Don Bosco’s strong finish leads to 4th straight Class 1A State Duals wrestling crown

CORALVILLE – Don Bosco was tested.

The Dons had all the answers and passed thanks to a strong finish.

Third-seeded Don Bosco won the final four bouts to defeated No. 1 Alburnett, 45-31, to claim the Class 1A championship at the Iowa High School Athletic Association State Duals wrestling tournament Saturday at Xtream Arena. The Dons won their fourth straight duals title and increased their state record total to 14.

“They rose to the occasion,” Don Bosco Coach Chris Ortner said. “You never know coming into something like this how your kids are going to react. You hope you do. I’m really happy how they competed all day.”

The Pirates led 31-24 with four matches remaining. The Dons’ top-ranked Kyler Knaack (157) and No. 3 Andew Kimball at 165 recorded consecutive falls. Kaiden Knaack, ranked first at 175, sealed the win with a 10-3 decision over Hunter Sauer before No. 5 190-pounder Landon Fernandez capped the day with a first-period fall.

Neither team had won more than two straight weights until the final stretch.

“Both teams really battled,” Ortner said. “I think our kids really fought all day.”

Alburnett led most of the dual, receiving a pin from Emmitt Fleshman at heavyweight and a forfeit at 106 for a 12-6 lead. Don Bosco tied it again with a fall from Hayden Schwab at 113.

The Pirates posted consecutive wins again with a pin from No. 2 Rowdy Neighbor at 120 and a decision from 126-pounder Tayten Coufal. Preston Klostermann (138) and Reece Klostermann at 150 added a pin and major decision, respectively. Alburnett was overmatched the rest of the way.

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“In a dual like that, you have to get the right matchups and it starts with the coin flip,” Alburnett Coach Clayton Rush said. “It’s not why you lose the dual but it certainly helps.

“We didn’t win the coin flip. In a back-and-forth dual there’s a few matches, like against Nashua-Plainfield and Wapsie Valley, if you get those swing matches it can be different. We just didn’t get them in that one.”

The Pirates (32-5) reached the finals for the first time since 2016. They improved last year’s fourth-place finish. Alburnett returns 11 of 14 starters and possesses the potential to be in this spot again next season.

“I fully expect it,” Rush said. “It’s an experience. We last in the semis last year and this semifinal round we competed a little different. That finals match we competed a little different. That’s fine.”

The attention will quickly turn to Saturday’s district tournament. Alburnett will compete at South Hamilton High School. The Pirates, Don Bosco and Wilton are expected to be the top contenders at the traditional tournament Feb. 14-17 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

“Even though we lost that dual, our guys are competing hard right now,” Rush said. “I really like where they’re at. We have a couple weeks left. We’re just going to keep peaking.”

In Class 2A, Creston captured its second State Duals crown and first since 2007. The Panthers did it in dramatic fashion as well. Jagger Luther beat Will Ryan, 7-1, in the final bout at 190, lifting No. 3 Creston to a 36-33 victory over No. 5 Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

Creston (18-1) reached the finals with wins over No. 2 Mount Vernon and No. 5 Independence to reach the finals for the first time since 2011. The Warriors knocked off returning state runner-up West Delaware in the quarterfinals and dropped defending state champion Osage to make their first state final.

Mount Vernon placed fourth for the second straight season, falling to Osage, 44-28, in the last round. The Mustangs opened the tournament with a 32-24 win over No. 7 Algona.

“The first dual I thought we wrestled well,” said Mount Vernon Coach Vance Light, who was disappointed in the fight to prevent bonus points displayed in the 44-24 semifinal loss to Creston. “I thought we wrestled pretty well in this last dual. We made a couple mistakes but it is what it is.”

Southeast Polk returned to the top of 3A after three straight runner-up performances. The Rams defeated Bettendorf, 48-16, to win their sixth State Duals crown and first since 2020. Top-seeded Southeast Polk (14-0) rolled through the field, beating rival Waverly-Shell Rock, 54-24, in the first round and No. 4 Fort Dodge, 53-18, in the semifinals.

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