Iowa
Newman-Winfrey carries on 106-pound tradition for Southeast Polk wrestling
Southeast Polk wrestling’s Amir Newman-Winfrey reaches state semifinal
VIDEO: Southeast Polk’s Amir Newman-Winfrey reaches state semifinals as freshman
There’s a spot that’s stitched on the upper back of Amir Newman-Winfrey’s singlet he sported during the Iowa state wrestling tournament quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
That stitch comes from Nico DeSalvo’s mom, who patched the singlet two years ago before DeSalvo won his first state title at 106 pounds. One year after that, Eddie Woody donned the same exact singlet during the season when he won the 106-pound weight class for the Rams. Now, it’s Newman-Winfrey’s turn to wear it. The same duds, with ‘Rams’ printed across the chest, the same weight class and the same goal.
Win a state title.
Thus far, Newman-Winfrey has lived up to the reputation being built by Southeast Polk at 106 pound wrestlers over the last two seasons. He’s in the state finals on Feb. 21, with two pins and a major decision during the tournament to get there.
The major decision he earned was over an elite wrestler, Fort Dodge freshman Knox Ayala, the younger brother of Iowa Hawkeyes and state tournament icons Drake and Dru Ayala. Knox Ayala’s slide-by attacks, speed and grit in the top position are all already at a high level, mirroring much of what his brother’s have done.
Still, Newman-Winfrey rolled to a 16-3 major decision and is one match away from making it three state championships in a row at 106 pounds for Southeast Polk. At a minimum, he’s already helped his team clinch the team title in Class 3A.
“It’s just passing down to generations,” Newman-Winfrey said. “We all work hard together, we all train together. It’s amazing.”
All three of DeSalvo (138), Woody (126) and Newman-Winfrey (106) are in the state finals for the Rams this year. But the energy the team has for their young freshman is obvious. His talent level is something they have a ton of confidence in, and it has been proven right by his performance so far.
“He’s going out there and wrecking people’s souls,” DeSalvo said. “He’s going out there, no matter who you are, he’s going to try to put his skull through your face.”
Newman-Winfrey got involved in wrestling at a young age, attracted to the physicality, family atmosphere at Southeast Polk, and the ability to travel the country for national tournaments. Right away, Newman-Winfrey was winning a ton at youth-level stages.
It was around middle school, however, where Newman-Winfrey hit a growth spurt. Trying to build his strength and figure out how to use his body saw him start to lose frequently for a period. For a moment, he considered quitting wrestling entirely and going to play football.
Southeast Polk continued to work with him on his mindset and body, putting him in the fire at big national tournaments to get him battle-tested so he could learn from losses. As time went on, he found his footing and has become an elite talent in Iowa.
“He’s made those changes and it’s really benefited him,” Southeast Polk head coach Jake Agnitsch said. “People are starting to see, like, how good he actually is.”
With one more win, Newman-Winfrey can turn back-to-back championships at 106 pounds into a three-year streak for the Rams. He’ll draw Dowling Catholic’s Cruz Gannon, whom he defeated by decision in a dual earlier this year by a 17-10 scoreline.
As a wrestler from a young age, winning on a stage like this is the opportunity he’s been waiting for.
“I’ve been wanting to be here for a long time now,” Newman-Winfrey said. “This is where I’m about to prove myself.”
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.
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on offense, defense development
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on how the Cyclones offense and defense is developing.
After securing multiple commitments on the offensive side of the ball, Iowa State football has landed its first defensive commitment in the 2027 recruiting class.
Keaton Wollan, a three-star linebacker out of Amery, Wisconsin, committed to the Cyclones on April 21. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound linebacker announced his decision on social media.
He chose Iowa State over other offers from Texas Tech and North Dakota State. He previously visited Ames in March, but he also took recent visits to Minnesota and Wisconsin.
As a junior at Amery High School, Wollan was a two-way standout and earned all-state honors for the 2025 season. Defensively, he racked up a team-high 125 total tackles, including nine for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also had four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions and one defensive touchdown.
Offensively, he had a team-high 932 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 160 carries. He also caught 15 passes for 179 yards, and he was an impact player in the return game, logging more than 500 kick and punt return yards.
According to 247 Sports Composite rankings, Wollan is the No. 93 linebacker prospect in the country and the No. 11 overall recruit in his class from the state of Wisconsin.
Wollan is the sixth player to commit in the Cyclones’ 2027 recruiting class.
Iowa State football 2027 recruiting commitments
As of April 21
- Gavin Ericson-Staton, OL | Lombard, Illinois/Montini Catholic
- Isaiah Hansen, RB | Newton, Iowa/Newton HS
- Koen Hinzman, OL | Hudson, Michigan/Hudson Area HS
- Will Slagle, OL | Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell HS
- Bryson Thompson, WR | San Antonio, Texas/Claudia Taylor Johnson HS
- Keaton Wollan, LB | Amery, Wisconsin/Amery HS
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
Avoiding common car crashes
Discover the common causes of car crashes and learn how to avoid them.
Prepare for more overnight closures at the northeast mixmaster as the Iowa Department of Transportation closes the ramp connecting westbound Interstate 80 and northbound Interstate 35.
Here’s what to know.
When will the Iowa DOT close the westbound I‑80 to northbound I‑35 ramp?
The westbound I-80 to northbound I-35 ramp will be closed to traffic from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning from April 21-24.
What’s the detour when the Iowa DOT closes the westbound I‑80 to the northbound I‑35 ramp?
During the closures, drivers wanting to go from westbound I‑80 to northbound I‑35 will follow a signed detour.
Instead of taking the closed ramp, motorists will stay on westbound I‑80, bypassing the northeast mixmaster connection. They’ll then exit at U.S. Highway 69, turn around, and head back east on I‑80, where they can connect to northbound I‑35 using the open portion of the northeast mixmaster.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
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
-
San Diego, CA3 minutes agoJoseph Allen Oviatt – San Diego Union-Tribune
-
Milwaukee, WI9 minutes agoMilwaukee Brewers overpower Detroit Tigers to win 12-4
-
Atlanta, GA15 minutes agoWhat this food hall could mean for a south Atlanta neighborhood
-
Minneapolis, MN20 minutes agoEllison, Minneapolis, St. Paul update lawsuit against Operation Metro Surge with new data
-
Indianapolis, IN27 minutes agoIndianapolis, Carmel area fails air pollution measures in new report
-
Pittsburg, PA33 minutes agoCallie DiSabato: Unregulated short-term rentals hurt Pittsburgh
-
Augusta, GA39 minutes agoAttention, shoppers: Augusta-area Walmarts to be remodeled in 2026
-
Washington, D.C45 minutes ago11 hurt after work vehicle collides with Silver Line train at Metro Center