Cowboys Send Ten to State

Taylor Smith, Sports Editor

On Saturday, the (2A) #2 Clarion-Goldfield-Dows wrestling team continued their season to remember by sending a school record ten competitors to the Casey’s Center in Des Moines.

Ten Cowboys brought home district titles or runner-ups from the Class 2A, District 10 meet held at Webster City High School.

“We wrestled really well on Saturday,” Coach Cory Yoder said after the dust had settled on CGD’s second straight district title.   

The Cowboys finished with 235 points as a team.

Cole Wibholm had two first period falls over North Central Conference opponents en route to a district title at 106-pounds.  The sophomore currently boasts a record of 32-7 and will be enjoying his first trip to state.

Senior Estuardo Lopez also stamped his first trip after a first place showing at 113-pounds.  Lopez had a come-from-behind win over Southeast Valley’s Josiah Hefley in the semifinals.  Time expired before he could get the fall on Hefley, but Lopez still advanced to the first place match after the major decision.

There, Lopez would upset Clear Lake’s John Amos in a 7-2 decision.

Lopez takes a 27-11 record into the state tournament.

Paxton Redenius squeezed out a narrow decision at 120-pounds to give CGD their third straight title.  Redenius won 9-8 over Southeast Valley’s Wyatt Blair in the first place match.

Last year, Redenius qualified at 106-pounds.  He is 35-7 on the season.

126-pounder Adrian Phetxoumphone (37-4) won his second straight district title and finished the day with two falls.  He defeated Eagle Grove’s Dylan Terwilliger in the first place match.

Three-time state medalist Linden Phetxoumphone won by fall and technical fall on his way to a district title at 132-pounds.  The senior has a 25-2 record so far this year.

Classmate Ryan Hartwig (22-12) was a runner-up and earned his third state berth.  The 138-pounder won a tech fall over GHV’s Keith Ulrich and a fall over Webster City’s Dawson Bertran before finally losing to two-time undefeated state champion Gavin Landers of Denver.

157-pound sophomore Colin Sesker sits at 41-3 after first period falls over Drake Larson of Clear Lake and Brody Cooper of Forest City on Saturday.  In the first place match, Sesker showed respect to Eagle Grove’s Hayden Schafer after beating him 5-4 for the district title.

Ryland Morgan was a runner-up at 165-pounds behind 2025 state champion Boden White of Denver.  The sophomore defeated Eagle Grove’s Caden Hauenstein in the wrestleback and is now a two-time state qualifier with a record of 28-6.

Junior Easton Beyer (39-5) qualified at 175 after pinning Forest City’s Izaiah Duncan in a wrestleback.  Beyer lost by fall to Clear Lake’s 2025 state runner-up Christian Dunning in the first place match.

Last, but certainly not least, heavyweight JT Kelso (38-4) became a three-time qualifier after pinning his way to a second-straight district title.

“This season has been amazing,” Coach Yoder commented.  “Breaking the school record for state qualifiers is great, but bringing back some hardware this week at the state tournament is what we have worked for all year long.  We’ve reached the pinnacle of our season, and now it’s time to kick down the doors.”

Reed Campbell (144) and Dawson Beyer (150) wrestled for CGD and both finished third.  Calder Grandgeorge (215) placed fourth, and Daven Duncalf (190) did not place.

(2A) #19 Denver placed second with a team score of 163.  The Cyclones had five individual qualifiers. 

Eagle Grove (138.5), Clear Lake (115), and Webster City (97.5) all rounded out the top five. 

The IHSAA state wrestling tournament will take place from February 18-21 at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines.