Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Class 3A, District 5

When: Saturday, Noon

Where: West High

Teams: Burlington, Fort Madison, City High, Liberty High, West High, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Pella

Ranked Teams: No. 6 West High

What to Watch

The City High, Liberty High and West High wrestling teams have all found themselves in similar situations this season battling an-ever changing schedule filled with stops and starts and void of any sense of regularity.

On Saturday those three teams find themselves at the same district battle one another for spots at the state meet.

West High will try to replicate its postseason success from last season when the Trojans sent seven wrestlers to the state meet where it earned five medals and crowned three champs while finishing fourth in the 3A team standings.
The host Trojans certainly have the firepower to produce another top-five state finish and it starts with a strong day at districts.

West High has five ranked wrestlers, including four in the top three, led by top-ranked junior Hunter Garvin (9-0) at 138 pounds.

Senior Grant O’Dell (9-0) is third at 126 pounds, senior Graham Gambrall (6-2) is third at 152 pounds and senior Ashton Barker (9-0) is third at 170 pounds.

Kael Scranton (7-2) is ranked eighth at 132 pounds for West High.

City High brings a trio of ranked wrestlers into the district meet as it attempts to equal the six qualifiers it had a year ago.

Defending state champion Ben Kueter (5-0) is top-ranked at 195 pounds and seeking a return trip to state while freshmen Kael Kurtz and Cale Seaton are seeking their first state berths.

Kurtz (9-0) is ranked fifth at 106 and Seaton (9-1) is 10^th at 113 pounds.

Liberty High is seeking its first state qualifier since 2019 and has several wrestlers capable of reaching Des Moines.

Jaxon Morris is 9-1 at 120 pounds while Jarrod Alger (10-0) is unbeaten at 160 pounds and Vinny Lima is 11-5 at 195.

Who to Watch

Watching City High Ben Kueter wrestle is always a must but a word to the wise – if you intend to catch Kueter in action on Saturday lock in on his match early as it likely won’t last for too long.

Kueter is 5-0 in an abbreviated sophomore season with all five of his wins coming via fall.

In five matches this season Kueter, who is ranked as the No. 11 195-pounder in the nation by the Open Mat, has needed more than just three minutes just one time.

Kueter owns a career 29-0 record and is seeking a second consecutive state title after winning the 160-pound championship last year as a freshman.

Weight Class to Watch

With a pair of returning state champions returning in Hunter Garvin and Graham Gambrall along with Division I recruit Ashton Barker it was easy to overlook Grant O’Dell in the West High lineup.

That is getting more and more difficult to do as the season goes on.

O’Dell is unbeaten at 9-0 and has climbed all the way to third in the rankings at 126 pounds.

A two-time state medalist already, O’Dell owns 3-1 sudden victory wins over the fourth and fifth-ranked wrestlers at 126 pounds this season.

O’Dell will look to secure his spot at state in dominating fashion on Saturday as the class of the 126-pound district bracket.

Ranked Wrestlers

106:     No. 5 Kael Kurtz (City High) Fr.

113:     No. 10 Cale Seaton (City High) Fr.

126:     No. 3 Grant O’Dell (West High) Sr.

132:     No. 8 Kael Scranton (West High) Jr.

138:     No. 1 Hunter Garvin (West High) Jr.

152:     No. 3 Graham Gambrall (West High) Sr.

160:     No. 10 Ryan Van Donselaar (Pella) Sr.

170:     No. 3 Ashton Barker (West High) Sr.

195:     No. 1 Ben Kueter (City High) Soph.

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