Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The first ever Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union girls state wrestling tournament will get underway at 9 a.m. on Thursday at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

There will be 14 Your Prep Sports area wrestlers from six different area teams competing at the two-day state meet that concludes with the final championship session at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Before the action gets going here is a quick breakdown of the meet highlighting area competitors.

The Wrestlers

Area qualifiers/Opening round opponents

100 – Taylor Cavanh (17-16) Fr., Liberty High vs. No. 8 Mariah Michels (17-5) Soph., North Central Trailblazers

105 – No. 9 McKenna Rogers (33-1) Fr., Solon vs. Evelyn Jergenson (14-12) Fr., Eagle Grove

110 – Marlie McBride (18-10) Jr., Clear Creek Amana vs. No. 5 Hope Chiattello (40-5), Sr., Cedar Falls

110 – Kara VeDepo (27-15) Soph., Solon vs. No. 10 Trista Guinn (20-4) Fr., Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire

110 – No. 7 Emmersen Thomas (25-4) Sr., West Branch vs. Anika Stearns (22-13) Jr., Emmetsburg

120 – Emma Descourouez (25-12) Sr., Clear Creek Amana vs. No. 9 Khylie Wainwright (29-8) Sr., North Scott

125 – Erin Anderson (21-7), Sr., City High vs. Lea Gute (25-19) Soph., Missouri Valley

130 – Kaly Thomas (24-13), Sr., Clear Creek Amana vs. No. 7 Noel Boettger (24-2) Sr., Ballard

130 – No. 6 Claire Brown (21-4), Sr., City High vs. Becca Hinderaker (29-10) Jr., Tipton

135 – Olivia Bonnema (28-20) Soph., Solon vs. No. 5 Cadence Bushong (31-4) Soph., West Des Moines Valley

145 – Evelyn Eggleston (19-17) Fr., Liberty High vs. No. 4 Ali Russler (41-4) Sr., New Hampton/Turkey Valley

155 – Molly Carlson (16-18), Fr., City High vs. No. 9 Haylee Mcgrew (27-2) Soph., Des Moines Public Schools

155 – No. 3 Jannell Avila (27-2) Sr., West High vs. Abigail Chyma (28-14) Soph., South Tama

170 – Teagyn Hartz (20-7) Soph., West Branch vs. Allison Metschke (21-6) Jr., Ames

Undefeated wrestlers

100 – Katie Biscoglia (41-0) Fr., Raccoon River-Northwest

105 – Jillian Worthen (23-0) Soph., Union

110 – Jalynn Goodale (30-0) Sr., Osage

110 – Jasmine Luedtke (28-0) Jr., Ottumwa

115 – Molly Allen (26-0) Soph., Riverside

125 – Mackenzie Childers (44-0) Soph., Cedar Rapids Prairie

130 – Colbie Tenborg (21-0) Fr., Saydel

130 – Lilly Luft (35-0) Sr., Charles City

140 – Kiara Djoumessi (43-0) Jr., Waverly-Shell Rock

145 – Emma Peach (34-0) Soph., Iowa Valley

155 – Nicole Olson (30-0) Jr., Missouri Valley

155 – Skylar Slade (44-0) Fr., Southeast Polk

170 – Naomi Simon (32-0) Jr., Decorah

170 – Averie Wittkop (27-0) Jr., West Marshall

235 – Olivia Huckfelt (40-0) Jr., Spencer

Returning IWCOA State Champions

Current Weight Class, Wrestler, School, 2022 Championship Weight Class

105 – Jillian Worthen, Soph., Union, 100

115 – Molly Allen, Soph., Riverside, 105

125 – Hannah Rogers, Jr., Wilton, 120

130 – Lilly Luft, Sr., Charles City, 130*

135 – Alexis Ross, Sr., Fort Dodge, 135

145 – Isabella Deeds, Jr., Ridge View, 155

145 – Emma Peach, Soph., Iowa Valley, 140

170 – Naomi Simon, Jr., Decorah, 170*

190 – Jana Terwee, Jr., West Lyon, 190

235 – Savannah Sistad, Jr., Creston, 220

235 – Olivia Huckfelt, Jr., Spencer, 285

*-Denotes 2-time IWCOA champion

What to Watch

First Round Match to Watch

Sixth-ranked City High senior Claire Brown had an eight-match winning streak end with a loss to third-ranked Alexys Petersen in the Region 5 title match last Friday.

Brown (21-4) is seeking to make a deep run at 130 pounds but in order to do so will need to get past Shy Steck (25-16) of Colfax-Mingo.

Brown has 16 pins in 21 wins so this opening-round matchup has the potential for excitement.

Wrestler to Watch

West High senior Jannell Avila is already among the most decorated wrestlers in the state.

Avila was an IWCOA state champion as a freshman in 2020, is a three-time state medalist, is ranked 28^th nationally at 164 pounds and is a Baker University recruit.

This weekend Avila will be looking to put the finishing touches on what has already been an exceptional career.

Avila won the 138-pound title as a freshman and was sixth at 145 pounds as a sophomore before finishing third at 155 last season.

This season Avila is part of what should be an entertaining bracket at 155 ponds.

Ranked third at 170 pounds, Avila (27-2) is the second seed and faces South Tama sophomore Abigail Chyma (28-14) in the opening round.

Avila could face a rematch with East Buchanan senior Keeley Kehrli (44-4) in the semifinals after Kehrli snapped an 18-match winning streak for Avila with a 2-0 win in the Region 6 title match.

The only other loss for Avila is a 9-1 loss to two-time defending 170-pound state champion Naomi Simon of Decorah in the finals of the Donnybrook back on December 2.

Top-ranked Southeast Polk freshman Skylar Slade (44-0) is the top seed in the 155-pound bracket which also features unbeaten Missouri Valley junior Nicole Olson (30-0).

Weight Class to Watch

One of four weight classes with a pair of unbeaten wrestlers the 110-pound bracket should be one of the more intriguing of the week.

Starting at the top there are a pair of nationally ranked standouts in top-seeded Ottumwa junior Jasmine Luedtke (28-0) and Osage senior Jalynn Goodale (30-0).

In between there are a lot of excellent wrestlers including a trio of area competitors.

Seventh-ranked West Branch senior Emmersen Thomas (25-4) should be in the thick of the 110-pound medal chase.

Thomas went 2-2 at the IWCOA state meet last season at 110 pounds and is coming off a runner-up finish at the Region 6 meet dropping a 4-0 decision to fourth-ranked Bree Swenson of Vinton-Shellsburg in the championship match.

Clear Creek Amana junior Marlie McBride (18-10) and solon sophomore Kara VeDepo (27-15) each open with ranked wrestlers in the 110-pound bracket.

McBride faces fifth-ranked Hope Chiattello (40-5) of Cedar Falls and VeDepo will take on No. 10 Trista Guinn (20-4) of Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire.

The Teams

Regional Champions (State Qualifiers)

Council Bluffs Lewis Central (8); Ridge View (7); Cedar Falls (9); Southeast Polk (7); Bettendorf (6); Waverly-Shell Rock (9); Decorah (10); Osage (8)

What to Watch in the Team Race

The competition for the 14 individual gold medals will be intense the team race at the first ever IGHSAU state meet should be equally exciting.

Seven teams bring at least eight qualifiers to the state meet led by fifth-ranked Decorah which qualified a meet-best 10.

Cedar Falls and Waverly-Shell Rock each bring nine qualifiers while Ankeny, Council Bluffs Lewis Central, East Buchanan and Osage all have eight.

Waverly-Shell Rock won the IWCOA team title at year ago by 60 points and is among a lead group of favorites this week.

The Go-Hawks edged East Buchanan by 13 points to win the Region 5 title last Friday and with and East Buchanan is certainly capable of pushing for the top spot once again.

Council Bluffs Lewis Central and Decorah are certainly capable of pushing for top spots.

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