Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – One day down, three more to go at the state wrestling meet.

The opening sessions for all three classes were held on Thursday and cut the championship brackets down to just eight wrestlers per weight.

By the time the bright lights of Wells Fargo Arena dim on Thursday evening on four wrestlers will remain in each weight class.

Before shifting our attention to semifinals on Friday night we take a look at five quarterfinal matches to watch on Thursday that feature wrestlers from the Your Prep Sports area.

Ian Udell (Regina) vs. Kolby Scott (MVAO)

Udell (33-11) has been among the most improved wrestlers in the area in 2023 winning in his state meet debut on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals in just his second season of varsity wrestling.

The Regina junior advanced to the 1A 182-pound quarterfinals with a 5-3 win over Ryan Funke of Dyersville Beckman in the fourth match this season between the two River Valley Conference rivals.

Udell gets another challenge in the quarterfinals in the form of MVAO senior Kolby Scott (43-1).

Scott brings a 22-match winning streak into the quarterfinals after a 15-5 win over Chase Wickwire of Belle Plaine in the second round.

A state qualifier last season, Scott has 19 pins in his last 22 matches since his only loss of the season to Clayton Lindley of Omaha Skutt Catholic back on January 6.

Cooper Gates (West Branch) vs. Carson Klostermann (Alburnett)

Gates (35-4) has already put together one of the most impressive freshman seasons in West Branch history.

That season gets a whole lot better if Gates can secure a state medal with a win in the Class 1A 152-pound quarterfinals over second-seeded Klostermann (48-1) on Thursday.

A three-time state qualifier, Klostermann was third at 145 pounds last season and is 98-5 over the past two seasons combined.

The lone loss for Klostermann this season came to 2A second-seeded 160-pounder, Crestwood senior Cole Butikofer.

Klosterman pinned Gates in 5:05 in the only regular season meeting between the two this season.

Gates pinned Blaise Beane of West Central Valley in his state meet debut on Wednesday after falling into an early deficit.

The freshman will need to a avoid a similar start against a state meet veteran like Klostermann on Thursday.

Kael Kurtz (City High) vs. Tylee Lee (Cedar Rapids Prairie)

A two-time state medalist that was fourth a year ago at 126 pounds, third-ranked Kurtz is one of the title contenders in a crowded 132-pound bracket.

Lee is looking to be the burst to bust the 132-pound bracket.

Kurtz (35-5) advance to the quarterfinals with a business-like 73 second pin of Urbandale freshman Henry Bagby in the second round.

Meanwhile, No. 13 seed Lee (40-9) was one of the bigger stories on the opening day in Class 3A, posting back-to-back wins including a dominating second-period pin of fourth-seeded Logan Trenary of Southeast Polk in the second round.

Kurtz won the only regular season meeting over Lee 11-3 at the Mississippi Valley Conference tournament on January 28.

Justin Avila (West High) vs. Lucas Bruhl (Ankeny Centennial)

This is one of the more intriguing quarterfinals in 3A with a pair of returning state medalist from different weights meeting at 145 pounds.

Avila (39-7) is coming off an impressive state debut season when he bumped up to 170 pounds in a loaded West High lineup as a freshman and placed fourth.

The West High sophomore dropped down from 160 to 145 for the first time this season at the district meet last week and was dominant with a tech fall and a 51-second pin on his way to the title.

Avila needed just 36 seconds to pin Aydan Cary of North Scott in the second-round on Wednesday.

Bruhl (41-2) was sixth at 138 pounds last season and makes the climb to 145 this year where he has been impressive.

Both of the losses for Bruhl this season have come by a single point to the top two ranked wrestlers at 145 in 3A.

Bruhl lost to top-ranked Bas Diaz of Waverly-Shell Rock 3-2 and dropped a 5-4 decision to second-ranked Tycho Carmichael of Ankeny Centennial.

Kyler Scranton (West High) vs. Elijah Mendoza (Bettendorf)  

The second of two number four against number five seed matches for West High wrestlers this the 152-pound matchup between Scranton and Mendoza should be another doozy.

Scranton (35-11) and Mendoza (31-9) have followed a similar script to reach the quarterfinals this season.

Both were state qualifiers a year ago, Scranton at 132, Mendoza at 152, and went 1-2 in three state-meet matches.

This season both have improved drastically moving into the top 10 in the rankings.

Both won tight decisions in the second round to advance.

Scranton scored a late takedown to earn a 8-6 sudden victory win over Waukee Northwest senior Logan Stotts and Mendoza won a 7-4 decision over Ethan Riesselman of Dallas Center-Grimes.

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