Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – It all comes down to this.

The final session of the four-day state wrestling tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines is for all the marbles with state champions being crowned in all weight classes.

Wrestling in the final session gets underway at 5:50 p.m. tonight and 42 state championship medals will be awards across 14 weights in three classes.

Before the final matches of the season get underway here is a look at the four state championship matches featuring Your Prep Sports area wrestlers.

Alexander Pierce (West High) vs. Tyler Harper (Norwalk)

For the second straight season Pierce and Harper collide in a Saturday night championship showdown.

Last season Pierce downed Harper 10-7 in the 106-pound title match to become the third freshman champion in West High history.

Pierce is seeking back-to-back titles this season while Harper is looking to reverse last year’s outcome to earn his first state title.

Top-ranked Pierce (35-1) is unbeaten against in-state competition this year and brings a 32-match winning streak into the championship match.

Pierce reached the title match with back-to-back 5-2 decisions over sixth-ranked Mat Prine of Southeast Polk and fourth-ranked Cale Vandermark of Ankeny Centennial and hasn’t allowed a non-escape point at the state tournament.

Harper (39-0) has had his own impressive run to the state title match.

The Norwalk senior enters unbeaten and ranked second and has been dominant this week in Des Moines.

Harper won a 13-6 major decision over ninth-ranked Landon Gottschalk of Dubuque Hempstead in the quarterfinals and pinned seventh-ranked Isaac Wignall of Ankeny in the semifinals.

Cale Seaton (City High) vs. Jayce Luna (Bettendorf)

Another rematch, Seaton and Luna meet for the second time in a week in the 132-pound title match.

Luna handed top-ranked Seaton (33-1) his only loss of the season with an 8-6 decision over the City High senior in the district title match last week.

A South Dakota State recruit, Seaton has responded with a dominant run through the 132-pound bracket at state this week reaching the title match with a 22-7 tech fall, a pin of fifth-ranked John King of Waukee Northwest in the quarterfinals and a 7-2 semifinal win over Connor Fiser of Bondurant-Farrar.

Last year’s 126-pound champion, Seaton finished third each of his first two seasons.

Luna (44-3) won a 3-2 decision over sixth-ranked Ryan Rider if Carlisle in the semifinals to advance to the state title match for the first time.

A four-time medalist, Luna was seventh as a freshman and sophomore before placing third last season at 132 pounds.

Kael Voinovich (City High) vs. Jaxon Miller (Carlisle)

Voinovich is seeking to leave his mark in his only season in a City High singlet.

An Iowa recruit, Voinovich has been impressive in his only season at City High after transferring from Oklahoma.

Top-ranked Voinovich (40-1) has advanced to the state finals with a pin, a 19-7 major decision over fifth-ranked Isaac Bruhl of Ankeny Centennial and a win via injury default over second-ranked Grant Kress of Linn-Mar in the semifinals.

An impressive sophomore, Miller (36-2) makes his first state finals appearance in his second season after placing fourth at 145 pounds last season.

Miller won a 7-5 decision over sixth-ranked Jack Lewis of Bondurant-Farrar in the quarterfinals and won another 7-5 decision over Abe Bushong of Southeast Polk in the semifinals.

Logan Wright (West Branch) vs. Mason Knipp (Waterloo Columbus)

One of the most impressive state tournament runs for area wrestlers belongs to Wright who will look to put the finishing touches on a stellar stretch with a state title.

Fifth-ranked Wright (34-3) used a second-round pin, a 7-1 decision over sixth-ranked Gage Jorgenson of Emmetsburg and a 3-1 overtime victory over second-ranked Cody Fox of East Buchanan to reach the title match.

A state qualifier at 215 pounds each of the past two seasons, Wright finished eighth at state as a sophomore.

The 220-pound champion last season, Knipp (37-0) is seeking to finish off an unbeaten season with a second straight state title.

The Waterloo Columbus senior advanced to the title match with a 3-2 win over eighth-ranked Trenton Warner after a 5-2 win over fourth-ranked Michael Block of Sibley-Ocheydan in the quarterfinals.

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.