Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

City High

Coach: Cory Connell (8th season)

Assistant coaches: Morgan DePrenger, Josh Marin, Chayse Shultz, Cody Smith

Last season: 3rd at MVC Conference meet; 23rd at Class 3A state meet with 25 points

Returning starters: Ethan Wood-Finley, Sr., 113; Garrett Bormann, Sr., 120; Reese Hayden, Sr., 126; Reese Caven, Sr., 145; Jason Lemus, Sr., 220; Gable Mitchell, Soph., 152

Other returning letterwinners: Gavin Lindaman, Sr., 132; Mohammad Abdallah, Sr., 160; Jack Carrell, Jr., 170; Carter Newton, Soph., 132  

Newcomers to watch: Ben Kueter, Fr., 160; Ari Collins, Fr., 132; Ryan Ott, Fr., 138

Headliner: Senior Ethan Wood-Finley is coming off the best season of his career when he went 36-5 and won conference and district titles before finishing fifth at the state meet at 106 pounds for the second consecutive season.

Keep an eye on: Garrett Bormann will look to end his career with a bang after a solid junior season that included a 34-8 record ended with a fourth-place district finish.

Circle the date: February 1 at Mississippi Valley Conference meet. City High has finished first and third at the past two MVC Super Meets and will look to continue that stretch of strong performances.

Breakdown: Led by Wood-Finley and Bormann the Little Hawks return six starters from last year’s squad that placed third at the Mississippi Valley Conference meet, won a district title and placed 23rd at the Class 3A state meet.

Wood-Finley is the lone returning state qualifier but seniors Bormann (34-8), Reese Hayden (13-15), Reese Caven (18-12) and Jason Lemus (20-23) all return with plenty of varsity experience.

Sophomore Gable Mitchell will look to take a big step forward after a 9-5 freshman season and the Little Hawks expect big things from stellar freshman Ben Kueter at 160 pounds.

West High

Coach: Nate Moore (2nd season)

Assistant coaches: Kody Pudil, Byron Tate, Aaron Stumpf

Last season: 7th at MVC Conference meet; 15th at Class 3A state meet with 46.5 points

Returning starters: Grant O’Dell, Soph., 106; Parker McBride, Soph., 113; Hunter Garvin, Soph., 126/132; Jackson Brennan, Sr., 138; Graham Gambrall, Jr., 152; Collin Leavy, Sr., 160; Ashton Barker, Jr., 170; Will Hoeft, Sr., 182; Brett Pelfrey, Soph., 220; Errol Alden Jr., 285

Other returning letterwinners: Mark Mueller, Soph., 132

Headliner: Sophomore Hunter Garvin quickly established himself as one of the top young wrestlers in the state posting a 39-4 record on his way to a state runner-up finish at 120 pounds last season.

Keep an eye on: Senior Will Hoeft is back after tearing his ACL at the MVC meet last season, an injury that required offseason surgery but couldn’t stop Hoeft from claiming a district title and finishing sixth at the state meet a year ago.

Circle the date: January 3 vs. City High. The Trojans will attempt to snap a four-match losing skid against their cross-town rival.

Breakdown: West High finished 15th at the Class 3A state meet in its first season under head coach Nate Moore but the Trojans have much bigger goals this season.

Ten starters return from last season including five state medalists which has West High hoping for a push toward the top of 3A.

Sophomore Hunter Garvin (39-4) headlines the list of returners following a runner-up finish at 120 pounds last season and joins returning state medalists Grant O’Dell, Graham Gambrall, Will Hoeft and Ashton Barker in the lineup.

O’Dell (34-16) and Gambrall (37-12) each finished eighth at the state meet last season while Hoeft (37-7) was sixth and Barker (21-7) placed third at 170 pounds while at Liberty High.

Liberty High

Coach: Joe Williams (3rd season)

Assistant coaches: Louis Mazzetta, Chris Arnold

Last season: 10th at MVC Conference meet; 28th at Class 3A state meet with 17 points

Returning starters: Jarrod Alger, Jr.; Kaleb Williams, Sr.; Jackson Philipp, Soph.; Damion Wilson, Sr.; Ethan Armstrong, Soph.

Other returning letterwinners: Brendon Benton, Soph.; Elijah Terwileger, Soph.; Leo Moore, Sr.; Charley Hall, Soph.

Newcomers to watch: Ian Brownsberger, Fr.; Vincent Wolfe, Fr.; Jaxson Morris, Fr.; Jackson Tubbs, Fr.; Austin Franklin, Fr.; Tristan Kubik, Fr.; Demarius Newell, Fr.

Headliner: Kaleb Williams is seeking a senior season breakthrough after a 21-11 junior season came up one win shy of a state meet berth.

Keep an eye on: Junior Jarrod Alger went 15-10 and finished fourth at the district meet but is another Liberty Hight wrestler primed for a breakthrough season.

Circle the date: January 16 at West High. Two cross-town rivals will clash in a MVC Valley Division dual at West High.

Breakdown: Five full time starters return as Liberty High enters its third season as a varsity program.

Alger and Williams headline the list of returners along with sophomores Ethan Armstrong (2-20) and Jackson Philipp (5-18) and senior Damion Wilson (2-23).

Head coach Joe Williams expects a boost from a solid group of incoming freshmen.

Solon

Coach: Blake Williams (9th season)

Assistant coaches: TJ Bevans, Aaron Hadenfeldt, Andy Gnida, Jacob Feuerbach, Jake Munson, Zack Becicka, Ryan Osgood

Last season: Runner-up at WAMAC Conference Meet; 5th at Class 2A state meet with 58.5 points

Returning starters: Colin Ottoson, Soph., 113; Kaden Lamm, Soph., 120; Jakobe Lahr, Soph., 132; Hayden Taylor, Soph., 138/145; Zeb Gnida, Sr.,152; Lucas Kampman, Soph., 152/160; Caleb Ebert, Jr., 160; Jax Flynn, Sr., 170; Seamus Poynton, Sr., 182/195; Hayes Dierson, Sr., 182/195; Michael Broghammer, Sr., 285

Other returning letterwinners: Gage Marty, Soph., 220; Cael O’Neill, Sr., 145; Lucas TePoel, Jr., 160/170

Newcomers to watch: Jackson Clevenger, Jr., 182/195; Nash Altman, Jr., 285; Cade Chapman, Jr., 160

Headliner: Sophomore Hayden Taylor made a name for himself last season with an impressive run to a state title finishing 51-2 while capturing the Class 2A 126-pound title.

Keep an eye on: Senior Jax Flynn will look to put an exclamation point on a stellar prep career after posting a 46-7 record and placing seventh at the Class 2A state meet at 170 pounds last season.

Circle the date: January 18 Ed Hadenfeldt Invite. After finishing three consecutive runner-up finishes at their home tournament the Spartans are seeking their first title since 2015.

Breakdown: Solon is coming off another strong season that included a runner-up finish at the WAMAC conference meet and a top-five finish at the Class 2A state tournament.

The Spartans bring back a wealth of experience from last year’s team that placed fifth at state with 11 starters returning including a trio of state medalists.

Taylor and Flynn each return along with senior Zeb Gnida who was 40-12 and placed sixth at state last season at 132 pounds.

Senior Seamus Poynton (35-10) and sophomores Jakobe Lahr (22-24) and Lucas Kampman (15-29) were all district qualifiers a year ago.

Regina

Coach: Zach Ries (1st season)

Assistant coaches: Kile Beaver, Adam Martensen, Cullen Udell, Rick Kron, Nathan Shank

Last season: 9th at RVC Conference Meet

Returning starters: Rowan Udell, Sr., 195; Will Bobst, Sr., 145; Sean Nugent, Jr., 132; Sam Aitchison, Soph., 138; Aidan Udell, Soph., 152; Caden Shetler, Soph., 285; Carter Rios, Soph., 126

Newcomers to watch: Elijah Fegel, Fr., 160; Danny Gavin, Fr., 170; Christopher Waikel, Fr., 145; Will Freeman, Soph., 170; Theo Kolie, Jr., 170

Headliner: Senior 195-pounder Rowan Udell is seeking a state tournament berth after posting a 25-9 record last season.

Keep an eye on: Sam Aitchison went 11-21 in his varsity debut season but is poised to push for a spot at the state meet in his sophomore season.

Circle the date: December 21 Regina Invitational. The Regals close the 2019 portion of the schedule by hosting their own tournament.

Breakdown: First-year head coach Zach Ries takes over from Adam Martensen who spent six seasons leading the program.

The Regals return seven full-time varsity starters from last year’s squad that placed ninth at the River Valley Conference meet.

Senior Rowan Udell headlines the list of returning starters after winning 25 matches last season.

Sophomore Aidan Udell went 24-14 a year ago in his varsity debut season while Sam Aitchison went 11-21 as a freshman.

Senior Will Bobst (9-19) and junior Sean Nugent (9-17) return along with sophomore Caden Shetler (8-20).

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