Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The Wrestlers

Area Qualifiers/Opening Round Opponents

113 – No. 5 Lincoln Edwards (29-4) Soph., West Branch vs. Hayden Helgeson (41-6) Fr., Lake Mills

160 – Sam Aitchison (36-6) Sr., Regina vs. No. 9 Karter Decker (10-1) Jr., MFL Mar-Mac

170 – No. 6 Aidan Udell (33-3) Sr., Regina vs. Cade Shirk (30-9) Jr., Emmetsburg

195 – No. 9 Ronan Poynton (34-5) Jr., Regina vs. No. 7 Chase Wickwire (31-9) Jr., Belle Plaine

220 – No. 9 Logan Wright (44-6) Soph., West Branch vs. Wyatt Hanna (38-13) Fr., Lake Mills

Returning State Champions

Current Weight/Wrestler, School, 2021 Championship Weight

120 – Garret Rinken, Nashua-Plainfield, Jr., 113

126 – Marcel Lopez, New London, Sr., 120

138 – Cade Siebrecht, Lisbon, Sr., 126

152 – Wyatt Reisz, Logan-Magnolia, Jr., 138

160 – Maximus Magayna, Waterloo Columbus, Soph., 152

170 – Cade Tenold, Don Bosco, Sr., 170

182 – Tate Entriken, Hudson, Sr., 160

195 – Carson Tenold, Don Bosco, Sr., 182

285 – Chet Buss, North Butler, Sr., 285

Undefeated Wrestlers

120 – Garret Rinken (51-0) Nashua-Plainfield, Jr.

126 – Marcel Lopez (51-0) New London, Sr.

132 – Gable Porter (42-0) Underwood, Jr.

138 – Clayton McDonough (51-0) Central Springs, Sr.

145 – Mikey Baker (47-0) West Sioux, Jr.

152 – Dominic Lopez (51-0) New London, Jr.

160 – Cullen Koedam (46-0) West Sioux, Sr.

182 – Carson Lynott (11-0) West Sioux, Sr.

182 – Jackson Dewald (23-0) Westwood, Jr.

195 – Cayden Miller (44-0) Midland, Sr.

195 – Matthew Wirtz (37-0) Emmetsburg, Sr.

220 – Matthew Francis (52-0) West Hancock, Sr.

285 – Chet Buss (44-0) North Butler, Sr.

First Round Match to Watch

A couple of returning state qualifiers in Regina senior Sam Aitchison and MFL Mar-Mac junior Karter Decker will look to take a big step forward this season after early exits from the state meet a year ago.

Aitchison went 0-2 in his state meet debut last season at 145 pounds but has put together the best season of his career as a senior going 36-6 and returning to the state meet with a district runner-up finish.

Ninth-ranked Decker (10-1) went 1-2 at state last season at 138 pounds and has won eight consecutive matches after a loss in his third match of the year.

Who to Watch

Regina senior Aidan Udell returns to the state meet for the third consecutive season hoping to end his career on a high note after a fourth-place finish a year ago.

Udell (33-3) enters ranked sixth at 170 pounds after dropping decisions to third-ranked Max Kohl of Lisbon at the sectional and district meets.

In his last trip to state Udell went 4-2 bouncing back from a quarterfinal loss to Blake McAlister of South Central Calhoun with three consecutive wins before falling to Kohl in the consolation final.

Udell avoided previous postseason nemesis McAlister and Kohl in the top half of the 170-pound bracket.

He faces Emmetsburg junior Cade Shirk (30-9) in the opening round and has a possible quarterfinal matchup with fourth-ranked Drake Tiedemann (43-1) of Northwood-Kensett with top-ranked and defending state champion Cade Tenold (31-2) of Don Bosco likely awaiting in the semifinals.

Weight Class to Watch

With a pair of unbeaten wrestlers and a returning state champion in the mix the competition to reach the 1A 195-pound medal stand will be fierce.

Expect Regina junior Ronan Poynton to be right in that mix.

Poynton (34-5) is 7-1 since dropping down to 195 pounds this season and has won his last seven matches after a loss to 2A sixth-ranked Jahsiah Galvan of West Liberty at the RVC tournament.

After going 1-2 in his state meet debut Poynton will be seeking his first state meet medal in a field that includes top-ranked and defending state champion Carson Tenold (23-2) of Don Bosco and unbeatens Cayden Miller (44-0) of Midland and Matthew Wirtz (37-0) of Emmetsburg.

Poynton will get a test early in the form of seventh-ranked Belle Plaine junior Chase Wickwire (31-9) in the opening round.

The Teams

District Champions (State Qualifiers)

Wilton (3); Nashua-Plainfield (6); West Sioux (5); Don Bosco (13); Interstate 35 (4); Underwood (7); Lisbon (10); Logan-Magnolia (6)

2021 Top-5 Team Finishers – 1. Don Bosco 179.5; 2. Lisbon 148.5; 3. Logan-Magnolia 94; 4. West Sioux 84.5; 5. West Hancock 57

Last 5 Team Champs

2021 – Don Bosco

2020 – Don Bosco

2019 – Don Bosco

2018 – Lisbon

2017 – Lisbon

What to Watch in the Team Race

Three-time defending champion Don Bosco is back and loaded for another title run.

The Dons have won nine of the last 16 Class titles and are seeking their second straight of four consecutive 1A crowns during that stretch after winning five in a row from 2006 to 2010.

Don Bosco pulled away from runner-up Lisbon last season piling up 179.5 points en route to its third consecutive title, the most points for a 1A champ since the Dons put up 194 points in 2009.

The Dons have a 1A-leading 13 qualifiers and have a trio of top-ranked wrestlers in 106-pound senior Caleb Coffin and returning champs Cade Tenold (170) and Carson Tenold (195).

Second-ranked Lisbon will once again be the top contender.

The 2021 runner-up, Lisbon is the last team to top Don Bosco at state winning back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.

The Lions have bring 10 wrestlers to state, second only to Don Bosco’s 13.

Watch out for Underwood which has three top-ranked wrestlers among its seven qualifiers.

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