Boys Wrestlers Take on State

The Waukee Northwest wrestling team competed in the Iowa High School Athletics Association (IHSAA) state tournament from Wednesday, February 15th until Saturday, February 18th, located in Wells Fargo Arena. 

The wrestling team had 10 out of 14 athletes qualify for state by placing 3rd or better in their district bracket. The wolves sent Koufax Christensen (11) at 120 pounds, John King (11) at 126 pounds, Carter Freeman (11) at 132 pounds, Lincoln Hutt (10) at 138 pounds, Dominic Rubino (12) at 145 pounds, Logan Stotts (12) at 152 pounds, Abe Parker (10) at 182 pounds, Brayden Williams (10) at 195 pounds, Cael Winter (12) at 220 lbs, and finally Jamal Neeway (10) at 285 pounds. 

The Wolves placed 8th in the state, after a runner-up finish the year before. They did make their presence felt however with 2 state champions, Carter Freeman and Koufax Christensen, winning their 3rd and 2nd (respective) state title.  Carter Freeman stated that this tournament felt like less pressure in comparison to years past. He explained, “been there and done that”, and also expressed, “if I wrestled to the best of my ability, I would have no problems.”  The Wolves had 4 other wrestlers place, John King (8th), Dominic Rubino (8th), Logan Stotts (5th), and Cael Winter (7th). Winter communicated, “Wrestling’s just wrestling.” This mindset helped him with his mid-season weight change and is a mindset he had sustained throughout this tournament. Logan Stotts, after finally escaping the blood round, stated, “It was a big accomplishment. I was really happy, and so were my parents.” To place in the consolation side, where Logan was after an early loss, you have to win the “blood round”. The blood round is the consolation quarterfinals. A win leads to placement opportunities, and contenders are out with a loss. 2 wrestlers who weren’t able to escape the blood round however were sophomores Abe Parker and Jamal Neeway. Both went 3-2 this tournament and were huge in helping the Wolves stay in the top 10. Jamal Neeway really enjoyed his state experience, and his nerves from weigh-ins settled after he started wrestling. Neeway stated, “Everyone there is just human. I need to go out there, relax and have fun.” Overall, it was a successful tournament for the Northwest wrestling team filled with great successes like placements and state championships and many learning opportunities and experiences for all the wrestlers.