We had incoming Iowa Wrestling recruits competing across the country this weekend. Keyan Hernandez won the 126 lbs. title at the 56-team CMR Holiday Tournament in Great Falls. At the 84-team NCCT in Greeley, Leister Bowling won the title at 175 and Jake Hall placed second at 215.
Dru Ayala won the Don Miller Invitational at home in Fort Dodge.
Leo DeLuca was only seeded #4 but won the 120 lbs. title at the Beast of the East in Delaware. 163 teams competed in this tournament that is always one of the toughest competitions of the entire season.
On Friday Naomi Simon was 3-0 with three first period pins to win the 170 lbs. title at the Fort Dodge Girls Invitational. On Thursday Kiara Djoumessi was 2-0 with two first period pins at the Battle of Waterloo.
I will continue to bring you a preview on Friday and a follow up blog with results every weekend as our recruits from both programs compete throughout the season.
Recruiting Class of 2024
Dru Ayala – Fort Dodge, Iowa 120 lbs.
Sat Dec 16 – Don Miller Invitational (Ft. Dodge)
Champ. Round 1 – Dru Ayala (Fort Dodge) received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal – Dru Ayala (Fort Dodge) won by tech fall over D`mitry Lesser (Decorah) 6-11 (TF-1.5 2:12 (15-0))
Semifinal – Dru Ayala (Fort Dodge) won by major decision over Drew Anderson (Lewis Central) 12-4 (MD 18-8)
1st Place Match – Dru Ayala (Fort Dodge) won by decision over Cody Vandermark (Ankeny Centennial) (Dec 1-0)
Keyan Hernandez – Billings (West), Montana 126 lbs.
Fri/Sat Dec 15-16 – at CMR Holiday Tournament (Great Falls)
Champ. Round 1 – Keyan Hernandez (Billings West) won by fall over Aden Kleinhenz (Butte) 0-2 (Fall 2:21)
Champ. Round 2 – Keyan Hernandez (Billings West) won by fall over Garrett Monroe (Valier) 0-2 (Fall 0:50)
Champ. Round 3 – Keyan Hernandez (Billings West) won by fall over Bridger Molenda (Cut Bank) 10-7 (Fall 1:48)
Quarterfinal – Keyan Hernandez (Billings West) won by fall over Reed Mantle (Havre) 6-2 (Fall 3:40)
Semifinal – Keyan Hernandez (Billings West) won by medical forfeit over Cashton Spolar (Helena Capital) 3-2 (M. For.)
1st Place Match – Keyan Hernandez (Billings West) won by major decision over Cole Krutzfeldt (Lockwood (Billings)) 4-1 (MD 9-1)
Miguel Estrada Bakersfield (Frontier HS), California 144 lbs.
Did not compete this weekend.
Angelo Ferrari – Melissa, Texas 175 lbs.
No competition scheduled.
Jake Howell – Glenwood Village (Cherry Creek HS), Colorado 215 lbs.
Fri/Sat Dec 15-16 – at NCC Tournament (Greeley)
Champ. Round 1 – Jake Howell (Cherry Creek) won by fall over Jason Pettes (Riverdale Ridge) 11-8 (Fall 1:02)
Champ. Round 2 – Jake Howell (Cherry Creek) won by fall over Skylar Montague (Centauri) 8-5 (Fall 1:03)
Champ. Round 3 – Jake Howell (Cherry Creek) won by fall over Will Fisher (Thunderridge) 4-12 (Fall 1:10)
Quarterfinal – Jake Howell (Cherry Creek) won by fall over Cale Meuchel (Windsor) 14-3 (Fall 1:32)
Semifinal – Jake Howell (Cherry Creek) won by fall over Abram Moore (Holy Family) 10-2 (Fall 2:25)
1st Place Match – Quinn Funk (Legacy) won by fall over Jake Howell (Cherry Creek) 12-1 (Fall 5:21)
Recruiting Class of 2025
Leo DeLuca – Blair Academy New Jersey 120 lbs.
Sat/Sun Dec 16-17 – Beast of the East (University of Delaware)
Champ. Round 1 – Leo DeLuca (Blair Academy) won by tech fall over Luke Sherlock (Shawnee) (TF-1.5 5:16 (18-3))
Champ. Round 2 – Leo DeLuca (Blair Academy) won by fall over Parker Withers (Skyline) (Fall 0:51)
Champ. Round 3 – Leo DeLuca (Blair Academy) won by fall over Luke Reitter (Council Rock South) (Fall 0:28)
Quarterfinal – Leo DeLuca (Blair Academy) won by decision over Lukas Littleton Mascaro (Malvern Prep) (Dec 4-1)
Semifinal – Leo DeLuca (Blair Academy) won by tech fall over Mikey Batista (St Joseph Regional) (TF-1.5 5:44 (17-2))
1st Place Match – Leo DeLuca (Blair Academy) won by decision over Aaron Seidel (Northern Lebanon) (Dec 5-2)
Leister Bowling – Mead, Colorado 175 lbs.
Fri/Sat Dec 15-16 – at NCC Tournament (Greeley)
Champ. Round 1 – Leister Bowling (Mead) won by fall over Brice Newton (Regis Jesuit) 4-9 (Fall 1:14)
Champ. Round 2 – Leister Bowling (Mead) won by fall over Ivan Caldera (Adams City) 2-10 (Fall 1:02)
Champ. Round 3 – Leister Bowling (Mead) won by fall over Michael Garcia (Roosevelt) 10-2 (Fall 4:32)
Quarterfinal – Leister Bowling (Mead) won by tech fall over Sloan Schilling (Thunderridge) 17-4 (TF-1.5 4:52 (16-0))
Semifinal – Leister Bowling (Mead) won by major decision over Brayden Fernandez (Windsor) 12-5 (MD 12-1)
1st Place Match – Leister Bowling (Mead) won by decision over Jack Doughty (Canon City) 15-1 (Dec 8-5)
Women’s Recruiting Class of 2024
Val Solorio – Canon-McMillan HS, Pennsylvania 100 lbs.
Did not compete this weekend.
Karlee Brooks – Valiant College Prep HS (Phoenix, AZ) 120 lbs.
No competition scheduled.
Cadence Diduch – Freeport, Illinois 135 lbs.
No competition scheduled.
Kiara Djoumessi – Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa 140 lbs.
Dec 14 – at Battle of Waterloo
Kiara Djoumessi (Waverly-Shell Rock) over Andelyn Cabalka (East Buchanan) Fall 1:26
Kiara Djoumessi (Waverly-Shell Rock) over Ayva Lopez (Bettendorf) Fall 0:39
Naomi Simon – Decorah, Iowa 170 lbs.
Fri Dec 15 – at Fort Dodge Girls Invitational
Quarterfinal – Naomi Simon (Decorah) won by fall over Kiersten Campbell (Spencer) 7-12 (Fall 0:47)
Semifinal – Naomi Simon (Decorah) won by fall over Danica Diedrick (Humboldt) 17-8 (Fall 0:55)
1st Place Match – Naomi Simon (Decorah) won by fall over Briar Blake (North Tama) 16-1 (Fall 1:36)
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
