2025 boys’ state wrestling Day 1: Sporadic results and random thoughts from the opening rounds

DES MOINES - The 100th Iowa High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament begins today.

We will have various and sporadic updates on Gazette-area athletes throughout the day. Results and even random thoughts. Follow along here for miscellaneous state wrestling items.

First-round pairings for Gazette area wrestlers can be found here.

Also, check out our feature on Mount Vernon’s two-time state finalist Jase Jaspers, who is the top seed at 144 pounds in Class 2A. Don’t forget our class-by-class breakdown and 5 Storylines to Watch article.

Action begins with Class 3A at 9 a.m. Just update and away we go.

Our first winner is Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Taitumn Deppe, who defeated Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Kylan Walsh, 7-3, in the first round. Walsh scored the opening takedown but Deppe didn’t allow another point, getting two reversals and icing it with a late go-behind takedown.

Saints teammate Elliott Gnewuch (113) also won his first-round bout. Gnewuch started slowed but came on for a 14-7 win over Damien Yeoman of Fort Dodge. Gnewuch faces Iowa City West’s No. 2 Alexander Pierce in the next round.

It’s the 100th state wrestling tournament. Wonder if I should get a shirt or sweatshirt to commemorate it?

Iowa City Liberty’s Ben Rosen is victorious in the first round. He recorded a 17-2 technical fall over Kennedy’s Max Panosh at 120. The win sets an Iowa City matchup between Rosen and Iowa City High’s No. 3 seed Kendall Kurtz for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Western Dubuque’s Kellen McKenna advanced to the second round. He opened his state tournament with a 3:55 pin over West Des Moines Valley’s Aiden Schulz atv 126.

It will be interesting to watch the Bobcats. They have 10 qualifiers. Some might surprise people given their seeds.

Xavier has started 3-0 after Jack Foster posted a 3-1 decision over Liberty’s Rex Edmonds at 132. The three Saints that won first round have much tougher tasks in the second round. Deppe and Foster face the No. 1 seed, while Gnewuch has Pierce, a 2023 state champion and two-time finalist.

Linn-Mar’s Evan Pulis wins his first match, topping Valley’s Kash Kiner, 7-5, at 132. If I recall, Pulis hasn’t been a full-time starter until his senior season. He moves on to the second round at state, which is cool.

Western Dubuque’s Brady Rissman downed Cedar Rapids Washington’s Aaron Butikofer, 10-0, in the first round at 150. Bobcats push two, so far, into the second round.

Clear Creek Amana qualified 11 for the second straight season. The Clippers have had a rough start, but Trace Robertson moves into the second round (with Cale Nash and Nolan Howell, who had byes). Robertson pinned Trent Eckard (Boone) in 2:48 at 150.

Macklin Penner, a freshman 165-pounder from Western Dubuque, missed some time this season due to injury. He was cleared a couple days before districts and dominated in his state debut, He was working on a double-digit lead when he decked Bettendorf’s Shannon Hughes in 3:47.

Cedar Rapids Washington’s Wyatt Young advanced with a technical fall. He handled Temi Otaniyi (Spencer), 19-3, in the first round at 190.

Cedar Rapids Jefferson’s Anthony Snodey won his first match. He edged North Scott’s Bryce Stewart, 6-5. I believe that was a rematch of the district wrestle back won by Stewart. Revenge is sweet at state.

Speaking of state debuts, Chase Watkinson was successful in his first state tournament. He beat Johnston’s Isaac Belman, 6-1, at 106. Watkinson wrestled up a weight class last year, despite being just a 95-pound freshman. He wrestled behind state medalist Dylan Munson. Now, a full-fledged Watkinson is the No. 4 seed.

Munson (113) also won, beating Bondurant-Farrar’s Coby Fiser, 13-2. Pierce also won, pinning Gnewuch. I’m really hoping there is a Munson-Pierce meeting in the semifinal. A rematch of the MVC finals.