K.J. Pilcher

Iowa and Penn State have split two previous No. 1 vs. No. 2 meetings. Some newer Hawkeyes will get their first taste of the rivalry Friday in State College, Pa.

Here are The Gazette’s fifth 2024-25 installment of area high school boys’ wrestling individual rankings.

The Lions won two straight MVC Super Meets before being unseated by Cedar Rapids Prairie last season. Linn-Mar is coming off a team title at Clinton’s Bob Lueders Invitational and is one of the favorites at the MVC tournament.

This week, The Gazette’s K.J. Pilcher and Dick Briggs sit down with Cornell College men’s wrestling coach Brent Hamm. They chat about the Rams’ impressive season, his coaching philosophy, wrestling under Brad Smith and the late Mike Duroe, and what's next on the schedule. Plus, Pilcher and Briggs break down Iowa vs. Penn State and recap last weekend’s college and high school results.

No. 2 Iowa men beat Ohio State and built some momentum for trip to No. 1 Penn State. Iowa women’s team sweeps Journeyman Duals. Oklahoma State’s upper weights turn away University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State. Soldier Salute makes changes, Upper Iowa wins and high school results in the Wrestling Weekend That Was.

Top-ranked 157-pounder Jacori Teemer missed more than two months of action due to injury. He returned to the lineup Saturday, helping No. 2 Iowa defeat No. 4 Ohio State in a Big Ten Conference wrestling dual at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa’s 184-pound redshirt freshman talked about competition and mental health on his 20th birthday, sharing his approach to battle the challenges on and off the mat.

The dual came down to the final match. Class 2A sixth-ranked Independence needed a pin to win but had to settle for a major decision, allowing No. 5 West Delaware to hold on for a 30-29 victory in the Highway 20 Clash Thursday night in Manchester.

Multisport athletes are not unique, but West Liberty’s Ryker Dengler is a rare competitor who wrestles and plays basketball. He has been successful in both, qualifying for state last year and leading the basketball team in several statistical categories.

Here are The Gazette’s fourth 2024-25 installment of area high school boys’ wrestling individual rankings.

Iowa Coach Tom Brands noted the new National Duals Invitational for NCAA Division I programs is attractive for top programs, including the Hawkeyes.

The Pinning Combination podcast includes The Gazette’s K.J. Pilcher, Dick Briggs and special guest Alburnett Coach Clayton Rush.

Spencer Lee competed in the Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France and rolled to gold in his first competition since the 2024 Olympics. Iowa men and women continue to dominate. UNI cools off Sun Devils and more in the Wrestling Weekend That Was.

Top-ranked Shayden Washburn was one of four Alburnett champions Saturday at the J-Hawk Invitational hosted by Cedar Rapids Jefferson. The Pirates won the team title by 81 points over Waukee Northwest.

Joey Cruz has been competing for the 125-pound starting spot. He has won his last two chances, including a major decision to spark Iowa’s 28-6 Big Ten Conference dual win over Illinois Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena,