Boys Wrestling State Title Day
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Eddie Woody (Southeast Polk) 41-1, Fr. over Cruz Gannon (Dowling Catholic) 27-4, Fr. (Pin 1:19), “the game plan was kill, just go at it, just go for it.”
Nico DeSalvo (Southeast Polk) 38-0, So. over Alexander Pierce (Iowa City, West) 47-3, Jr. (Decision 4-1), “I feel great… just visualizing every single day, I can’t stop visualizing so I couldn’t sleep, but I got the job done.”
Jake Knight (Bettendorf) 48-1, Jr. over Cale Vandermark (Ankeny Centennial) 41-3, Jr. (Decision 11-4), “I knew it was over before it started… I knew I was better.”
Christian Castillo (Ames) (Mr. Wrestler 2025) 43-0, Sr. over Max Riggins (Southeast Polk) 40-4, Sr. (Pin 4:27), “It’s great you know. You can’t get to these positions in the season without [teammates] like Braxton Brown but its definitely cool.”
TJ Koester (Bettendorf) 42-1, Sr. over Carter Pearson (Southeast Polk) 43-2, Sr. (Pin 5:21), “I was just really happy, it’s my last year, last tournament match. It’s really special to have it end like that.”
Mac Crosson (Indianola) 32-0, So. over Wil Oberbroeckling (Southeast Polk) 30-6, Jr. (Major Decision 11-1), “When I think back on my record, I wrestled tight and it’s kinda mentally draining. I try not to think about it, but I do, it is mentally draining but it’s great”
Justis Jesuroga (Southeast Polk) 34-3, Jr. over Koy Davidson (Fort Dodge) 37-3, Sr. (For.), “It’s disappointing but I ended up on top and I’m about to win with these guys.”
Justin Avila (Iowa City, West) 49-3, Sr. over Jabari Hinson (Ames) 48-1, Sr. (Decision 9-7), “You can call it whatever you want, I believe in myself I’ll never forget it.”
Maximus Dhabolt (Ankeny Centennial) 33-1, So. over Bas Diaz (Waverly-Shell Rock) 44-3, Sr. (Decision 7-2), “I proved a point I am the best over here.”
Jaxon Miller (Carlisle) 42-2, Jr. over Xayvion Anderson (Marshalltown) 45-4, Sr. (Decision 5-4), “I was just trusting God and the plans he has for me, and I knew that with my coaches and my family… they have been having my back and it all lead to this.”
Jacob Helgeson (Johnston) 34-1, Sr. over Lincoln Jipp (Bettendorf) 47-3, Jr. (Pin 2:52), “I was really banged up after regional duals, didn’t really know what to expect, took a whole week and a half off practice and knew I had to get tough.”
Asa Hemsted (Carlisle) 41-1, Sr. over Cain Tigges (Urbandale) 40-2, Sr. (Pin 1:39), “All glory to God, always pray before and I asked him to give me a pin, I was just going for it.”
Dreshaun Ross (Fort Dodge) 20-0, Jr. over Jean Ngoma (Xavier, Cedar Rapids) 38-1, Sr. (Technical Fall with a 1.5-point margin. 3:37 (18-2)), “It was kinda part of the plan, I texted my coach earlier and asked if there were any consequences if I did the backflip and he said no just don’t break your neck.”
(Heavyweight) Cooper Martinson (Southeast Polk) 39-3, Sr. over Brady Hagan (Dowling Catholic) 26-5, So. (Decision 4-1), “We don’t really think about wrestling, we just go out and compete and have fun.”
Team Winner Southeast Polk broke the all-time team score record with 259.5 points, the record was formally Waverly-Shell Rock’s 225 points set in 2008. Southeast Polk entered the tournament with all 14 of their weight classes qualifying and having a first-round by. Southeast Polk Coach Jake Agnitsch stated to the Des Moines Register, “I’ll remember it as the best team ever… there’s really no doubt now.”