Iowa
Iowa state wrestling 1A finals recap, Don Bosco makes history
Don Bosco’s Hayden Schwab talks state title after return from injury
Don Bosco’s Hayden Schwab talks state title after return from injury
In a sport with so much tradition within Iowa, it’s hard to set new bars to reach.
Even so, Don Bosco found a way to do it at this year’s Iowa state wrestling tournament. The Dons won their 18th traditional team state title, passing Waterloo West for the most all-time. It’s the program’s eighth in a row, a streak dating back to 2019.
Don Bosco crowned six individual state champions, which ties a 2001 Lewis Central record for the most in a single year. Ty Martin (106 pounds), Kaiden Belinsky (113), Hendrix Schwab (120), Hayden Schwab (126), Dawson Youngblut (144) and Ethan Christoffer (175) each left with a state title. Youngblut, an Iowa commit, won his third and has a chance for four next year. The Schwab brothers, sons of UNI coach Doug Schwab, are now both two-time state champions. Also contributing was Blake Irvine, who took seventh at 132 pounds as the team’s lone state medalist outside of finalists.
It’s a surreal moment for the small-town team from Gilbertville, surpassing a Waterloo West program with so much rich tradition, behind names like Dan Gable, having made so much history within the state. While the Dons are far from the biggest school, they’ve found a way to have it all within their wrestling room.
Hayden Schwab pointed to the people behind the program, particularly the fans who helped propel the team to new heights.
“I don’t know if there’s a more dedicated group of people,” Hayden Schwab said. “They’re driving for these little 1A tournaments in the middle of the year, we got huge crowd at the Hudson tournament. You gotta say the people.”
From World-level talents like Hayden Schwab overcoming a torn labrum, high-end Division I prospects like Youngblut and gritty wrestlers like Kyler Salis, who had the dual state title-clinching match against Jesup two weeks ago, Don Bosco has built a small-town school into Iowa’s most-accomplished program.
“We’ve all grown up together, gone to club together and we just make each other better every day,” Youngblut said after clinching the team title on Feb. 20. “Not just in wrestling, but in life. We’re all brothers.”
Class 1A Iowa state wrestling tournament final matchups
106 – Don Bosco’s Ty Martin vs. South Central Calhoun’s Karson Wuebker, 1-0 decision
Martin escaped in the second period from bottom, while Wuebker did not in the third in a bout decided from par terre.
113 – Don Bosco’s Kaiden Belinsky over WACO’s Ian Maize, 17-2 technical fall
Belinsky saved his best match for last, recording five takedowns and two near-fall points in his state title victory.
120 – Don Bosco’s Hendrix Schwab over Martensdale St. Marys’ Jensen Dyer
Schwab’s takedown just 17 seconds into his finals match, plus a second-period reversal, was all he needed to secure his second state title.
126 – Don Bosco’s Hayden Schwab over Earlham’s Max Millage, fall (1:24)
Coming off an injury, Schwab had a dominant state tournament with two technical falls and a quick win by fall in his finals match.
132 – Jesup’s Cooper Hinz over Lawton-Bronson’s Riley Watts, 4-1 decision
The future Michigan Wolverine had to gut this one out, recording a takedown with 23 seconds left to go to secure the state title for second-placed Jesup.
138 – Riverside’s Drew Anderson over Louisa-Mucatine’s Hayden Riggan, fall (1:26)
Takedown, takedown, takedown, takedown, then finally a pin. Anderson didn’t leave this one to chance.
144 – Don Bosco’s Dawson Youngblut vs. Pleasantville’s Blake Rowson, 17-0 technical fall
Youngblut had just two takedowns in this match, but turns from the top position helped him earn the shutout
150 – Lake Mills’ Steve Brandenburg over Iowa Valley Marengo’s Chance Hoyt, fall (1:51)
Brandenburg only needed one takedown, as he ran the bar and pinned Hoyt in short order.
157 – West Hancock’s Teague Smith over Westwood’s Boston Peters, 7-4 decision
In a battle between a veteran in Smith and a talented sophomore in Peters, Smith’s two first-period takedowns were the difference.
165 – North Mahaska’s Ryan Groom over South Winneshiek’s Kyle Kuboushek, 6-3 sudden victory
The senior found a way in overtime, as Kuboushek disengaged from the handfight for a moment and Groom took advantage for a takedown.
175 – Don Bosco’s Ethan Christoffer over Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley’s Brock Mulder, fall (1:47)
Don Bosco’s sixth state champion nearly pinned Mulder off of his first takedown with four near-fall points, but he was able to get one in the closing moments of the first period to put a bow on the Dons’ special night.
190 – Starmont’s Keaton Moeller over Nodaway Valley’s Caleb Christensen, 21-6 technical fall
The UNI commit came back from missing all of last season with injury with pure dominance, winning all of his matches on the weekend by fall or technical fall.
215 – Woodbury Central’s Carter Wright over Don Bosco’s Kyler Salis, 20-3 technical fall
Aside from giving up a takedown early in the third period, Wright dominated with a mix of takedowns and near-fall points to win a state title.
285 – Nodaway Valley’s Ashton Honnold over Earlham’s Keegan Long, fall (0:55)
Another three-time state champion was crowned, as this UNI commit hit a highlight-reel blast double on Long to take him straight to his back for the win by fall.
Class 1A team scores after the finals at the Iowa state wrestling tournament
- 1st – Don Bosco (222 points)
- 2nd – Jesup (115.5)
- 3rd – Woodbury Central (103)
- 4th – Nodaway Valley (80.5)
- 5th – Lisbon (77.5)
Full team scores and updated brackets can be found on Flowrestling.com.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
An Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor committed to one of the Hawkeyes’ conference foes instead. Former Iowa State guard Kenzie Hare took a visit to Iowa during her transfer portal recruitment, but the 5-foot-9 guard committed to Indiana on Sunday night.
Hare had several visits throughout her transfer portal recruiting process, including trips to Michigan and Illinois State, but the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow reported that Hare also visited Iowa.
On3’s Talia Goodman reported Hare’s commitment to the Hoosiers.
Hare has one year of eligibility remaining. This past season with the Cyclones, in 32 games played and 31 starts, Hare averaged 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 40.5% field goal shooting and 40% from 3-point range. A hip injury limited Hare to just 10 games during her first year with the Cyclones in the 2024-25 season.
The soon-to-be redshirt senior transferred to Iowa State before the 2024-25 campaign after spending two seasons at Marquette from 2022-24. Hare averaged a career-best 14 points per game on 45.5% field goal shooting and 42.5% 3-point shooting during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Eagles.
Had Iowa been able to lure the Naperville, Ill., native to Iowa City, Hare would have been another valuable addition to the Hawkeyes’ backcourt depth. But, Iowa has landed other backcourt reinforcements throughout this transfer portal cycle.
The Hawkeyes inked both Dani Carnegie and Amari Whiting.
Carnegie was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season at Georgia, averaging 17.8 points per game on 42.7% field goal shooting, 35.4% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line. Whiting averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 42.5% field goal shooting, 32.1% 3-point accuracy, and 71.6% free-throw shooting.
As Hare joins a promising core of players in Bloomington, the Hawkeyes will once again face the former Cyclone at least once this upcoming season as part of their Big Ten regular-season slate.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Senator Chuck Grassley said he’s recovering from a gallstone removal procedure.
His media team shared that he is working in Iowa “in good spirits and looks forward to returning to Washington soon.”
“I’m gr8ful [sic] for the excellent care from local health care providers,” he shared on X.
Over the weekend in Iowa I had a procedure to remove gallstones I’m gr8ful for the excellent care from local health care providers Be back to capitol ASAP
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 20, 2026
Grassley, 92, is the oldest senator currently in office and the sixth-longest-serving senator in U.S. history.
The Senate is in session this week.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.
Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.
Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.
“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.
“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”
Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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