Iowa High School Wrestling Mini Boards

Class of 2024

Unlike the 2023 group that established itself on the national stage and beyond with five prospects in the top 52 on the Big Board, the 2024 class is still crystallizing. There’s not much separation at the top here, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Brent Slade, who’s currently seventh on this list, could be the top prospect here this time next year. 

For now, it’s a coin flip between the top two, who have starkly different resumes. 

Max Magayna won three Class 1A state titles for Columbus Catholic in Waterloo. He’s headed across town to compete next season for Class 3A Waterloo East. The North Dakota State commit, who’s #85 on the 2024 Big Board, hasn’t wrestled an extensive freestyle schedule, which has limited his exposure to top-level national high school competition, but he placed seventh last fall at the Super 32.  

Dru Ayala is a two-time Fargo All-American who placed third last summer in the Junior division. His only defeat came in a narrow decision against eventual champ Mack Mauger. Ayala is still chasing his first state title after dropping close decisions in the Class 3A finals each of the past two seasons. He’s currently ranked #56 on the 2024 Big Board. 

Kane Naaktgeboren is coming off a fifth-place finish at the U17 World Team Trials at 65 kilograms. He’s a three-time state medalist and a 16U Folkstyle Nationals champion. 

Waukee Northwest teammates Carter Freeman and Koufax Christensen have combined to win five state titles. Freeman suffered a pair of losses early in the season at the Dan Gable Donnybrook, where he placed sixth behind runner-up Jayce Luna and third-place Brayden Parke. In February, though, Freeman captured his third state title by winning a bracket that included Luna and Parke. 

Connor Fiser was a Fargo freestyle All-American who placed third in February in a state bracket that included nationally ranked Jake Knight and Ayala. 

Brent Slade reached the Fargo 16U freestyle quarterfinals last summer before losing in the blood round. He won USA Wrestling’s National Recruiting Showcase last fall and is coming off a freestyle title at the Northern Plains Regional. 

A late-season knee injury put Cale Seaton’s season in jeopardy, but he battled through it to win the Class 3A title at 126. 

Tyler Harper is a two-time Fargo freestyle All-American. He pulled off one of the biggest upsets at the state tournament in February when he pinned national #3 Carter Pearson in 18 seconds in the state semifinals after getting pinned by Pearson four times earlier in the season. 

Lucas Bruhl, one of the rising prospects in the 2024 class, rounds out the top 10. He placed sixth as a sophomore and third in Class 3A at 145 this past season at the state tournament to finish a 44-3 season. He’s coming off a title at last month’s state freestyle tournament.