Matt Levins - The Hawk Eye
The 2025-26 high school boys wrestling season had plenty of story lines.
Notre Dame-West Burlington/Danville, despite losing yet another solid graduating class, proved to be the cream of the crop in the area once again.
Burlington had a solid season as former coach Jay Huff returned as head coach and helped get three state qualifiers.
Mount Pleasant was perhaps the biggest surprise of all, winning the Southeast Conference championship and getting a medalist at state.
Louisa-Muscatine is a team on the rise in the SEI Super Conference, while Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union put together another solid season.
All of that talent is reflected in the All-Hawk Eye team, which features athletes from 10 different area schools.
106
Justin Knipfer, jr., Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union
Knipfer, whose father and uncle were state qualifiers in their day, punched his ticket to state for the Wildcats, who had another banner season. He finished second in the SEI Super Conference Tournament and finished the season with a 31-7 record.
113
Kohen Dietzenbach, so., Notre Dame-West Burlington/Danville
After finishing sixth as a freshman, Dietzenbach finished fifth in Class 2A as a sophomore, finishing with a 40-2 record. He beat Class 1A state runner-up Ian Maize of WACO twice, including the conference championship match.
120
Levi Evans, so., Mount Pleasant
Evans is the latest in a line of great Panther wrestlers and the sky appears to be the limit. He placed fourth in Class 2A with a 38-7 record. He won the Southern Iowa Classic, with is the de facto conference tournament.
126
Ryan Rose, so., Notre Dame-West Burlington/Danville
Rose, who qualified for state for Keokuk as a freshman, once again punched his ticket, this time with the Nikes. He was the conference champion and went on to finish with a 39-9 record. He is 83-20 over his first two seasons.
132
Colt Boyles, sr., Notre Dame-West Burlington/Danville
Boyles finished a brilliant career by bringing home a medal for the second straight year, finishing fifth in Class 2A with a 44-6 record. He won a conference championship along the way.
138
Hayden Riggan, sr., Louisa-Muscatine
Riggan was one of the biggest surprises in the state, coming on strong to earn a spot in the Class 1A state championship match after dropping from 144 late in the season. He was the conference runner-up to Sherwood at 144. He finished the season with a 47-6 record.
144
Tate Sherwood, jr., Notre Dame-West Burlington/Danville
Sherwood came close to punching his ticket to state for the first time, finishing third at a Class 2A district tournament at Williamsburg. Sherwood, the conference champion, ended the season with a 32-8 record.
150
Kael Cook, sr., Notre Dame-West Burlington/Danville
Cook was a four-time state qualifier and a two-time state qualifier for the Nikes, placing seventh as a junior and a senior. He was the conference champion and finished the season with a 46-3 record.
157
Cohen Wolford, jr., Wapello
Wolford was one of the best in Class 1A all season winning a conference title before qualifying for state, where he finished eighth with a 40-7 record. He sets himself up for a sensational senior season for the Indians.
165
Joey Glendening, sr., Notre Dame-West Burlington/Danville
Glendening had another outstanding season for the Nikes, becoming a dominant force in the middle of a loaded lineup for the Nikes. He was the conference champion and qualified for state, finishing his final season with a 40-8 record.
175
Kyler Crow, sr., Mediapolis
Crow, a four-time state qualifier and and two-time state qualifier, punched his ticket to the Class 1A finals. His only loss during the regular season came against Adrian Perez-Hall of Burlington, which he later avenged twice. His other loss came to Christian Denning of Clear Lake in the finals. He was the conference champion and ended the season with a 51-2 record. He was 166-17 for his career.
190
Jarod Anderson, jr., Keokuk
Anderson was a pleasant surprise for the Chiefs, proving her could not only compete with some of the state’s best, but beat them. He placed second at the Southern Iowa Classic, then qualified for state for the first time. After winning his opening bout, Anderson lost a pair of close matches to end the season with a 25-13 record.
215
Ren Watson, so., Fort Madison
Watson showed glimpses of being the next great Bloodhound wrestler. He won the Southern Iowa Classic, punched his ticket to state and won his first match before losing to eventual runner-up Gavin Muller of Osage. He finished the season with a 43-10 record.
285
Hayden Cantrell, sr., Louisa-Muscatine
Cantrell beat some of the top heavyweights in the are during the regular season, winning the conference tournament and taking second at a district meet to qualify for state. There, Cantrell went 1-2, finishing with a 42-16 record.
Utility
Rowan Berndt, so., Notre Dame-West Burlington/Danville
Berndt is the latest hammer in the Nikes’ lineup, giving them another state title contender the next two seasons. He was the conference champion and went on to place sixth in Class 2A. He ended the season with a 43-8 record.
Utility
Bo Hake, fr., Louisa-Muscatine
Hake is one of several freshmen who have tons of talent for the Falcons. Hake showed he can compete with the best in the state, finishing fourth in Class 1A with a 37-6 record.
Utility
Ian Maize, so., WACO
For the second straight season, Maize finished as the state runner-up, falling to Kaiden Belinsky of Don Bosco for the second straight season. Maize finished with a 38-4 record and now has a 75-8 record in his first two seasons.
Utility
Adrian Perez-Hall, sr., Burlington
Perez-Hall, after battling back from an injury two years ago, came on strong this season for the Grayhounds. Perez-Hall qualified for state, where he went 1-2 in Class 3A before bowing out with a 36-7 record.
Coach of the Year
Bill Plein, Notre Dame-West Burlington/Danville
Plein once again showed why he is a Hall of Famer, taking the Nikes to a tie for 11th place in the Class 2A team standings in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. The Nikes had a challenging schedule, traveling to compete in big tournaments every week. The Nikes ran away with the conference championship, then qualified seven wrestlers for state, four of whom ended up on the podium.
