Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

River Valley Conference Meet

When: Saturday, 10 a.m.

Where: Tipton High School

2019 top-5: 1. West Liberty; 2. Camanche; 3. Wilton; 4. Monticello; 5. Tipton

Ranked teams: Class 2A No. 8 West Liberty

What to watch: West Liberty has controlled the River Valley Conference wrestling scene for the past half-decade winning five consecutive RVC meet titles most coming in dominating fashion.

Camanche has closed the gap on the Comets over the past several seasons finishing 16.5 points back at last year’s RVC meet.

With a conference-leading four ranked wrestlers Camanche will attempt to unseat West Liberty as the conference king.

West Liberty has just two ranked wrestlers but they are both hammers in Class 2A top-ranked 152-pound Will Esmoil and second-ranked 220-pound Kobe Simon.

The Comets have used their depth to distance themselves from the field in past seasons and will attempt to do that again on Saturday.

Regina was ninth last season while West Branch was 12th a year ago.

Who to watch: Regina senior Rowan Udell was runner-up at the RVC meet a year ago and will attempt to continue an impressive senior season with a conference title.

Udell dropped a 10-7 decision to Isaac Boucher of Mid-Prairie in the 195-pound title match last season and could get a shot to avenge that loss on Saturday.

Class 2A eighth-ranked Boucher joins Udell and sixth-ranked Tyler Thurston of North Cedar in a loaded 195-pound field.

Udell is 34-0 this season and enters the RVC meet ranked fourth in Class 1A and with a pair of wins over Thursday.

Udell won a 4-1 decision over Thurston in the title match at the Regina Invite and added a 3-2 decision in a dual meet this month.

Weight class to watch: The 126-pound title match could feature a pair of returning RVC champions.

Cascade junior Aidan Noonan and Wilton junior Kael Brisker each won conference crowns a year ago, Brisker at 106 and Noonan at 113.

The two appear poised for a title showdown on Saturday.

Noonan is 27-0 this season while Brisker is 29-2 on the year.

Ranked wrestlers

106:     Class 2A No. 8 Jaxon Bussa (Camanche) Jr.

            Class 2A No. 10 Kale Hansen (Monticello) Fr.

126:     *Class 1A No. 2 Aidan Noonan (Cascade) Jr.

            *Class 1A No. 5 Kael Brisker (Wilton) Jr.

132:     *Class 2A No. 2 Eric Kinkaid (Camanche) Soph.

            Class 2A No. 4 Kain Luensman (Monticello) Jr.

145:     *Class 1A No. 7 Brody Hawtrey (North Cedar) Sr.

152:     *Class 2A No. 1 Will Esmoil (West Liberty) Sr.

160:     Class 2A No. 9 Cade Everson (Camanche) Jr.

182:     Class 1A No. 5 Coy Baker (Wilton) Sr.

            Class 2A No. 6 Logan Waltz (Camanche) Jr.

195:     Class 1A No. 4 Rowan Udell (Regina) Sr.

            Class 1A No. 6 Tyler Thurston (North Cedar) Sr.

            *Class 2A No. 8 Isaac Boucher (Mid-Prairie) Sr.  

220:     Class 2A No. 2 Kobe Simon (West Liberty) Jr.

*-Returning RVC Champion

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