HIGH SCHOOL

Division I recruits, top college prospects and nationally-ranked wrestlers at the 2020 state tournament

The Des Moines Register

Iowa’s long-and-storied wrestling history has helped propel some of the state’s best high-schoolers into the national spotlight. The development of top-notch recruits is something of a yearly expectation, and this season is no different.

This week, the next wave of prospects will lead the charge at the 2020 state wrestling tournament inside Wells Fargo Arena. Some of the country’s best prospects will take the mat between Wednesday and Saturday, seeking the glory that comes with a championship.

Here, we’ve provided a list of that top-tier talent. We’ve compiled all of the Iowa high-schoolers that are included in the many different national polls, as well as those included on recruiting big boards, plus those who have already committed to Division I programs.

In short, there’s a lot of talented wrestlers to watch this week.

IOWA WRESTLERS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS

The Des Moines Register uses MatScout for its individual high-school rankings, and nine Iowans are included in its latest polls:

Southeast Polk’s Nathan Jesuroga, No. 19 at 106 pounds
Waverly-Shell Rock’s Ryder Block, No. 20 at 106
Fort Dodge’s Drake Ayala, No. 2 at 120
Mason City’s Cullan Schriever, No. 11 at 126
Lisbon’s Cael Happel, No. 3 at 138
Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen, No. 12 at 138
Southeast Polk’s Gabe Christenson, No. 13 at 195
Woodward-Granger’s Cody Fisher, No. 18 at 220
Bettendorf’s Griffin Liddle, No. 23 at 285

There are four other polls that include high school rankings — Flowrestling, The Open Mat, Intermat and Trackwrestling — have in-state high-schoolers are scattered among them all.

The Open Mat ranked the most Iowans:

Block, No. 9 at 106
Linn-Mar’s Brandon O’Brien, No. 10 at 106
Jesuroga, 11 at 106
Crestwood’s Carter Fousek, No. 10 at 113
Ayala, No. 2 at 120
Schriever, No. 7 at 126
Lisbon’s Robert Avila Jr., No. 13 at 132
Happel, No. 4 at 138
Rathjen, No. 18 at 138
Christenson, No. 13 at 195
Fisher, No. 19 at 220
Liddle, No. 6 at 285

The other three feature the same names in slightly different spots.

Lisbon junior Cael Happel scores a takedown on Underwood junior Logan James en route to a Class 1A state title win at 132 pounds during the state wrestling Class 1A championship on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

► MORE STATE WRESTLING COVERAGE FROM THE DES MOINES REGISTER

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TOP IN-STATE PROSPECTS

Much like football and basketball recruiting, wrestling also has ‘big boards’ to rank prospects by age. Flowrestling, The Open Mat, Intermat and Trackwrestling all have their own and different formulas for determining how wrestlers compare to their peers.

The Register primarily uses Flo when it comes to prospect rankings. In their latest set, they included 10 Iowans:

2020: Lisbon’s Cael Happel, No. 37; Mason City’s Cullan Schriever, No. 56.
2021: Fort Dodge’s Drake Ayala, No. 9; Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen, No. 33.
2022: West Delaware’s Wyatt Voelker, No. 70; Lisbon’s Robert Avila Jr., No. 83; Underwood’s Nick Hamilton, No. 97; Iowa City West’s Hunter Garvin, No. 100.
2023: Southeast Polk’s Nathan Jesuroga, No. 37; Iowa City High’s Ben Keuter, No. 49.

The Open Mat again lists the most Iowans:

2020: Schriever, No. 22; Happel, No. 33; Southeast Polk’s Gabe Christenson, No. 87.
2021: Ayala, No. 10; Rathjen, No. 30.
2022: Hamilton, No. 23; Solon’s Hayden Taylor, No. 24; Avila Jr., No. 28; New London’s Marcel Lopez, No. 49; Voelker, No. 70; Crestwood’s Carter Fousek, No. 76; Garvin, No. 85.
2023: Keuter, No. 15; Waverly-Shell Rock’s Ryder Block, No. 20; Linn-Mar’s Tate Naaktgeboorn, No. 23; Jesuroga, No. 25; Underwood’s Gable Porter, No. 44.

Fort Dodge's Drake Ayala wins the 113 pound Class 3A championship match against Southeast Polk's Devin Harmison during the Iowa high school state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019, in Wells Fargo Arena.

DIVISION I SIGNEES AND COMMITS

Many wrestlers competing this week have garnered plenty of Division I interest. Many of the seniors have already signed and a couple of juniors have already committed, both to in-state and out-of-state programs.

Iowa’s 2020 recruiting class includes Cullan and Colby Schriever, twins from Mason City, as well as Southeast Polk’s Gabe Christenson. Cullan Schriever has won two state titles and Christenson won one last year. The Hawkeyes’ 2021 class also includes Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen, a 2019 state champ.

Woodward-Granger’s Cody Fisher and Ankeny Centennial’s Ben Monroe are both part of Iowa State’s 2020 recruiting class. Both are three-time finalists — Fisher in 2A, Monroe in 3A — and Fisher won a title last season.

Northern Iowa’s 2020 recruiting class features both Lisbon’s Cael Happel and West Sioux’s Adam Allard, both of whom are attempting to win their fourth state titles this week. Only 27 other wrestlers in state history have ever done that. Both wrestle in 1A.

Four other wrestlers competing this week have also committed to or signed with Division I programs:

Centerville senior Kayden Kauzlarich (2A-132) is headed to Northern Illinois;
Union senior Jack Thomsen (2A-145) signed with South Dakota State;
Waverly-Shell Rock junior Bailey Roybal (3A-113) also committed to the Jackrabbits;
and Iowa City West senior Will Hoeft (3A-182) committed to Harvard.

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

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