Iowa high school state wrestling 2022: Team rankings, returning champs, undefeated wrestlers and cool names

One of the greatest weeks in Iowa high school sports has officially arrived.

The 2022 state wrestling tournament goes down this week at Wells Fargo Arena. The 24 best dual teams and 672 best wrestlers across all three classes will all be in town — first for the state duals competition on Wednesday, then for the traditional state tournament Thursday through Saturday.

Many of Iowa's best wrestlers are also some of the nation's best wrestlers, and all will put their talents to the test this week in Des Moines. Some wrestlers are chasing history, while others are just seeking that glorious spot on top of the podium on Saturday night.

Our coverage starts here, with this primer to get you ready for the week.

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We have the top 10 teams in each class and their number of qualifiers; all of the past state champs that are back again (even those that won other state tournaments); each remaining undefeated wrestler in all three classes; and a list of all the Caels, Gables and other cool names to follow in this year's field.

Strap in and get ready for an excellent week of wrestling.

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Top 10 teams in each class

Rankings from IAWrestle

Class 3A

1. Waverly-Shell Rock — 14 qualifiers*

2. Southeast Polk — 11 qualifiers

3. Waukee Northwest — 12 qualifiers

4. Bettendorf — 7 qualifiers

5. Linn-Mar — 10 qualifiers

6. Dowling Catholic — 8 qualifiers

7. Fort Dodge — 6 qualifiers

8. Ankeny — 7 qualifiers

9. Johnston — 6 qualifiers

10. Iowa City West — 8 qualifiers

*This marks the first time in state history that a team qualified all 14 weights for the state tournament since the Iowa High School Athletic Association expanded to 14 weights in 2001.

Class 2A

1. West Delaware — 9 qualifiers

2. Burlington-Notre Dame — 9 qualifiers

3. Osage — 7 qualifiers

4. Vinton-Shellsburg — 6 qualifiers

5. Sergeant Bluff-Luton — 8 qualifiers

6. Davenport Assumption — 6 qualifiers

7. Union — 6 qualifiers

8. Crestwood — 5 qualifiers

9. Roland Story — 4 qualifiers

10. Webster City — 4 qualifiers

Class 1A

1. Don Bosco — 13 qualifiers

2. Underwood — 7 qualifiers

3. West Sioux — 5 qualifiers

4. Lisbon — 10 qualifiers

5. Logan-Magnolia — 6 qualifiers

6. Nashua-Plainfield — 6 qualifiers

7. New London — 4 qualifiers

8. West Hancock — 4 qualifiers

9. South Central Calhoun — 3 qualifiers

10. Hudson — 2 qualifiers

More: Here are all 29 of Iowa’s four-time state high school wrestling champions

Returning state champions

Three-time champs (3)

• Robert Avila Jr., sr., Iowa City West — 2019, 2020, 2021

• Carter Fousek, sr., Crestwood — 2019, 2020, 2021

• Marcel Lopez, sr., New London — 2019, 2020, 2021

Two-time champs (5)

• Trever Anderson, sr., Ankeny — 2019, 2021

• Chet Buss, sr., North Butler-Clarksville — 2020, 2021

• Hunter Garvin, sr., Iowa City West — 2020, 2021

• Camron Phetxoumphone, sr., Webster City — 2020, 2021

• Ben Kueter, jr., Iowa City High — 2020, 2021

One-time champs (23)

• Dustin Bohren, sr., Bettendorf — 2021

• Tate Entriken, sr., Hudson — 2021

• Bradley Hill, sr., Bettendorf — 2021

• Joel Jesuroga, sr., Southeast Polk — 2021

• Aiden Riggins, sr., Waverly-Shell Rock — 2021

• Cade Siebrecht, sr., Lisbon — 2021

• Cade Tenold, sr., Don Bosco — 2021

• Carson Tenold, sr., Don Bosco — 2021

• Wyatt Voelker, sr., West Delaware — 2021

• Isaiah Weber, sr., Independence — 2021

• Ryder Block, jr., Waverly-Shell Rock — 2020

• McCrae Hagarty, jr., Waverly-Shell Rock — 2021

• Nate Jesuroga, jr., Southeast Polk — 2021

• Tate Naaktgeboren, jr., LInn-Mar — 2021

• Brandon Paez, jr., Lisbon — 2020

• Kale Peterson, jr., Greene County — 2021

• Gable Porter, jr., Underwood — 2020

• Wyatt Reisz, jr., Logan-Magnolia — 2021

• Garret Rinken, jr., Nashua-Plainfield — 2021

• McKinley Robbins, jr., Greene County — 2021

• Kade Blume, soph., Roland Story — 2021

• Carter Freeman, soph., Waukee Northwest — 2021

• Max Magayna, soph., Columbus Catholic — 2021

Other state champs (7)

• Jacob Frost, sr., Dowling Catholic — 2019, 2020, 2021 in Louisiana

• Evan Frost, sr., Dowling Catholic — 2019, 2020, 2021 in Louisiana

• Gabe Sanders, sr., Vinton-Shellsburg — 2019, 2021 in Utah

• Cooper Sanders, jr., Vinton-Shellsburg — 2020 in Utah

• Molly Allen, fr., Underwood — 2021 Iowa girls

• Bas Diaz, fr., Waverly-Shell Rock — 2020, 2021 in Florida (as middle-schooler)

• Reanah Utterback, fr., Sigourney-Keota — 2021 Iowa girls

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Undefeated wrestlers entering the 2022 state wrestling tournament

Class 3A

• Blake Gioimo, Cedar Rapids Prairie — 40-0, 113 pounds

• Ryder Block, Waverly-Shell Rock — 34-0, 138 pounds

• Hunter Garvin, Iowa City West — 44-0, 152 pounds

• Aiden Riggins, Waverly-Shell Rock — 39-0, 160 pounds

• Ben Kueter, Iowa City High — 33-0, 220 pounds

• Carson Hagan, Dowling Catholic — 26-0, 285 pounds

Class 2A

• Kaden Weber, Nevada — 36-0, 106 pounds

• Jace Hedeman, Union — 42-0, 106 pounds

• Kade Blume, Roland-Story — 32-0, 113 pounds

• Camron Phetxoumphone, Webster City — 38-0, 120 pounds

• Lane Scorpli, Columbus/WNU — 42-0, 120 pounds

• Kale Petersen, Greene County — 9-0, 120 pounds

• Jaiden Moore, Benton — 37-0, 126 pounds

• Anders Kittelson, Osage — 27-0, 132 pounds

• Blaine Frazier, Burlington-Notre Dame — 49-0, 132 pounds

• Christian Eslick, Roland-Story — 44-0, 145 pounds

• Gabe Sanders, Vinton-Shellsburg — 21-0, 152 pounds

• CJ Walrath, Burlington-Notre Dame — 51-0, 182 pounds

• Wyatt Voelker, West Delaware — 40-0, 195 pounds

Class 1A

• Garret Rinken, Nashua-Plainfield — 51-0, 120 pounds

• Marcel Lopez, New London — 51-0, 126 pounds

• Gable Porter, Underwood — 42-0, 132 pounds

• Clayton McDonough, Central Springs — 51-0, 138 pounds

• Mikey Baker, West Sioux — 47-0, 145 pounds

• Dominic Lopez, New London — 51-0, 152 pounds

• Cullen Koedam, West Sioux — 46-0, 160 pounds

• Carson Lynott, West Sioux — 11-0, 182 pounds

• Jackson Dewald, Westwood — 23-0, 182 pounds

• Cayden Miller, Midland — 44-0, 195 pounds

• Matthew Wirtz, Emmetsburg — 37-0, 195 pounds

• Matthew Francis, West Hancock — 52-0, 220 pounds

• Chet Buss, North Butler-Clarksville — 44-0, 285 pounds

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Cael, Kael, Cale and Gable (and other great names in this year’s tournament)

One unique thing about the state wrestling tournament every year is seeing all the kids named Gable and Cael that have qualified. We’ve compiled a list here, as well as other cool names to listen for inside Wells Fargo Arena this week.

There is one Gable — Gable Porter, from Underwood. The junior is 42-0 this year and 90-1 for his career. The actual Gable himself would be both proud of Porter's accomplishments but perhaps irritated that he's the only Gable in this year's field.

There are many more Caels. In 2002, when Cael Sanderson won his fourth NCAA title to cap an undefeated college career, 76 newborns in Iowa were named Cael. Those kids will turn 20 this year. There are 10 with the same spelling in this year’s state tournament, plus five Kales, three Cales, two Kaels, two Caelens — and a Carl.

That seems like a lot, but there were actually more last year. The 20 total this year are pretty spread out — 10 in Class 3A, including three at 132 pounds (Cael Meachem, Cael Straley, Cael Wiener) and two each at 106 (Kale DiMarco and Cale Nash) and 220 (Cael Winter and Cael Crawford). Class 2A and 1A each have five.

Indianola has two Caels (Meachem and Crawford), and so does Akron-Westfield (Morrow and Moffatt). Iowa City High has a Cale (Seaton) and a Kael (Kurtz), and right across town, Iowa City West has another Kael (Scranton).

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If both Kale Downey and Cale Kirsten win their first match, they could wrestle each other in the quarterfinals at 145 pounds in 2A. At 120 pounds in 2A, Kale Petersen, from Greene County, has to wrestle a Kole Johnson (so close) in the first round.

Speaking of famous names, how about Lawrence Taylor, from Waterloo East? Or Kellen Moore, from Forest City? The idea behind this week is to become famous, but having a head start is always nice.

If we did an All-Name Team, Alburnett's Rowdy Neighbor would be first-team selection, without question. Hempstead's Mitchell Pins would get strong consideration, too. So would Sir Brandon Watts from Heelan, and "Miss Molly" Allen from Underwood.

Keep an eye out for the McGang, because there's plenty of them:

• Blake McAlister (South Central Calhoun)

• Caden McDermott (Pleasant Valley)

• Layne McDonald (Waverly-Shell Rock)

• Clayton and Bryce McDonough (Central Springs)

• Gabe McGeough (MFL-Mar-Mac)

• Jakob McGowan (Fort Madison)

• Garrett McHugh (Sergeant Bluff-Luton)

• Jakob McKenzie (Norwalk)

• Myles McMahon (Don Bosco)

• Braden McShane (New Hampton-TV)

And that's not even counting McKade Munn, from Nashua-Plainfield.

There are names that go together, like Carson Less (West Delaware) and Jaiden Moore (Benton), or Andon Trout (Southeast Polk) and Derrick Bass (Assumption). There's actually two kids named Fish (Nate and Dawson) and two more named Fox (Nick and Cody). There's Trevor Summers and Cael Winter (plus three kids named Frost).

There's a Brian South and Easton Eledge and Jeffery West from Davenport North, if we're talking directions. There are two others named West, Carter and Sam from Notre Dame-Burlington, plus a Braxton Westendorf and Peyton Westlin. There's a Chase England, a Dallas Canoyer and a Denver Pauley, if we're talking places.

There's a Bradley (Hill) and a Bradlee (Grantz); eight Aidens and three Aydens; five kids named Max, two more named Maximus and another named Maxwell (Mintle); a Brecken Freeburg and a Carter Freeman; a Jordan Dusenberry and a Vinny Mayberry. There's also an Easton O'Brien, a Grant O'Dell and a Tate O'Shea.

There's four kids named CJ — Davis, Walrath, Carter, Hisler — and they're all in 2A. We've mentioned a few Moores, but there's actually six of them, plus five Andersons (and one Andersen), four Christensens, four Clarks and four Downeys.

There's also five Cades, three Cadens, four Hunters — but at this stage, everybody would rather be the hunter than the hunted.

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa state wrestling 2022: Team rankings, returning champs, cool names