The Iowa high school state tournament has produced at least one freshman state champion in each of the last nine years with as many as five in 2019 and as few as one the year before. 

There’s a strong possibility a few more tournament rookies will ascend to the top of the podium later this month in Des Moines. Here’s a look at eight of the state’s top freshmen this season and where they’re ranked in the latest Flowrestling Iowa high school premium rankings. 

Class 1A 

Hudson Cox (Southeast Warren-Melcher Dallas) — #8 overall at 106/#2 in Class 1A 

Cox collected multiple state championships on his rise up the youth ranks and he’s backed up that success with a 39-1 start to his freshman season. His lone loss came at the Charger Invitational, where lost in the finals to Greene County’s Brennan Jacobs, who’s ranked third in Class 2A.

Ty Martin (Don Bosco of Gilbertville) — #2 overall at 106/#1 in Class 1A 

Martin kicked off his terrific freshman season by winning the title in a deep field at the Dan Gable Donnybrook. He’s been on a roll since, compiling a 34-1 record with his only loss coming against returning state finalist Cruz Gannon. Martin has notched wins over a pair of returning state medalists. 

Braylon Peters (Westwood of Sloan) — #14 overall at 132/#6 in Class 1A 

Peters entered high school on the heels of winning a state AAU title as an eighth grader and he needed no time to adjust to varsity competition. He didn’t wrestle a full period in his first 16 matches, notching 13 pins, two technical falls and a forfeit. He’s 31-0 on the season with 19 pins.  

Class 2A  

Adam Carey (Independence) — #5 overall at 126/#1 in Class 2A

Carey ran his record to 46-2 on the season with his title-winning performance last weekend at the WaMac Conference tournament, where he scored a pair of pins and a technical fall. Both of Carey’s losses this season came against D1-bound returning state champions — Don Bosco’s Hayden Schwab and Bettendorf’s Jake Knight. 

Joseph Leick (Glenwood) — #6 overall at 126/#2 in Class 2A 

Leick won Iowa AAU youth titles as a sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grader, and he’s put himself in contention for a high school state title as a freshman. Leick is 34-2 with both of his losses coming against Council Bluffs Lewis Central’s 2024 state finalist Weston Porter, who’s ranked third in 3A. 

Class 3A

Amir Newman-Winfrey (Southeast Polk) — #1 overall at 106/#1 in Class 3A 

In 2024, Nico DeSalvo followed in the tracks of four-time Iowa state champion and 2017 NCAA champ Cory Clark, becoming the second Southeast Polk freshman to win a state title at the lightest weight class. Then Eddie Woody duplicated the feat last year at 106, and now Amir Newman-Winfrey is trying to keep the run going for the Rams. Newman-Winfrey is 28-1 this season and undefeated against in-state competition, including a 17-10 win against returning state finalist Cruz Gannon.  

Jaimon Mogard (Ames) — #4 overall at 144/#1 in Class 3A

Mogard is 36-3 and undefeated against in-state competition. Those three defeats came by a combined six points with two losses in overtime. Mogard has posted wins this season over a cast of returning state medalists and state qualifiers. 

Diego Robertty (Iowa City West) — #7 overall at 113/#4 in Class 3A 

Robertty recently pinned his way through the prestigious Mississippi Valley Conference title at 113 to run his record to 29-1. His lone loss this season was a 9-6 decision against returning state medalist Jack Wallukait of Dowling. It was also Robertty’s only match that went the distance this season. He scored a technical fall against state finalist Cael McCabe of Fairfield and also teched Abe Heysinger, who placed third last season at 106. 

Iowa High School Premium Rankings

Check out the Iowa High School Wrestling Premium Rankings, which are generated by using an athlete’s complete match history to predict a wrestler’s performance against others in their weight class by considering factors such as win-loss records, the quality of their victories (pins, technical falls, major decisions), the strength of their opponents, and overall historical performance patterns. 

The data is updated every Monday, sourced from the Trackwrestling season results. Since each team is responsible for maintaining its season results, any data discrepancies for a wrestler should be addressed by contacting their coach to manage the information within the season. This includes the weight class assigned. Wrestlers are eligible to be ranked after competing in five matches at a single weight.

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra rallied Republicans at a West Des Moines caucus site Monday, Feb. 2, as both parties work to get organized ahead of a competitive midterm election year.

His stop at the Stilwell Junior High caucus site was Feenstra’s first of several planned visits across Polk and Dallas counties, and he touted his work in the state Legislature and in Congress as he appealed to some of his party’s most active members.

“This last year has just been amazing working with President Trump and making sure that we take America first,” he told the group. “I was on Air Force One last week. We were talking about this — making sure that we continue lowering taxes, to make sure that we lower prices at the gas pump and our groceries and all this other stuff.”

Republicans and Democrats held their Iowa Caucuses Feb. 2 at locations across the state.

For Feenstra and other candidates facing a June 2 primary election, this year’s caucuses presented a chance to elevate their name recognition among key party activists, gather signatures to get on the ballot and recruit supporters as they look to break away from the pack.

Especially in years when there is no presidential nomination, the caucuses are about getting the parties organized, submitting planks to be included in their platforms, persuading people to sign up as delegates and getting them to commit to being involved with their local party apparatus.