Ben Kueter won a world championship his senior year at Iowa City High.

University of Iowa wrestling’s heavyweight, and dual-sport athlete, has earned a chance for another.

Kueter posted a 5-0 record, sweeping a best-of-3 series with Virginia Tech’s Jimmie Mullen to win the 125-kilogram men’s freestyle title at USA Wrestling’s U20 World Team Trials on Saturday at Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy won the U23 79-kilogram freestyle title, while former Iowa City West prep Hunter Garvin and University of Northern Iowa’s Wyatt Voelker made the Greco-Roman U23 national team.

Kueter earned 5-4 and 5-3 victories to secure a spot to compete in the age-level World Championships sept. 2-8 at Pontevedra, Spain.

“I was joking with my coach,” Kueter said in a post-match interview with USA Wrestling. “I don’t remember the last time I wrestled five matches in a day. It’s funny. (Iowa assistant coach Ryan) Morningstar, he coaches us in Junior Duals. I think that was the last time I wrestled five matches in a day. It’s a good three years ago.”

Kueter, who was 3-1 for the Hawkeyes in his redshirt season, opened with a 10-0 technical superiority over Indiana’s Connor Barket and outscored his first three foes by a combined, 29-9. He beat Mullen in the first two bouts, avoiding a winner-take-all finale.

“It felt good,” Kueter said. “I think my first match was my slowest and sluggish. After that I just kept getting better. My composure was better.”

Kueter also plays linebacker for Iowa football. The World Championships conflicts with the Iowa-Iowa State football game on Sept. 7, according to flowrestling.com’s Andy Hamilton. Kueter was able to train and compete at Worlds in 2022 and returned to play for the Little Hawks’ football team. He has hopes it will work with the Hawkeyes but will trust the football and wrestling staffs to make the best decision.

“It might be a little different this year,” Kueter said. “Maybe I can’t go. Just talk to the coaches but the football coaches are all about wrestling and the wrestling coaches are all for football.

“At the end of the day, they’re going to make it work. I’m there to compete for the University of Iowa.”

Kennedy went 7-0 to win the 79-kg title. He blanked Cornell University’s Julian Ramirez, of Spartan Combat Regional Training Center, 10-0, in two straight matches of the best-of-3 series.

Kennedy scorched the competition, outscoring his opponents, 75-4, overall. He said Iowa Coach Tom Brands preaches a lifestyle to help look back and be able to accept with the results. Kennedy was.

“I feel satisfied with how I competed,” Kennedy said. “So, it was good.”

Interestingly, Kennedy wasn’t expecting to compete until a conversation with Iowa NCAA finalist and Hawkeye Wrestling Club member Jacob Warner. Kennedy was considering an international tournament when Warner expressed his regret not getting to compete in a past U23 tournament due to injury.

“That was kind of the turning point,” Kennedy said. “It’s never hard for me to be in the room and be around the guys but sometimes you need expert advice, and Jacob Warner has expert advice.”

Garvin, a three-time state champion and four-time finalist for West and an All-American for Stanford in March, won Greco-Roman and Freestyle titles. He earned the 77-kg spot on the U.S. National Team, competing at the U23 Pan American Championships on June 21-22 in Colombia.

Garvin swept Brendon Abdon, of Arkansas RTC, recording a pin in the first match and ending it with an 8-4 decision.

“I love it,” said Garvin, who added a freestyle national crown. “I’m out there having fun. I’m having a blast. I love that I’m just trying to put on a show for people, my teammates, friends, loved ones or whoever just watching.”

Garvin was joined by Voelker, a former West Delaware two-time state champion, who competed at the U20 World Championships in 2023. Voelker beat New York Athletic Club’s Michael Altomer, 7-5 and 8-0, for the 97-kg spot.

UNI’s Cory Land and John Gunderson and Iowa State’s Paniro Johnson won age-level titles. Johnson claimed the U23 70-kg championship in freestyle.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com

The Kansas City Royals placed pitcher Michael Wacha on the injured list on Sunday with a “small, non-displaced” fracture in his left foot, per manager Matt Quatraro. Lefty Daniel Lynch IV will be called up from Triple-A to take Wacha’s spot in the rotation.

“We don’t think it’s worth pushing him out there.”#Royals SP Michael Wacha is heading to the IL today with a non-displaced left foot fracture.#WelcomeToTheCity
🔗 https://t.co/76FWOFMj7f pic.twitter.com/l1AfgtEdpN

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 2, 2024

There is not yet a timetable for Wacha’s return to action. But Quatraro told reporters that his absence will be determined by how the soreness in his foot progresses. Wacha will continue working out his arm by taking a knee while playing catch. However, a full return to action will depend on how he can manage the pain in his foot.

Kansas City Royals Place Michael Wacha On Injured List

Kansas City signed Wacha this winter to a two-year, $32 million deal as part of a rotation restructuring. The offseason aggression has paid off, as the Royals have ridden a strong pitching rotation, including Wacha, to great success this season.

Wacha is not an ace, but he is providing quality mid-to-back of-the-rotation innings that Kansas City expected. The 32-year-old has pitched better this season than his overall numbers suggest. Wacha has posted a 4.24 ERA (97 ERA+) in 68 innings across 12 starts. He doesn’t strike many out but relies on limiting walks and inducing poor contact.

Plus, his numbers would look better if not for a below average strand rate (68.7 percent). In other words, when he leaves games with runners on base, Royals relievers fail to strand them more often than not. The relievers gave up the run scoring walks/hits, but the runs get charged to Wacha.

Daniel Lynch IV

With Wacha on the injured list, the Royals will turn to a former top prospect in Lynch. Part of the reason why Kansas City added so many veteran pitchers this winter is due to a failure to develop young arms. Lynch represents one of those failed pitching prospects.

Entering this season, Lynch has struggled to a 5.18 ERA and in 51 starts across three big league seasons. The organization wanted to win in the majors again and just could no longer promise innings to young pitchers that just were not improving.

Daniel Lynch was fantastic on Sunday. The secret? More spin and movement from his arsenal — especially the slider.

Lynch has always averaged 2000-2100 on his FF and SL. On Sunday, he touched 2300 inconsistently with the heater and averaged 2286 on the slider. pic.twitter.com/FrluEi3wXM

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— Preston Farr (@royalsminors) May 21, 2024

And while he’s looked good in three MLB outings this season (a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings), Lynch has not pitched that well in the minors. In nine starts, Lynch produced a 4.76 ERA in 45 1/3 innings with below average strikeout rates. The 27-year-old has shown promise with intriguing stuff but has not put it all together in a consistent manner.

That said, it seems that the Royals expect Wacha to spend minimal time on the injured list. Though the organization likely still views its former 34th overall pick in positive light, Lynch just needs to provide league-average production until Wacha return.

Main Photo Credits: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Of all of the players who Greg Schiano convinced to join his cause at Rutgers this weekend, Muskegon (Mi.) high offensive lineman N’kye Wynn is the most highly-sought.

BUY RUTGERS FOOTBALL TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER

A four-star tackle, according to On3.com, Wynn picked Rutgers on Sunday over 24 offers including Wisconsin, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Pitt, Minnesota, Purdue, Indiana, and Iowa State.

Better yet, Wynn cancelled four visits he had scheduled down the stretch to Wisconsin, Michigan State, Pitt, and the Kentucky Wildcats which have yet to offer.

Group of five programs Cincinnati, Tulane, Western Michigan, Toledo, Miami of Ohio, Liberty, Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Colorado State, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, and Colorado State also offered the blue-chip.

A D2 MHSAA state champion and the fourth-ranked offensive lineman in Michigan, Wynn led an offense which tallied 5,400 offensive yards — 4,600 on the ground — averaged 385 offensive yards per game and scored 82 touchdowns — 18 of which came off of Wynn’s hip, last fall.

Wynn allowed zero sacks and just one pressure in addition to 67 knockdown blocks, earning him all-state recognition and a national offer list. He boasts a 32-inch vertical, 315-pound bench press, 485-pound squat and runs the 40-yard dash in 5.1 seconds.

With one high school season left to play, Wynn has started 28 games at right tackle and will bring said experience to an offensive line room that has improved significantly in two years under ex-Giants offensive line coach Pat Flaherty.

Twenty-one high school seniors — and potential Scarlet Knights — learned the ins and outs of Rutgers’ facilities, academic programs and schematic football plans this weekend while judging whether Rutgers is the program for them. Seven of the 21 players (33%) are rated four-stars.

Eight visitors have committed this weekend and could shape Rutgers’ roster for years to come.

Todderick Hunt covers Sports and Culture. Do you have a story idea or a tip? He can be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com.