High school boys’ wrestling season: 5 takeaways from before the holiday break

The first half of the high school boys’ wrestling season is complete. Wrestlers have just five weeks before the postseason. Teams and individual performances have highlighted the opening weeks. Here are five notable performances before the holiday break.

UNION COMMUNITY’S JACE HEDEMAN HANDLES COMPETITION

Jace Hedeman won state titles at 106 and 113 his first two seasons for the Knights. He reached the 126-pound finals but lost to Webster City’s Carson Doolittle, 3-1, in sudden victory last season. Hedeman didn’t pout over his chance to be a four-time state champion being snatched from his grips. The setback gave him a new outlook, wanting to have more fun in his training and enjoy competition more. Bad luck for his opponents. Hedeman reached the holidays with a 21-0 record. Hedeman hasn’t been challenged, winning all of his matches by bonus points. He has 12 pins, four technical falls and a major decision with four forfeits. Hedeman is a key component to the Knights success, joining two-time state champion teammate Brayden Bohnsack, who is ranked No. 2 at 120. Bohnsack is a three-time state medalist. Coy Mehlert is ranked second at 106 and Kaydin Jones is No. 7 at 138, giving Hedeman some strong training partners to go along with assistant coach Max Thomsen, a four-time state champion for Union and All-American at University of Northern Iowa. Expect more of the same from Hedeman after the break.

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PRAIRIE’S DYLAN MUNSON DOMINATES

Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Dylan Munson surpassed 100 career victories. The two-time state medalist was top-ranked for part of last season and finished sixth at 106. Munson’s move to 113 has yielded more dominance from the Hawks’ senior. Munson has throttled opponents, so far, as he has his sights set on a state title, attempting to add a folkstyle crown to his state championships in Greco-Roman and freestyle. Munson entered the break ranked fourth by IAwrestle.com. He is 15-0 but has gone the distance in any of his bouts. Eight haven’t even made the third period. Munson has recorded eight technical falls and six pins. The only other victory was a forfeit. If the second half matches the first, Munson could earn Prairie’s 29 th individual gold medal.

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ALBURNETT PASSES EARLY-SEASON TESTS

The Pirates have been one of the most impressive teams, regardless of class. They won the Cliff Keen Independence Invitational and a runner-up finish to nationally-ranked Southeast Polk at the Battle of Waterloo dual tournament against Class 1A, 2A and 3A teams. Alburnett cleared a regular hurdle, beating Don Bosco in a championship pool dual at the B.O.W., although the Dons will have some additions after the break. The Pirates are no surprise, however, returning 10 state qualifiers, seven medalists and 137 points from a team that was runner-up in both traditional state and State Duals. They certainly embrace challenges, beating 1A power Wilton and Clear Creek Amana in non-conference duals in the opening 10 days of the season, en route to a 9-1 mark. Alburnett leads 1A with 11 ranked wrestlers by IAwrestle.com. Atlee Dewitt (113), state champion Rowdy Neighbor (126), Tayten Coufal (132), Cooper Franklin (138), 157-pounder Reece Klosterman and Shayden Washburn at 190 are all ranked second. Senior and three-time state medalist Preston Klosterman is third at 144. If that wasn’t enough, freshmen Owen Henriksen (120) and 215-pounder Eaghan Fleshman have provided a strong boost. Fleshman is ranked fifth, while Henriksen is 12 th. Nine wrestlers are projected to make the state awards stand. Don Bosco remains the team to beat but Alburnett has demonstrated the ability to do it.

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WAMAC CONFERENCE IS LOADED

The Wamac Conference has been a tough wrestling conference for decades. This season is more of the same. It is loaded with individual and team talent, including 10 teams having at least one of the conference’s 33 ranked wrestlers. Mount Vernon is ranked second and Independence is No. 9 in 2A. Independence has six ranked wrestlers and Mount Vernon has five to lead the Wamac. Clear Creek Amana (3A), West Delaware and Williamsburg have four apiece. If you need any proof, examine the 144 rankings. The Wamac boasts three of the top-four in 2A with Mount Vernon’s No. 1 Jase Jaspers, a two-time state finalist, No. 3 Jax Miller, of West Delaware and Independence’s No. 4 Kameron Kremer. CCA’s Nolan Howell is fifth in 3A. The conference’s biggest strength could be in duals, boasting half of the top-10 2A dual teams. West Delaware is ranked No. 1 and Benton Community is second. Independence is fourth, Mount Vernon is sixth and Williamsburg is 10 th. Solon is No. 16 in 2A and CCA is 21 st in 3A. The conference tournament will be a grind at Benton on Feb. 1 and the conference will be well represented at regional duals as well.

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TERRIFIC TRIO AT 190

Benton Community’s Brenden Heying, Anamosa’s Austin Scranton and West Delaware’s Brent Yonkovic hold the top-three spots in the 2A 190 rankings. They have combined for six state medals, including Scranton’s state title at 175, Yonkovic’s third-place finish at 175 and Heying’s fourth-place at 165 last year. Everything shook out early this season at West Delaware’s Bob Murphy Invitational with Heying winning the tournament with consecutive 4-2 decisions over Yonkovic and Scranton. Heying is No. 1 with a 17-0 record. Scranton is 16-1, winning the Jim Kinyon Norsemen Invitational at Roland-Story. Yonkovic is 17-1, winning the South Winneshiek Invitational. Demonstrating the distance between the trio and the rest of the field, Yonkovic beat Decorah’s fourth-ranked Thomas Sexton (10-3), 19-3, in the South Winn finals. Mark your calendars for Jan. 11. All three are expected to wrestle at Benton’s Bobcat Jerry Eckenrod Invitational.

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