Iowa high school boys state wrestling 2026: Class-by-class breakdowns and predictions

Here is a breakdown, including top qualifiers, synopsis and predictions, of each class at the Iowa High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament Wednesday through Saturday at Casey’s Center in Des Moines.

Class 3A

Top qualifiers: 14 – Southeast Polk; 13 – Indianola; 12 – Waverly-Shell Rock, West Des Moines Dowling; 11 – Johnston, Linn-Mar, North Scott, Pleasant Valley; 10 – Ankeny Centennial, Bondurant-Farrar; 9 – Ankeny, Bettendorf, Iowa City West, Urbandale, Waukee Northwest.

Area qualifiers: 11 – Linn-Mar; 9 – Iowa City West; 7 – Cedar Rapids Prairie, Western Dubuque; 6 – Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Iowa City High; 5 – Cedar Rapids Xavier, Clear Creek Amana, Iowa City Liberty; 2 – Marion; 1 – Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Washington.

2025 top three teams: 1. Southeast Polk 259.5, 2. Bettendorf 142.5, 3. Indianola 127.5.

Unbeaten qualifiers: Alexander Pierce (Iowa City West, sr., 45-0, 126), Jake Knight (Bettendorf, sr., 36-0, 132), Alex Penzkover (SE Polk, soph., 13-0, 157), Mac Crosson (Indianola, jr., 31-0, 165), Jaxon Miller (Carlisle, sr., 40-0, 175), Landon Bell (Iowa City Liberty, sr., 8-0, 175), Lincoln Jipp (Bettendorf, sr., 44-0, 215), Dreshaun Ross (Fort Dodge, sr., 31-0, 285).

Outlook: Southeast Polk has won the last two state titles and three of the last four. The Rams are poised to win again. They qualified each weight and have the high-powered talent to do it, boasting five No. 1 seeds and 10 seeded in the top-eight. The real race will be for second place with teams like Bettendorf, Indianola and West Des Moines Dowling. They will battle it out with Waukee Northwest for the other two team trophies.

Linn-Mar and Iowa City West are the area’s top teams but cracking will be tough. The Lions have 11 qualifiers led by No. 2 165-pounder Noah Howk-Erwin and No. 4-seeded duo Barrett Mieras (175) and Philip Jacobs (190). The Lions may have more balance overall but Iowa City West has more potential for title contenders with three-time state finalist and 2023 state champion Alexander Pierce (126) and freshman Diego Robertty at 113. Pierce is looking to become the state’s 78th four-time finalist. Robertty is seeded third with a 35-1 record. He has a pin over No. 1 Carew Christensen and his lone loss was a 9-6 decision to Dowling’s No. 2 Jack Wallukait. Only two of Robertty’s matches have gone the distance.

Team predictions: 1. Southeast Polk, 2. Bettendorf, 3. West Des Moines Dowling.

Individual champion predictions: 106 – Amir Newman-Winfrey, SE Polk; 113 – Jack Wallukait, West Des Moines Dowling; 120 – Chase Watkinson, C.R. Prairie; 126 – Pierce, Iowa City West; 132 – Knight, Bettendorf; 138 – Nico DeSalvo, SE Polk; 144 – Will Oberbroeckling, SE Polk; 150 – Braxton Winkey, Ames; 157 – Nolan Fellers, Bondurant-Farrar; 165 – Crosson, Indianola; 175 – Maximus Dhabolt, Ankeny Centennial; 190 – Andy Franke, Muscatine; 215 – Jipp, Bettendorf; 285 – Ross, Fort Dodge.

Class 2A

Top qualifiers: 11 – Decorah, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont; 10– Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Independence; 9 – Algona, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, West Delaware, Wilton; 8 – Alburnett, Atlantic, Estherville-Lincoln Central, Humboldt, West Liberty; 7 – Burlington-Notre Dame, Davenport Assumption, Glenwood, Osage, Solon, Williamsburg, Woodward-Granger.

Area qualifiers: 11 – Decorah; 10 – Independence; 9 – West Delaware; 8 – Alburnett, West Liberty; 7 – Solon, Williamsburg; 6 – Union Community; 5 – Washington, Iowa; 4 – Anamosa, Mount Vernon, North Fayette Valley, Tipton, West Branch; 3 – Benton Community, Center Point-Urbana, Vinton-Shellsburg; 1 – Maquoketa, Monticello, South Tama, Waukon.

2025 top three teams: 1. Burlington-Notre Dame 129, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 107.5, 3. Union Community 103.5.

Unbeaten qualifiers: Kohen Dietzenbach (Burlington-Notre Dame, soph., 36-0, 113), Dylan Williamson (Van Meter, soph., 43-0, 120), Gage Spurgeon (Eddyville-Blakesburg, jr., 48-0, 132), Gavin Landers (Denver, jr., 54-0, 138), Landen Davis (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, sr., 37-0, 144), Blake Fox (Osage, sr., 46-0, 150), Mikey Ryan (Mount Vernon, sr., 44-0, 157), Boden White (Denver, sr., 52-0, 165), Jacob McGargill (Shenandoah, sr., 53-0, 165), Gavin Muller (Osage, jr., 25-0, 215), Gatlin Rogers (Wilton, sr., 32-0, 215).

Outlook: The team race will be the closest of all three classes and could resemble the State Duals battle from almost two weeks ago. It should be a little more competitive with up to seven teams with a shot at a team trophy. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont has impressed all season and is coming off a State Duals title. The Rockets have quantity and quality, tying Decorah for the most qualifiers in 2A and earning eight top-eight seeds. EBF’s Gage Spurgeon and Landen Davis are top seeds at 132 and 144, respectively, while 126-pounder Slater Thomas is the No. 2 seed. The Rockets are looking to improve last season’s runner-up finish to Burlington-Notre Dame, which could make a run at the top five.

Clarion-Goldfield-Dows is another strong contender, beating EBF in tournament competition earlier this season. Wilton and Alburnett both moved up to 2A this season and have teams capable of placing in the top three.

Decorah is the most likely area team to top EBF. The Vikings have 11 qualifiers and have great balance. Eight are seeded 10th or better, including third-seeded trio Edisen and Williams Fullhart at 106 and 165 and Thomas Sexton at 190. Kasen Tyler is No. 5 at 175. Decorah has a chance for a huge medal haul and a few that could climb to the top steps. The Vikings haven’t won a traditional tournament team trophy since a 3A runner-up finish in 1999.

The Pirates have eight qualifiers and wrestlers capable of placing high, including heavyweight Eaghan Fleshman, 144-pounder Owen Henriksen, Kam Roberts (132), Atlee Dewitt at 120 and freshman 106-pounder Tyler Gerhold.

Independence and West Delaware have good numbers but might lack the big point scorers to break into the top five. They will need multiple wrestlers to place above their seeds.

Team predictions: 1. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, 2. Decorah, 3. Alburnett.

Individual champion predictions: 106 – Jackson Parmater, Vinton-Shellsburg; 113 – Coy Mehlert, Union Community; 120 – Urijah Courter, West Marshall; 126 – Mason Shirk, Wilton; 132 – Spurgeon, EBF; 138 – Landers, Denver; 144 – Davis, EBF; 150 – Fox, Osage; 157 – Ryan, Mount Vernon; 165 – White, Denver; 175 – Ayden Antonelli, Anamosa; 190 – Broedy Hendricks, Humboldt; 215 – Mason Koehler, Glenwood; 285 – Eaghan Fleshman, Alburnett.

Class 1A

Top qualifiers: 11 – Don Bosco; 9– Jesup, Lisbon; 8 – Earlham, Logan-Magnolia, Nashua-Plainfield; 7 – Central Springs, Hinton, Lake Mills, Oakland Riverside; 6 – AC/GC, Underwood, Westwood Sloan, Woodbury Central.

Area qualifiers: 9 – Jesup, Lisbon; 5 – Belle Plaine; 4 – Cascade, Dyersville Beckman, North Linn, South Winneshiek; 3 – BGM, Iowa City Regina, Iowa Valley, Sigourney-Keota; 2 – HLV-TC, MFL MarMac, Midland, Montezuma, North Tama, Postville, Starmont; 1 – Central/Edgewood-Colesburg, East Buchanan, Lone Tree, Maquoketa Valley, Springville.

2025 top three teams: 1. Don Bosco 225.5, 2. Alburnett 144.5, 3. Wilton 109.

Unbeaten qualifiers: Brady Burton (Westwood Sloan, fr., 29-0, 113), Jesse Burton (Westwood Sloan, sr., 36-0, 120), Hayden Schwab (Don Bosco, jr., 30-0, 126), Braylon Peters (Westwood Sloan, fr., 36-0, 132), Dawson Youngblut (Don Bosco, jr., 45-0, 144), Dustin Van Oort (West Sioux, sr., 44-0, 150), Boston Peters (Westwood Sloan, soph., 38-0, 157), Ryan Groom (North Mahaska, sr., 33-0, 165), Brock Mulder (Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, sr., 32-0, 175), Alex Tiedemann (Northwood-Kensett, sr., 39-0, 175), Keaton Moeller (Starmont, sr., 39-0, 190), Caleb Christensen (Nodaway Valley, jr., 51-0, 190), Kyler Sallis (Don Bosco, jr., 41-0, 215), Ashton Honnold (Nodaway Valley, sr., 51-0, 285).

Outlook: Don Bosco is a huge favorite, even bigger than SE Polk in 3A. The Dons are the only team to qualify double digits and each one is capable of earning a medal. Don Bosco has seven wrestlers seeded in the top two in their weight, including No. 1 seeds Ty Martin (106), Kaiden Belinsky (113), Hayden Schwab (126), Dawson Youngblut (144) and 215-pounder Kyler Sallis. Don Bosco set a 1A record for points last year and could set it for a second straight year, attempting to win an eighth straight team crown.

Jesup challenged the Dons during the State Duals finals and are the biggest threat to the Dons. The J-Hawks have nine in the field, including No. 1 seed Cooper Hinz at 132. Ayden Bergman is underrated as the No. 7 seed at 120. Seven J-Hawks are projected to place. Jesup has potential for its best finish. The J-Hawks were fourth in 2024, third in 2A in 1974 and Class B runner-up in 1961.

Lisbon had a strong district but doesn’t have the big point scorers to finish in the top five. The Lions could budge into the top 10 with a good performance.

Woodbury Central, Westwood Sloan and Hinton are teams that could contend for a trophy.

Team predictions: 1. Don Bosco, 2. Jesup, 3. Woodbury Central.

Individual champion predictions: 106 – Ty Martin, Don Bosco; 113 – Kaiden Belinsky, Don Bosco; 120 – Ayden Bergman, Jesup; 126 – Schwab, Don Bosco; 132 – Cooper Hinz, Jesup; 138 – Drew Anderson, Oakland Riverside; 144 – Youngblut, Don Bosco; 150 – Van Oort, West Sioux; 157 – Teague Smith, West Hancock; 165 – Jackson Kounkel, Hinton; 175 – Ethan Christoffer, Don Bosco; 190 – Moeller, Starmont 215 – Sallis, Don Bosco; 285 – Honnold, Nodaway Valley.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com