Iowa high school wrestling 2020-21: Gazette area wrestlers to watch

Eastern Iowa is stocked with wrestling talent every year. This season is no different. Here are 20 wrestlers to watch for the 2020-21 season.

Adam Ahrendsen, Union Community, sr. — Class 2A 160-pound state champion with 45-1 record, two-time state finalist, three-time state qualifier, 125 career wins, ranked 15th nationally at 182 by flowrestling, University of Northern Iowa signee.

Jannell Avila, Lisbon, soph. — Won 138-pound title at Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association state wrestling tournament, going 19-2 overall, ranked ninth in iawrestle.com's girls' Fab 50.

Robert Avila Jr., Lisbon, jr. — Two-time state champion, winning 1A titles at 126 and 132, finishing 48-0 last season and is 103-1 overall.

Ashton Barker, Iowa City West, sr. — Placed third at 3A state tournament the last two seasons, finishing 31-6 last season. Iowa State commit.

Cole Clark, Lisbon, sr. — Two-time state medalist, 1A 195-pound state runner-up with 45-3 mark, placed fifth at 182 as freshman, 120 career victories.

Hunter Garvin, Iowa City West, jr. — Two-time state finalist, won 132-pound 3A title with 33-3 record, state runner-up at 120 as freshman, Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Conference Wrestler of the Year, ranked ninth nationally at 138 by flowrestling.

Graham Gambrall, Iowa City West, jr. — Three-time state medalist, winning 3A 145-pound state crown with 36-5 record, placed sixth and eighth first two seasons, 122 career victories, Oregon State signee.

Damon Huston, Midland, sr. — Two-time state medalist, 1A 120-pound state runner-up with 49-4 record, placed third as a sophomore, 138-14 career mark, Iowa State commit.

Ben Kueter, Iowa City High, soph. — 3A 160-pound state champion with 24-0 record, MVC champion and Super Meet Outstanding Wrestler, ranked nationally by multiple outlets, top-ranked sophomore by iawrestle.com.

Tate Naaktgeboren, Linn-Mar, soph. — 3A 160-pound state runner-up, finishing 36-3, MVC Super Meet runner-up, first-team all-MVC.

Aidan Noonan, Cascade, sr. — Two-time state champion, capturing 1A titles at 126 and 113 with 87-match win streak, ranked 10th nationally at 132 by flowrestling, Wyoming commit.

Brandon O'Brien, Independence, sr. — Two-time state qualifier and 3A 106 state runner-up for Linn-Mar in 2020, posted 21-2 mark.

Brandon Paez, Lisbon, soph. — 1A 120-pound state champion, posting a 47-6 record.

Millie Peach, Iowa Valley, sr. — Two-time 195-pound champion at the IWCOA girls' state tournament, finishing with a 9-0 mark, ranked No. 1 in iawrestle.com's girls' Fab 50 and seventh nationally.

Kobe Simon, West Liberty, sr. — Two-time state medalist, 2A 220-pound state runner-up with 37-1 record, three-time state qualifier, placing fourth as a sophomore, 105 career wins.

Meridian Snitker, Waukon, jr. — Two-time finalist at the IWCOA girls' state tournament, posted a 25-2 record and is 31-3 overall.

Christian Stanek, Cedar Rapids Xavier, jr. — Two-time state medalist, finished sixth at 138 in 3A with 39-8 record and placed eighth as a freshman, first-team all-MVC.

Hayden Taylor, Solon, jr. — Two-time 2A state champion, claiming titles at 126 and 145 pounds, posting a 52-0 mark and 103-2 overall, ranked 14th at 160 by flowrestling.

Wyatt Voelker, West Delaware, jr. —  Two-time state medalist, placing third at 195 with 43-2 record, finished fourth as a freshman, ranked 14th at 220 by flowrestling.

Isaiah Weber, Independence, jr. — Two-time 2A state runner-up at 126 and 113, two-time Wamac conference champion, 97 career victories.

Cole Whitehead, Center Point-Urbana, sr. — 2A 113-pound state runner-up with 41-2 record, finished sixth as a sophomore, three-time state qualifier, 112 career wins, Wisconsin-La Crosse recruit.