Atlee Dewitt News Today

A look at Saturday’s Class 1A Iowa high school boys’ state wrestling finals. Alburnett’s Rowdy Neighbor scored two takedowns against Akron-Westfield’s Cael Morrow, avenging a loss from a year ago and capturing the 120-pound title

JEWELL – Undefeated North Tama junior Kolt Knaack mined his third trip to state in as many years with his Class 1A District 10 championship on Saturday at S

Here are five storylines to follow during the 2024 Iowa High School Athletic Association traditional state wrestling tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Alburnett Coach Clayton Rush knew exactly how long it had been since his team wrestled for a State Duals title. The wait ended. The Pirates beat Nashua-Plainfield to reach the Class 1A State Duals finals for the first time since 2016.

Top-ranked Alburnett opened with three straight pins and cruised to a 60-14 Class 1A regional dual final win over No. 17 Earlham. The Pirates earned their eighth State Duals berth.

Iowa won 18 of 20 matches in duals at Illinois and Northwestern, UNI and ISU split duals on their Oklahoma tour, Augsburg got revenge in the Battle of the Burgs and Prairie won the MVC team title.

Wartburg captured its 13th title, while Coe and Upper Iowa rebounded after opening-round losses at the NWCA Multi-Divisional Dual Championships at the UNI-Dome. Life University gets title sweep. Iowa State sweeps out west. UNI gets 800th dual win. Alburnett boys’, Decorah girls’ impressive during the Wrestling Weekend That Was.

Just three years after placing 46th at the Class 1A state tournament, Alburnett is back among the top 1A programs. The Pirates are ranked second in dual and tournament rankings with seven ranked wrestlers to start the second half of the boys’ wrestling season.

Each of his first two seasons, Alburnett’s Preston Klostermannwas forced to settle for second the opening weekend of the season. Not this time. Klostermann tallied four pins in the two-day competition, including a third-period fall over Clear Creek Amana’s Ryker Jones, to claim the 144-pound title Saturday at the Cliff Keen Independence Invitational.

Here are eight Gazette-area teams to keep an eye on during the 2023-24 Iowa high school boys’ wrestling season.