The best time of the year is here, state tournament time! For the first time, all matches will be streamed live on FloWrestling. Brackets are still in TrackWrestling.

We at FloWrestling have already published some excellent lead-up content such as a list of returning champs, a college guide, a list of nationally-ranked wrestlers, and 25 names you need to know. Now it’s the day before the big dance and time for one last big preview to get you up to speed before the individual tournament starts on Thursday!

National Stars

These guys aren’t just ranked top-10 in the state, but the country.

3A 126 - #1 Nathanael Jesuroga, Southeast Polk

3A 220 - #2 Ben Kueter, Iowa City, City High

3A 152 - #3 Hunter Garvin, Iowa City West

3A 160 - #3 Aiden Riggins, Waverly-Shell Rock

2A 195 - #9 Wyatt Voelker, West Delaware

Nathan Jesuroga will probably be the biggest recruit to come out of the state of Iowa since Drake Ayala in 2021. A junior, Jesuroga’s only Iowa high school loss the past two years came to Wisconsin’s Nicolar Rivera. He’s currently considered to be the country’s #6 overall recruit in the class of 2023.

Fellow Sebolt academy kid and Iowa commit, Ben Kueter will be going for his third title in as many tries. The third Iowa commit of the lot, Aiden Riggins isn’t just a state champ, but Fargo finalist as well.

The lone out-of-state commit on this list Hunter Garvin, who will be going to Stanford, is already a 3X state finalist and 2X champ. The only non 3A state competitor, West Delaware’s Wyatt Voelker, is attempting to go back-to-back champ at 195 lbs.

Going For Their Fourth Title

3A 145 - Robert Avila Jr (Iowa City West)

2A 138 - Carter Fousek (Crestwood)

1A 126 - Marcel Lopez (New London)

If all three win titles, it will be the first time in the almost 100 year history of the tournament that three four-timers will be crowned in the same season.

Robert Avila Jr, won his first three titles for Lisbon but transferred to Iowa City West this offseason. He’ll have the toughest path to a title number four of the three. The three-seed, if Avila gets past 2021 state champion Dustin Bohren in the semis, he’ll most likely have another state champ waiting for him in the finals: #1 seed Joel Jesuroga. All that plus the fact that Avila has sat a large chunk of the year with an injury.

Now at 138 lbs, Carter Fousek won his first titles at 106, 113, and 126. The Cresco native committed to Iowa State back in September. His biggest threat will be freshman Brent Yonkovic of West Delaware on the bottom side.

Now at 126 lbs, Marcel Lopez won his first titles at 106, 113, and 120. The New London native committed to SIUE back in December. He will have tough matches in both his semifinal (Quincy Happel) and final (Cameron Clark).

Best Brackets

3A 145

This bracket is filled with hammers, top to bottom. The fact that a potential four-timer got the three seed should tell you how tough this bracket is. The top seed and favorite is Iowa commit Joel Jesuroga. Older brother of Nathanael Jesuroga, Joel won this weight last year. In the semis, he’ll either get a 3X placer in Ryder Downey or 2020 Florida state champ Bas Diaz, who now wrestles for Waverly-Shell Rock. One of Downey’s two losses came to Diaz this season, but it came down to double OT. Can Downey reverse that result then pull off a big upset over a #1 seed like he did in 2020?

On the bottom side, all signs point to Robert Avila Jr vs Dustin Bohren in the semis. Assuming Avila is healthy, he’ll be a slight favorite over last year’s 126 lbs state champ. Should be an electric match.

2A 132

One returning champ and four returning finalists, this bracket might have the most potential champs of all the 2A brackets. 

Returning state champion McKinley Robbins got the top seed. He’ll most likely have returning finalist Dominik Ridout of East Marshall in the semis. On the bottom side, undefeated Blaine Frazier of Notre Dame, West Burlington got the two seed. He’ll most likely have returning finalist Anders Kittelson of Osage in the semis. That assumes that 3X place winner Jon Burnette or 44-1 junior Luke Spaur don’t bust up this bracket.

1A 182

This bracket might be lacking the big name star power, making it very ready to get scrambled. The favorite is returning champ Tate Entriken, who is up from 160 a year ago. If things go chalk first two rounds (I’m not biased, but potential upset special with a pinner from my alma matter in round 2), Entriken will have returning 3rd placer Carson Lynott in the semis. Lynott sat out most of the year with an injury, but has been undefeated since coming back.

Also undefeated on the year is two seed and returning finalist Jackson Dewald. Dewald lost in sudden victory in last year’s final, so I’m sure he’s hungry to get on top of the podium this year. The third quarter is the hardest to predict, but will most likely be either Josh Glendening or Gage Clausen.

Best Potential Finals

3A 120 - Trever Anderson (Ankeny) vs Carter Freeman (Waukee Northwest)

3A 138 - Ryder Block (Waverly-Shell Rock) vs Jacob Frost (Dowling Catholic)

3A 145 - Joel Jesuroga (Southeast Polk) vs Robert Avila Jr (Iowa City West)

3A 195 - McCrae Hagarty (Waverly-Shell Rock) vs Bradley Hill (Bettendorf)

2A 120 - Cam Phetxoumphone (Webster City) vs Kale Petersen (Greene County)

2A 145 - McKinley Robbins (Greene Country)/Dominik Ridout(East Marshall) vs Blaine Frazier (Notre Dame, West Burlington)/Anders Kittelson (Osage)

1A 120 - Garret Rinken (Nashua-Plainfield) vs Brandon Paez (Lisbon)

1A 132 - Gable Porter (Underwood) vs Garrett Funk (Don Bosco)

1A 195 - Carson Tenold (Don Bosco) vs Matthew Wirtz (Emmetsburg)/Cayden Miller (Midland, Wyoming)

Team Races

1A

The favoite: Don Bosco

Contenders: Lisbon, Underwood, West Sioux-Hawarden

Don Bosco vs Lisbon for the 1A title, is a tale as old as time. The Dons will have the upper hand as they qualified 13 to Lisbon’s 10. Although they only qualified seven, with guys like Gable Porter, Stevie Barnes, and Hagen Heistand, they’ll be right up there. Similarly, West Sioux will need their horses to perform, but if they do…watch out.

2A

The favorite: West Delaware/Notre Dame, West Burlington

Contenders: Osage

Both West Delaware and Notre Dame, West Burlington qualified nine wrestlers to the big show. Tune in to the state duals on Wednesday where these two teams will hit in the quarterfinals.

I don’t need to remind Hawk and Green Devil fans what happened in 2020, but you just can’t count Osage out.

3A

The favorite: Waverly-Shell Rock

Contenders: Southeast Polk and Waukee Northwest

The only school across all three classes to qualify all 14 weights, Waverly-Shell Rock is a heavy favorite to repeat as team champs. Southeast Polk’s high-end power should keep them in contention, but if WSR wrestles to their potential and SEP slides a bit, there is a chance the battle for second could be more entertaining than the battle for 1st. Just like last year when Waukee narrowly edged the Rams by just three points.