter Rios, Fr., 113; Sam Aitchison, Fr., 120; Aden Clark, Fr., 152; Josh Gaffey, Fr., 195; Noah Kron, Fr., 138; Aidan Udell, Fr., 152; Caden Shelter, Fr., 220

Headliner: Senior Nick Milder is already a three-time RVC champion and two-time state qualifier and needs four wins to reach 100 for his career.

Keep an eye on: Senior Scott Blondin will look to end his career on a high note after missing all of last season with a knee injury. Blondin had 27 career wins in his first two seasons.

Circle the date: December 15 Regina Invitational. The Regals close out the 2018 portion of the schedule by hosting their own 15-team invitational.

Breakdown: Regina returns a state qualifier in Milder and a host of wrestlers with varsity experience as it attempts to improve on last year’s seventh place River Valley Conference finish.

Blondin and junior Rowan Udell have both been in the varsity lineup for several seasons and junior Will Bobst returns after winning eight matches a year ago.

The key for the Regals could be the development of its young wrestlers.

Sophomore Drew Demory, Sean Nugent and Seth Lenz all were regulars in the varsity lineup as freshman and head coach Adam Martensen expects contributions from as many as seven freshman. 

Solon

Coach: Blake Williams (8th season)

Last season: Runner-up at WAMAC Conference meet; 13th at Class 3A state meet with 38 points

Returning starters: Zeb Gnida, Jr., 132; Zack Bevans, Sr., 152; Mike Hoyle, Sr., 220; Andy Brokaw, Sr., 160

Other returning letterwinners: Aidan Dall, Sr., 138/145; Colton Spillman, Sr., 138/145; Caleb Ebert, Soph., 145/152; Jax Flynn, Jr., 170/182; Seamus Poynton, Jr., 170/182; Adam Bock, Sr., 195/220; Austin Schwake, Soph., 120; Hayes Diersen, Jr., 182/195; Jaxson Howsare, Sr., 160; Michael Broghammer, Jr., 285; Lucas TePoel, Soph., 145

Newcomers to watch: Hayden Taylor, Fr., 120/126; Jakobe Lahr, Fr., 106/113; Gage Marty, Fr., 170/182

Headliner: Junior Zeb Gnida won 46 matches and placed fourth at the 2A state meet at 120 pounds a year ago and enters the season ranked fourth in 2A at 132 pounds.

Keep an eye on: Senior Zack Bevans quietly put together an impressive season a year ago posting a 37-13 record and finishing sixth at the state meet.

Circle the date: January 12 Ed Hadenfeldt Invitational at Solon. The Spartans will attempt to improve on last year’s runner-up finish at their home, always challenging meet.  

Breakdown: A year after winning the 2A title there wasn’t much of a drop of for the Spartans last season.

Solon finished runner-up at the WAMAC meet and 13th at the Class 2A state meet a year ago and returns much of that firepower this year.

Four state qualifiers return led by Gnida and Bevans and are joined by four other wrestlers that advanced to the district meet last season.

Senior Mike Hoyle is a two-time state qualifier and won 47 matches last year while senior Andy Brokaw went 32-24 last season and qualified for the state meet for the first time.

Aidan Dall (34-19), Caleb Ebert (27-26), Jax Flynn (33-18) and Seamus Poynton (27-29) all return as district qualifiers.