Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The state wrestling meet is almost here.

The Class 1A state wrestling tournament gets underway at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

There are nine wrestlers from the Your Prep Sports area competing in the four-day Class 1A tournament that concludes with the championship session on Saturday at 5:15 p.m.

West Branch qualified six wrestlers for the Class 1A state tournament while Regina will have three wrestlers competing in the 1A tournament this week in Des Moines.

Before the action gets underway on Wednesday morning here is a quick look at the Class 1A state tournament with a focus on Your Prep Sports area athletes.

The Wrestlers

Area qualifiers/opening round opponents

132 – Logan Christoffel (37-12) Jr., West Branch vs. Landan Frost (27-21) Jr., Wapsie Valley

144 – No. 7 Cash Hatfield (27-2) Jr., West Branch vs. Aiden Hellman (23-18) Soph., Don Bosco

150 – Keaton Gates (36-18) Soph., West Branch vs. Sam Raymond (34-16) Jr., Council Bluffs St. Albert

175 – Leren Fernandez (39-7) Sr., Regina vs. Landen Schnuelle (42-15) Jr., South Winneshiek

190 – No. 6 Tate Frantz (35-8) Sr., West Branch vs. Aaron Cordell (37-18) Jr., Logan-Magnolia

215 – Porter Shetler (35-11) Soph., Regina vs. No. 12 Peyton Hackett (39-4) Sr., Kingsley-Pierson

Area qualifiers/second round opponents

106 – No. 5 Ethan Humphrey (19-2), Soph., West Branch vs. Lincoln Huck (45-13) Fr., Nashua-Plainfield/Cooper Frost (20-21) Fr., Wapsie Valley winner

157 – Will Aitchison (29-4) Sr., Regina vs. No. 11 Jake Hiland (42-6) Sr., Bellevue/Landon Alexander (20-18) Soph., Ogden winner

165 – No. 8 Cooper Gates (35-4) Jr., West Branch vs. No. 11 Owen Milder (33-4) Sr., Wilton/Dalton Africa (26-24) Soph., Maquoketa Valley winner

Undefeated Wrestlers

106 – Kaiden Belinsky (10-0) Jr., Don Bosco

126 – Riley Watts (50-0) Fr., Lawton-Bronson

126 – Gavin Landers (47-0) Soph., Denver

132 – Jayden Rinken (54-0) Sr., Nashua-Plainfield

138 – Dawson Youngblut (39-0) Soph., Don Bosco

138 – Landon Price (31-0) Sr., Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire

144 – Blake Fox (55-0) Jr., Osage

150 – Corbin Reisz (52-0) Sr., Logan-Magnolia

150 – Kolt Knaack (44-0) Sr., North Tama

150 – Teague Smith (31-0) Jr., West Hancock

157 – Boden White (52-0) Jr., Denver

157 – Boston Peters (37-0) Fr., Westwood

165 – Jacob McGargill (53-0) Jr., Shenandoah

165 – Kyler Knaack (41-0) Sr., Don Bosco

190 – Jayden Dickerson (54-0) Sr., Shenandoah

190 – Louden Huisenga (38-0) Sr., WACO

215 – Ashton Honnold (48-0) Jr., Nodaway Valley

Returning State Champions

Current weight class, Wrestler, School, 2024 Championship weight class

120 – Liam Adlfinger, Jr., Wilton, 106

126 – Gavin Landers, Soph., Denver, 113

126 – Rowdy Neighbor, Sr., Alburnett, 120

138 – Dawson Youngblut, Soph., Don Bosco, 132

144 – Blake Fox, Jr., Osage, 138 (Class 2A)

150 – Corbin Reisz, Sr., Logan-Magnolia, 144

165 – Kyler Knaack, Sr., Don Bosco, 157

215 – Ashton Honnold, Jr., Nodaway Valley, 215

First Round Match to Watch

Regina senior 175-pounder Leren Fernandez has taken a big step forward this season going from 28 wins a year ago to 39 victories and his first trip to the state tournament this season.

Fernandez (39-7) can take another big step on Wednesday when he faces South Winneshiek junior Landen Schnuelle (42-15) in his state tournament opener.

Fernandez has won 14 of his last 16 matches with his last loss coming to 2A eighth-ranked Ayden Antonelli of Anamosa in the finals of the River Valley Conference tournament.

The recent string of success for Fernandez includes a district title last week.

Second Round Match to Watch

Regina senior Will Aitchison (29-4) returns to the state tournament for the third consecutive season seeking an elusive first state medal.

Aitchison has been close to hardware in each of his two trips to Des Moines.

He went 2-2 at 145 pounds as a sophomore and went 3-2 at 175 pounds last season.

Aitchison brings an 11-match winning streak into the state tournament and can take a huge step toward a spot on the podium with a win in his opening match.

Aitchison earned a bye to the 157-pound second round where he will immediately be tested by the winner of the opening-round match between No. 11 Jake Hiland (42-6) of Bellevue and Landon Alexander (20-18) of Ogden.

Wrestler to Watch

West Branch junior Cash Hatfield is a three-time state qualifier seeking his first career state tournament win this week.
The way Hatfield has wrestled his season he has his sights set on a lot more than just a single win.

Seventh-ranked Hatfield (27-2) will face Don Bosco sophomore Aiden Hellman (23-18) in a 144-pound opening-round contest and has proven to be a real contender in the 144-pound bracket.

The lone losses for Hatfield this season are against sixth-ranked Cooper Franklin of Alburnett and 3A sixth-ranked Nolan Howell of Clear Creek Amana.

Hatfield brings a 17-match winning streak into the state tournament, a stretch that includes RVC and district titles.

With an opening-round win Hatfield would face Dylan Stein (49-1) of Lenox in the second round with a potential quarterback matchup against fifth-ranked Ryan Groom (46-1) of North Mahaska waiting.

Weight Class to Watch

West Branch junior Cooper Gates will be pushing for a return to the state podium this season in his third consecutive state tournament appearance.

Gates was eighth at 152 pounds two seasons ago but missed the medal stand last season at 165 pounds.

This season Gates should again be in the hunt but will need to navigate what will be a challenging 165-pound bracket.

The top two seeds, Don Bosco senior Kyle Knaack (41-0) and Shenandoah junior Jacob McGargill (53-0) are both unbeaten.

Knaack was the 157-pound champ a year ago.

Toss in third seeded Jackson Kounkel (38-3) of Hinton and fourth seed Quinn McGeough (40-2) of MFL-Mar Mac and you’ve got a loaded bracket.

Eighth-ranked Gates (35-4) will be in the mix.

Gates has seen some of the best in the bracket already dropping regular season matches to McGeough and Knaack.

Gates faces the winner of No. 11 Owen Milder (33-4) of Wilton and Dalton Africa (26-24) of Maquoketa Valley in the second round.

Gates has a pair of wins over Milder this season most recently earning a 7-1 win in the district championship match.

A win over Milder in the second round would like set Gates up with a quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded Knaack.

The Teams

District Champions (state qualifiers)

Denver (7); Lake Mills (6); Nashua-Plainfield (7); Don Bosco (11); Riverside (7); Logan-Magnolia (6); Osage (9); Hinton (8); Lisbon (8); Woodbury Central (10); Alburnett (13); Wilton (10)

Area Teams (State qualifiers)

West Branch (6); Regina (3)

2024 Top Five Team Finishers – 1. Don Bosco 183.5; 2. Alburnett 152; 3. Wilton 144; 4. Jesup 89; 5. Underwood 85

Last Five Team Champs

2024 – Don Bosco

2023 – Don Bosco

2022 – Don Bosco

2021 – Don Bosco

2020 – Don Bosco

What to Watch in the Team Race

Don Bosco has won six consecutive Class 1A titles after pulling away from Alburnett and Wilton to win the title last season.

It figures to once again be the Pirates and Beavers chasing Don Bosco for the top spot.

Alburnett has the depth, with a 1A-best 13 qualifiers to be the top challenger while Wilton has 10 qualifiers and is seeking a second consecutive third-place finish.

Keep an eye on Jesup with has the potential top push into the trophy conversation this season.

West Branch scored 49 points last season, good for a 15^th place finish and can improve on both of those numbers with a strong four days in Des Moines.

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