5 storylines to follow in the 2025 Iowa high school boys’ state wrestling tournament

From team battles to individual performances, here are five storylines to watch at the Iowa High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament Wednesday through Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

CAN ALEXANDER PIERCE RECLAIM GOLD?

Iowa City West junior Alexander Pierce won the Class 3A 106-pound title as a freshman and was runner-up at 113 last season. He enters this year’s tournament as the No. 2 seed with a 44-2 mark. Pierce has been dominant and unbeaten since he dropped down from 120. He has 39 bonus-point victories, recording 27 pins, nine technical falls and three major decisions. The University of Virginia commit could face a district rematch with Waverly-Shell Rock’s Kipton Lewis in the quarterfinals and a Mississippi Valley Conference championship rematch with Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Dylan Munson, if the Hawk senior can get by Lewis Central’s No. 3 Weston Porter. The road won’t be easy to get back to Saturday night. The biggest question is whether Pierce can derail Nico DeSalvo, of Southeast Polk. DeSalvo, the 106-pound champion last season, is 34-0, improving to 72-1 the last two years. Could be a classic final.

Iowa City West has a few interesting storylines. Justin Avila is the No. 3-seed at 150 and looking for his third state medal. Avila was fourth at 170 as a freshman and fifth last year at 150. Cole Krutzfeldt is the No. 4-seed at 138. He joined the Trojans this season after winning two state titles in Montana. The Tennessee-Chattanooga signee is 40-4. It might be a tough task to add an Iowa title.

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ALBURNETT’S REBOUND FROM STATE DUALS DISAPPOINTMENT

Alburnett and Don Bosco have battled for 1A state bragging rights the last two seasons. The Dons have been triumphant, sweeping both state team titles a year ago and beating the Pirates by a point in the final of the State Duals at Xtream Arena in Coralville on Feb. 8. The finals dual ended with Alburnett mistakenly forfeiting a match with three weights left that secured the Dons’ 15 th State Dual title. Surely, Alburnett has been waiting for another crack at Don Bosco. The Pirates rolled through their districts, qualifying all but one for the tournament. Alburnett has seven wrestlers projected to reach the podium with a few more with the potential to work their way into the top eight. The Pirates have three seeded in the top two, including state champion Rowdy Neighbor, who is No. 2 at 126, and No. 1 175-pounder Shayden Washburn. Alburnett’s depth will be essential to overcome Don Bosco’s firepower. The Dons have multiple title contenders, including Hendrix and Hayden Schwab at 113 and 120, Dawson Youngblut at 138 and Kyler Knaack at 165. They are the sons of University of Northern Iowa Coach Doug Schwab, who will be leading Saturday night’s Grand March with Iowa Coach Tom Brands and Iowa State Coach Kevin Dresser.

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UNION COMMUNITY DUO WIN TOGETHER AGAIN

Union Community duo Brayden Bohnsack and Jace Hedeman are both vying for a third state title. They have taken different paths at this point and the results only matched once when they each won crowns as sophomores. See, both started their careers as 106 pounders but Hedeman was the starter as a freshman, causing Bohnsack to move up to 113. Hedeman won the 2A state title and Bohnsack placed eighth. They swapped spots in 2023 and they each won gold. Last season, Bohnsack won the 113-pound title and Hedeman’s quest for four titles was thwarted by a finals loss to Webster City’s Carson Doolittle.

The Knights enter as No. 1 seeds – Bohnsack at 120 and Hedeman at 132. Bohnsack is 46-4 and has Clarion-Goldfield-Dows’ No. 2 Linden Phetxoumphone. Bohnsack beat him in last year’s final but Phetxoumphone beat Bohnsack in the final seconds at Independence the first weekend of the season. Hedeman, a UNI signee, is 51-0 and leads a trio of area wrestlers atop the weight. Aaron Boone, of Washington (Iowa), is the No. 2 seed with a 45-3 record, while Decorah’s Mason Avila (11-2) is the third seed.

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DEBOW ATTEMPTS TO EARN 4 TH MEDAL

Linn-Mar’s Malik DeBow has reached the state podium in his first three seasons. DeBow was seventh at 106 as a freshman and fifth the last two seasons at 120 and 113. He is the No. 4 seed with a 31-3 record, winning his last 13. If DeBow can earn another medal, he will become Linn-Mar’s eighth four-time medalist. DeBow would join four-time state champion Jay Borschel, three-time state champion Matt McDonough, who is being inducted in the IHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame this season, two-time state champion and four-time finalist Tate Naaktgeboren, state champions Alijah Jeffery, Matt Wempen and Kane Naaktgeboren (the 144-pound champion and Gazette’s Wrestler of the Year in 2024) and finalist Ross Lembeck.

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190 POUND BRACKET IN 2A

No surprise how the top-three seeds shook out for the 190-pound bracket in 2A. Benton Community’s Brenden Heying (45-1), Anamosa’s Austin Scranton (48-2) and West Delaware’s Brent Yonkovic (39-5) have battled throughout the season, starting with West Delaware’s Bob Murphy Invitational the first weekend of the season. They have been the best three 190-pounders in 2A all season and the seeds reflect it. All three are two-time medalists. Scranton won the 175-pound state title last year and was sixth in 2023. Heying was fourth at 165 a year ago and sixth as a sophomore. Yonkovic was third last year and fifth as a freshman.

Heying is the top-seed and has accounted Scranton’s only losses and four of Yonkovic’s five. Heying’s lone loss was to Scranton. Heying is 4-0 against Yonkovic. None of the last seven matches between the three have been decided by more than two points. Scranton and Yonkovic have not met this season but Scranton was 3-0 against Yonkovic last season, including an 8-6 win in the state semifinals.

Decorah’s Tom Sexton (38-5) is seeded fifth, while Williamsburg’s Cael Moore (38-8) is seventh.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com