Iowa’s best wrestlers: Meet the state’s top 220-pounders

Some of the top 220-pounders in Iowa prep wrestling

Iowa City High's Ben Kueter

By Dana Becker | Photo by Ginnie Coleman  

One wrestler stands out above all the rest when discussing the 220-pound weight in Iowa: Ben Kueter. 

The dual-sport future University of Iowa Hawkeye firmly placed his name on a short list of pound-for-pound greats in not only the state, but around the world this past summer. Kueter was crowned a world champion and has only continued to dominate here within the borders.

Kueter is not the only returning state champion, though, as both Barrett Muller of Osage and Jared Thiry from Don Bosco finished atop the podium last year.

Here is a look at the top 220-pounders in the state of Iowa based off the 2021-22 season:

Ben Kueter, Iowa City High, senior

Mr. Iowa, Kueter has dominated not only on the wrestling mat, but the football field. A future Hawkeye in both sports, he is a two-time state champion who has not suffered a loss in an Iowa high school match in three years.

Jared Thiry, Don Bosco, senior

If not for Kueter, the top wrestler here would possibly be Thiry, a standout for the Dons, who are among the best teams in the state. Thiry climbed to the top of the podium last year, going 38-2 to win gold. He also finished fifth as a sophomore and qualified as a freshman.

Barrett Muller, Osage, senior

A third returning state champion at 220 pounds, Muller scored 48 victories last year on his way to a title.

Ralson Rumley, West Des Moines Dowling, senior

Rumley worked his way through the field last year, coming up just short after reaching the state finals. He also qualified for the elite field as both a sophomore and a freshman.

Logan Huckfelt, Spencer, senior

After qualifying for state his first two seasons on the mat as a Tiger with 56 total wins, Huckfelt earned his first medal last year, placing third with a 29-7 mark.

Gavin Bridgewater, South Tama County, junior

Bridgewater had himself a standout sophomore season, going 40-7 for South Tama County while placing second at state.

Trystin Irvin, West Des Moines Valley, senior

The 3A field of 220 pounders is a tough one to navigate, but Irvin was able to do it with much success, finishing 28-4 overall with a fourth place medal to his credit.

Jaxon Cherry, Webster City, junior

One of the top two-way football players in the state, Cherry shined on the mats last year, going 36-7 to place fourth for the Lynx.

Cael Winter, Waukee Northwest, senior

Twice now in his career ,Winter has reached the state tournament, finishing fifth last year with a 23-5 mark.

Joseph Lewis, Dubuque Hempstead, senior

Lewis made the most of his opportunity a season ago, winning 33 of the 41 matches he wrestled while placing seventh.

Clark Younggreen, Mount Vernon, senior

One of the heavy guns at Mount Vernon, Younggreen racked up 47 wins and capped it all off with a sixth place state medal.

Logan Wright, West Branch, junior

Wright earned a medal at state as a sophomore, going 46-9 as he placed eighth overall.

Ayden Hoag, Le Mars, junior

Hoag had a fine 10th-grade season competing against much older wrestlers for Le Mars, qualifying for state while going 45-5.

Cooper Nielsen, Audubon, senior

Twice a state qualifier, Nielsen will be out for his first medal and Top-8 finish this season. He won 68 matches during those two years.

Paul Ballard, Albia, junior

With 58 wins his first two seasons on the mat, Ballard has high hopes for the final two. Twice already he has capped the year with an appearance at state.

Evan Franke, Muscatine, junior

Franke put together a 30-win campaign as a sophomore last winter, reaching the state field for Muscatine.

Daniel Sokolik, Fort Madison, senior

Last year, Sokolik was able to earn himself a spot in the state field, finishing it off with 34 wins.

Reece Wrage, North Polk, junior

Wrage made a name for himself as an underclassmen, going 27-9 overall while qualifying for state.

Wil Textor, Dike-New Hartford, senior

It was the finish Textor needed to get himself some momentum for his senior season, as he reached state and won 28 matches.

Wyatt Hanna, Lamoni, sophomore

Just a freshman, Hanna served notice that he will be tough to deal with in the future, going 39-15 overall and earning a bid to state.

Brady Davis, Maquoketa Valley, junior

David dominated his way to a 36-7 record last year that concluded at the state championships.

Henry Lund, Avoca-AHSTW, sophomore

With 41 wins as just a ninth-grader, Lund has bright plans over the next three years.

Evan Foreman, Interstate 35, senior

Foreman finished with 32 wins and an appearance at state for the first time last year for the Roadrunners.

Sawyer Falck, West Delaware, senior

There is nothing easy about earning a spot in the West Delaware lineup, but Falck did just that, winning 12 matches and securing a spot at state.

Griffin Schultz, Linn-Mar, junior

Schultz had an up-and-down sophomore campaign, but was able to end it at the state meet. He won 17 matches last year.