Iowa high school wrestling Week 1 notebook (12/4/2023)
Around the state, the sounds of fans screaming, kids grunting and hands slapping the mat picked up as the prep wrestling season moved into overdrive this past week.
Along with duals throughout the days leading up to the weekend, some of Iowa's biggest and most tradition-rich tournaments also took place.
One was held in Coralville from the Xtream Arena, as the Donnybrook brought together two-day girls and two-day boys tournaments.
With over 400 points, Decorah won the girls title over Waverly-Shell Rock, Bettendorf and Ankeny. Reigning state champion Naomi Simon pushed her record to 15-0 on the year with five falls, including a pin of Esperanza Calvillo from Apple Valley (Minnesota) in the finals.
Kamryn Steines also claimed a title with Anastasia Simon and Madysen Lippe each finishing second.
Sophomore Katie Biscoglia, who went unbeaten and won a state title as a freshman last winter, dominated her way to the 100-pound crown for Raccoon River-Northwest.
Reanah Utterback, a state medalist in the boys draw a season ago, was the winner at 115 for Sigourney-Keota with Linn-Mar’s Alley Jelinek, Waverly-Shell Rock’s Klara Djoumessi and Dubuque Wahlert’s Eve Skrocki all winning crowns from Iowa schools.
Bettendorf was the top team from Iowa in the boys race, taking third. Fort Dodge, which had its first three Donnybrook champs ever, placed sixth with Bondurant-Farrar eighth.
Freshman Hayden Schwab, the son of Northern Iowa head wrestling coach Doug Schwab, won the 106-pound bracket from Don Bosco, pinning Ankeny’s Benjamin Walsh in the finals.
Dru Ayala, the brother of current Iowa Hawkeye Drake Ayala, captured gold for Fort Dodge at 120 with Koy Davidson adding the 138-pound title and Dreshaun Ross winning at 220 for the Dodgers. Ayala and Davidson are both former state runners-up while Ross, a sophomore, won it all last year.
Linn-Mar’s Kane Naaktgeboren and Bettendorf’s Lincoln Jipp were also winners.
Alburnett locks up Keen invite crown
Behind a 320-point team effort, Alburnett captured the Cliff Keen Independence Invitational over Carlisle. The meet, which also featured the likes of Union LaPorte City, New Hampton/Turkey Valley, Independence and Osage, had over 30 teams in attendance.
Preston Klostermann was the lone individual champion for Alburnett with Atlee Dewitt, Rowdy Neighbor and Dawson Becker each finishing second. Tayten Coufal added a bronze to the day.
Union LaPorte City had two champions in Jace Hedeman and Caleb Olson, as did Osage with Tucker Stangel and Mac Muller.
Maximus Magayna, a three-time defending state champion at Waterloo Columbus, picked up a title for Waterloo East. Other champions included Dylan Munson of Cedar Rapids Prairie, Gavin Landers from Denver, Carter Schmauss of Crestwood, Kade Blume from Roland-Story and Braden McShane of New Hampton/Turkey Valley.
--Dana Becker
