What to expect at the 2026 Iowa High School Athletic Association State Duals

The Iowa High School Athletic Association State Duals tournament is Saturday at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

STATE QUARTERFINALS

CLASS 3A

#1 Southeast Polk vs. #8 Pleasant Valley, 9 a.m.

#4 Dallas Center-Grimes vs. #5 West Des Moines Dowling, 9 a.m.

#3 Waukee Northwest vs.#6 Iowa City West, 10:45 a.m.

#2 Indianola vs.#7 Linn-Mar, 10:45 a.m.

Outlook: Southeast Polk is a heavy favorite. The Rams have won the last two State Duals crowns and seven of the last 13. SE Polk has wrestled in the last seven finals and nothing this season is likely to end the streak. With 12 ranked wrestlers, the Rams’ balance and depth is simply too much for everyone else in the field. Indianola has the best shot as the No. 2 seed, but won’t have an easy road, opening with No. 7 Linn-Mar. The Lions are one of the hottest dual teams in 3A, winning 10 straight. Indianola beat Linn-Mar, 43-24, at the Battle of Waterloo in December but the Lions are wrestling very well as the postseason approaches. They can make a run. Iowa City West was dominant in the regional dual and have the firepower to pull an upset. They have some flexibility and wrestlers that can score bonus points. If they can create favorable matchups, the Trojans have a chance to advance.

Predictions: 1. Southeast Polk, 2. Indianola, 3. Iowa City West

IOWA CITY WEST

Coach: Nate Moore (8th year)

Record: 10-4

State duals appearances: 12th overall, first since 2014

Road to Coralville: The seventh-ranked Trojans won 10 matches and trounced No. 13 North Scott, 50-22, at home.

LINN-MAR

Co-coach: Beau Westpfahl and Ryan Gotto (2nd year)

Record: 15-4

State duals appearances: 8th overall, first since 2022

Road to Coralville: The 10th-ranked Lions beat No. 19 Cedar Rapids Prairie, 63-17, and beat host No. 6 Dubuque Hempstead, 46-22, in the regional final.

CLASS 2A

#1 Decorah vs. #8 Glenwood, 9 a.m.

#4 West Delaware vs.#5 Independence, 9 a.m.

#3 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont vs.#6 Alburnett, 10:45 a.m.

#2 Clarion-Goldfield-Dows vs. #7 Algona, 10:45 a.m.

Outlook: Decorah has built a tremendous resume this season. The Vikings have quietly ascended the ranks and are perched atop 2A with regular-season dual wins over No. 2 Clarion-Goldfield -Dows and No. 5 Independence. They have not lost to an Iowa opponent this season, benefiting good balance and a competitive wrestler at just about every weight. Decorah is making its first State Duals trip since back-to-back state runner-up finishes in 1995 and 1996 and has the ability to return to the finals. Glenwood will try to keep the upset mentality, knocking off No. 7 Sergeant Bluff-Luton to qualify. The Decorah-Glenwood winner face the winner between Wamac rivals West Delaware and Independence. The Hawks won the regular-season dual, 35-33, on Jan. 22. The Mustangs answered by winning the Wamac Conference tournament. A couple matchups could get flipped, making this still a toss-up dual. Alburnett bumped up a class but still found its way to the State Duals. The Pirates have a tough matchup with EBF in the quarterfinal. CGD is the No. 2 seed and has split with 1A power Don Bosco. 2A promises to be the most competitive and unpredictable bracket of the event.

Predictions: 1. Decorah, 2. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, 3. Independence

DECORAH

Coach: Jordan Thompson (3rd year)

Record: 20-3

State duals appearances: 3rd overall, first since 1996

Road to Coralville: The top-ranked Vikings dominated No. 22 Anamosa, 60-7, in Decorah.

INDEPENDENCE

Coach: Michael Doyle (27th year)

Record: 24-6

State duals appearances: 15th overall, third straight and seven in the last eight seasons

Road to Coralville: The fifth-ranked Mustangs defeated No. 18 Wilton, 35-33, in the regional final at home

WEST DELAWARE

Coach: Jake Voss (2nd year)

Record: 16-2

State duals appearances: 16th overall, ninth straight

Road to Coralville: The fourth-ranked Hawks handled No. 16 Williamsburg, 51-16, in the regional final at Manchester.

ALBURNETT

Coach: Clayton Rush (11th year)

Record: 29-3

State duals appearances: 10th overall, fourth straight

Road to Coralville: The sixth-ranked Pirates topped No. 17 Solon, 52-12, in the regional final at home.

CLASS 1A

#1 Don Bosco vs. #8 Logan-Magnolia, 9 a.m.

#4 Woodbury Central vs. #5 Hinton, 9 a.m.

#3 Lake Mills vs. #6 Oakland Riverside, 10:45 a.m.

#2 Jesup vs. #7 Nashua-Plainfield, 10:45 a.m.

Outlook: Top-ranked Don Bosco is the favorite and is head and shoulders above the field. The Dons have won the last five State Duals titles and seven of the last eight. The last time Don Bosco didn’t wrestle in the finals was 2016. They six top-ranked wrestlers, another ranked No. 2 and eight ranked overall. The only team that could remotely challenge the Dons is Jesup. The J-Hawks made their first State Duals appearance in 2024, placing fifth. They reached their first semifinal last year and finished fourth. Jesup has the talent to make another jump and reach the final. The J-Hawks have eight ranked wrestlers with two ranked No. 1. The gap between the top two and the rest of the field is substantial. Expect the two close communities of Don Bosco and Jesup to wrestle in the finals.

Predictions: 1. Don Bosco, 2. Jesup, 3. Woodbury Central

JESUP

Coach: Levi Vogel (1st year)

Record: 26-1

State duals appearances: 3rd overall, third straight

Road to Coralville: The second-ranked J-Hawks routed No. 12 South Winneshiek, 56-23, in the regional final at home.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com