Plenty of newcomers make a name for themselves yearly in the 106-pound weight class.
Last season, Nico DeSalvo and Liam Adlfinger did just that, winning state championships in Class 3A and 1A respectively. DeSalvo scored his title for Southeast Polk while Adlfinger won his competing for Wilton.
Both are set to return this year as they look to add more hardware to their resume.
Here is a look at some of the best high school 106-pound wrestlers in Iowa. These weights are based on the final 2023-24 state tournament bracket.
A nearly perfect record for the talented Ram, as he went 38-1 to capture state gold in Class 3A for the Rams.
Had it not been for DeSalvo, Porter would have stood atop the podium, as his state debut ended with a runner-up and a mark of 35-1.
Schwab came into the season with high expectations following a successful AAU career, and he showed why, going 37-1 and placing second in 1A. His only loss came in the finals.
Wallukait went up against the best of the best throughout his freshman campaign, finishing 27-2 overall and with a third place 3A medal.
The only wrestler to defeat Schwab, Adlfinger used his experience and stood tall in 1A with a 34-4 mark to his name.
Following an appearance at state as a freshman with 43 wins, McCabe made it to the 2A finals, placing second with a 32-5 record.
Two appearances at state over the past two seasons have seen Hutchinson improve leaps and bounds. He was a qualifier as a sophomore, going 37-8, while a 39-3 record last year included a fourth place finish.
The talented Christensen battled with the best in 3A as a ninth-grader, placing fifth overall with 35 wins to his resume.
Courter lost just once during the regular season and once at state, placing third overall in 2A as a freshman with a record of 40-2.
In two years, Bergman has two state medals, placing third last season in 1A and seventh the year before. Overall, he is 87-16 during those two seasons.
Munson has one more crack at moving to the top of the podium. The senior was sixth last year with 36 wins after placing seventh with 41 the year before.
Van Zelderen made the most of his first year on the varsity mats, placing seventh with a 33-12 record for the Mustangs.
Enyeart reached 40 wins as a freshman, settling for fourth in 2A.
Dewitt got his feet wet as a freshman, making it to state with a 37-14 mark. Last year, he climbed on the podium, placing fourth in 1A with a 52-7 record.
Hyet will look to secure a second state medal after placing eighth as a sophomore, winning 31 of his 41 matches along the way.
A 40-plus match-winner as a freshman, Mehlert capped off his season with a fifth in 2A at state.
Another returning sophomore medalist, Knutson put together a 37-9 campaign while placing sixth in 2A.
Sadler is making the climb, finishing sixth two years ago and fifth last season. He enters his final run 63-15 over the last two years.
Yoder made a splash last year, placing sixth in 1A with a 44-4 overall record.
Back-to-back state appearances have Boelman feeling good entering the year. He was seventh last year with a 40-12 mark after qualifying as a freshman.
Oldenkamp is a veteran of the state wars, qualifying three times over his first three seasons. He has finished third and seventh, going 137-15 during that span.
A two-time state qualifier, Arellano earned his first finish on the podium by going 35-10 and taking eighth in 2A. He was 30-16 as a sophomore and advanced to state.
Humphrey secured his medal by placing eighth in 1A with a 32-5 record.
Part of a talented lineup at Bondurant-Farrar, Fiser won 30 matches and qualified for the state tournament as a ninth-grader.
As a freshman, McKenna battled to qualify for state while going 36-9.
Reader made his state debut last winter, recording 37 wins along the way.
Boyles reached 40 wins as a sophomore, going 40-6 while competing at state for the Nikes.
Johnson looks to build off a 38-win season that included an appearance at state.
