Week 9 Iowa high school wrestling notebook

News and notes from around Iowa prep wrestling this week

Don Bosco is seeking a traditional Class 1A state championship after winning the state dual meet last week. 

By Dana Becker | Photo by Matthew Putney  

It is district wrestling Saturday statewide this week, as athletes compete for those precious qualifying bids to the state championships.

For the first time, there were no sectional meets held, as all three classifications shifted to a one-day qualifying schedule. In Class 3A, the Top-3 finishers at each of the eight districts will advance to Des Moines and Wells Fargo Arena.

For 2A and 1A, there will be 12 district sites with the first and second place finishers in each weight moving on.

Waverly-Shell Rock in 3A, Osage in 2A and Don Bosco in 1A will all be looking to add to state dual titles captured last weekend. The Go-Hawks compete in Cedar Rapids, the Green Devils are in Iowa Falls and the Dons head to North English.

The 2A race last year was as close as ever, with Notre Dame Burlington edging out Osage by a half-point. Southeast Polk clipped Waukee Northwest by three points in 3A, with Waverly-Shell Rock third and 13 points back.

As has become the norm with Don Bosco, they distanced themselves from the field, as Lisbon was second almost by almost 40 points.

All four days of the state tournament beginning at 9 a.m. with 1A kicking things off on Wednesday, February 15. The championships start at 5:15 p.m. Saturday with the Grand March.

Kueter continues perfect run

In Iowa, becoming a four-time state champion puts you on an elite pedestal. Iowa City High superstar, and future University of Iowa Hawkeye. Ben Kueter is closing in on doing just that as he takes to the mats for districts this weekend.

But there is even more to the mystique of Kueter. Not only is he a three-time state champion, but he has yet to lose a high school match, having also excelled on the national scene with a gold medal performance at the junior men’s freestyle world championships this past summer.

Kueter finished 37-0 last year, blitzing the 220-pound bracket to capture state title No. 3. He earned two technical falls inside of the second round before scoring first period falls in just over a minute in the semifinals and finals.

Iowa City's Ben Kueter(Ginnie Coleman)

He enters the postseason 33-0 with wins over many of his top challengers already this year including Dubuque Hempstad’s Joseph Lewis, who he earned a technical fall over in the finals of the Dan Gable Donnybrook back in December.

Kueter owns two more victories over Lewis and also bested Ankeny’s Will Hinrichs earlier this year. In the finals last year, he pinned West Des Moines Dowling’s Ralston Rumley.

Tournaments held around the state

While 24 of the top teams in Iowa came together last Saturday for state duals, a number of others gathered to remain active and compete.

The Siouxland held a conference tournament, as Rock Valley prevailed over Sioux Center and Central Lyon/George-Little Rock. Brock Mulder picked up an individual title with teammates Jesue Garcia, Jace Mulder, Zach Strubbe, Angel Gasca and Gabino Vargas all placing second.