Fredy Stroker won his second InterMat JJ Classic title (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)
Tony Hager looks at the top senior wrestlers in Iowa.
The senior class from Iowa has a lot of worthy candidates for InterMat's top ten list. Iowa could put a team together that would be worthy of a matchup against the USA Dream Team. Going through this list you will find a lot of these wrestlers are multi-sport standouts. Iowa is a wrestling state but a lot of these kids are able to be successful at other sports while still being standout wrestlers. I think they deserve a ton of credit for being multi-sport athletes. Let's take a look at Iowa's top ten pound-for-pound rankings.
1. Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf)
Projected High School Weight Class: 145
Projected College Weight Class: 149/157
Analysis: Stroker is the clear P4P No. 1 in Iowa. 144-3, three-time state finalist, two-time champ and four-time Fargo All-American, twice at the Junior level. He is one of the most consistent wrestlers in Iowa and isn't afraid to wrestle out of state. He recently wrestled up a weight at 155 pounds at the Freakshow and came away with a title. The next weekend he won his second InterMat JJ Classic title. Stroker has the some of the best wrestling partners in the state. Bettendorf has consistently been in the top 20 in national team rankings. Look for Stroker to become a three-time Iowa state champion. Stroker has verbally committed to the Minnesota Gophers.
Max Thomsen (Photo/Rob Preston)Projected High School Weight Class: 145
Projected College Weight Class: 141/149
Analysis: Thomsen has an opportunity to become Iowa's 24th four-time state champion. He has compiled a high school record of 145-1. Thomsen finished second at 145 pounds at the Super 32 Challenge and was fifth in 2013. His only career loss was to Phil Laux, 3-1, at the Battle in Waterloo. Laux was the returning state champion at that time. Thomsen clearly has an argument to be the top pound-for-pound wrestler in the state. He will further his wrestling career at Northern Iowa.
3. Bryce Steiert (Wavery-Shell Rock)
Projected High School Weight Class: 160
Projected College Weight Class: 157
Analysis: Steiert finally got over the hump last season and claimed his first state title as a junior at 145 pounds. He made his mark on the national scene this summer, going 6-1 for Team Iowa (at Junior Duals) in freestyle. Steiert followed that with a Fargo All-American performance which saw him pick up three top-20 wins at his weight class en route to a fourth-place finish. He is one of the best athletes on the mat in the state of Iowa. He has unbelievable hips with explosiveness from all positions. When you are talking pound-for-pound he has to be one of the strongest guys. Steiert has gone toe-to-toe with the top wrestlers in the nation at his weight class. Northern Iowa Panther fans have something to look forward to with Bryce Steiert.
4. Jacob Marnin (Southeast Polk)
Projected High School Weight Class: 285
Projected College Weight Class: 285
Analysis: Jacob Marnin has had an interesting high school career. Southeast Polk is an Iowa powerhouse with multiple potential state placewinners at each weight class. Marnin made his first appearance in the varsity lineup last year as a junior so his high school regular season resume lacks stats and a state title. What Marnin does have is an impressive freestyle and Greco-Roman resume. He is a 2012 Cadet National All-American in all three styles, 2013 USA Wrestling Cadet Triple Crown winner, 2014 FILA Cadet Nationals champion in freestyle, Fila Cadet Nationals runner-up in Greco-Roman and Junior Nationals fourth-place finisher in freestyle and Greco-Roman.
5. Ryan Parmely (Maquoketa Valley)
Projected High School Weight Class: 220
Projected College Weight Class: 285
Analysis: Parmely is a three-time Iowa state placewinner, placing fourth, third and first. He lands fifth in the pound-for-pound rankings because of a 149-4 high school career record. Parmely is also a standout football player. This year he ran for 3,180 years with 45 touchdowns. He currently is being recruited harder for football from the likes of Iowa, Northern Iowa and North Dakota State. Parmely will be the favorite to repeat for a state title and that should open the eyes of a few more college wrestling coaches.
6. Dayton Racer (Bettendorf)
Projected High School Weight Class: 160
Projected College Weight Class: 157/165
Analysis: Dayton Racer has never wrestled for an Iowa team, but his preseason results are speaking volumes of his talent. Racer is coming from national powerhouse Apple Valley, Minnesota. He's a Minnesota state runner-up and state champion. Last year he was not able to wrestle in the state tournament due to switching schools, causing him to be ineligible. This preseason alone he has won the Grappler Fall Classic, finished third at Preseason Nations and was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge. He is also a multiple-time InterMat JJ Classic champion. Racer's body of work is what lands him in the pound-for-pound rankings. His freestyle results aren't exceptional, but clearly he is on his folkstyle game. Look for Racer to make a big impact on the 3A Iowa team race in February.
7. Cash Wilcke ( OA-BCIG)
Projected High School Weight Class: 182
Projected College Weight Class: 184
Analysis: Cash Wilcke is a four-sport athlete: football, wrestling, track and baseball. This happens a lot in Iowa but rarely do you find a nationally recognized wrestler that commits to four sports. Wilcke broke on to the scene last year when he went 48-1, claiming the 182-pound state championship. Some Iowa fans may be interested in why he is above Evan Hansen because Hansen is the only one to beat him last year in a regular season match. Hansen also is the only wrestler to take Wilcke down last year. Wilcke wrestled him at the freestyle state tournament and teched him 10-0 in the first period. The debate will come on whether you weigh folkstyle or freestyle more. But given Wilcke's body of work, he deserves to be above Hansen. Wilcke's strengths are his defense and heavy hands from his feet. Add these to his aggressive style and he will fit nicely into the Iowa wrestling room.
8. Isaiah Patton (Dowling Catholic)
Projected High School Weight Class: 160
Projected College Weight Class: 165
Analysis: Isaiah Patton is not only a stud on the mat but also on the football field. He has been the starting linebacker on a state championship team and this year had the role of running. Patton isn't your normal high-level wrestler. He doesn't travel around the nation wrestling in prestigious tournaments. When it's time for football it's football and when it's wrestling time it's wrestling time. Patton's athleticism is what has carried him to a 108-33 high school wrestling career record. He placed seventh at the state meet as a freshman and third as a sophomore. Last year all cylinders clicked for him and he claimed the Class 3A title at 160 pounds. Once Patton steps onto the mat for Northern Iowa look for his national presence to be well known quickly!
9. Evan Hansen (Exira)
Projected High School Weight Class: 182
Projected College Weight Class: 184
Analysis: Hansen carries a 143-8 career record into his senior season at Exira. He did not place his freshman year but went on to win the 145-pound state title his sophomore year and last year ended up in third place. Hansen put together a 91-match win streak and I am predicting he has a similar streak to end his high school wrestling career. He has a great opportunity to be in the 200-win club. Hansen will take his skills to a NAIA powerhouse Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa.
10. Steven Holloway (Mediapolis)
Projected High School Weight Class: 195
Projected College Weight Class: 197
Analysis: Holloway walked his way to the Class 2A 195-pound finals last year. Going pin, pin, major at 195 pounds is no easy task in Iowa. This march to the finals is what lands Holloway in the top ten. Albia junior Carter Isley was the only one to test Holloway last season, but Holloway beat him when it counted, 3-2, in the championship match, clinching his first state title. Holloway takes a 123-12 career record into his season season.
Honorable Mention:
Nolan Hellickson (Southeast Polk)
Jacob Schwarm (Bettendorf)
Jeren Glosser (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont)
Paul Glynn (Bettendorf)
Henry Pohlmeyer (Johnston)
Jacob Woodard (Bettendorf)
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