When Clarion-Goldfield-Dows standout Linden Phetxoumphone was eight years old, his father asked him if he’d be interested in trying the sport of wrestling. The youngster said yes, and it didn’t take him long to taste his first bit of success.
“I placed first in my first tournament,” Phetxoumphone explained in a recent sit-down with The Wright County Monitor. “I started liking it.”
Growing up alongside his brothers and family in Webster City, Linden would hone his skills and learn what it meant to be a top wrestler.
“We always pushed each other and lifted weights with each other,” he said. “We knew what to eat and how to train well to become the best.”
“The best” is no exaggeration. As a member of the Lynx wrestling team, Linden placed 3rd at Wells Fargo Arena as a freshman 106-pounder and was runner-up at 113 in 2024.
“Making it to the state finals was a fun experience,” he indulged.
Now weighing in at 120-lbs. and wearing his new Clarion-Goldfield-Dows singlet, the junior has added another accolade to his already impressive list of achievements. On January 18 at the Doc Carr Duals, Phetxoumphone pinned Sylvester Katoe of Waterloo West and became the latest Cowboy wrestler to reach the 100 career win plateau.
“It was a great experience for me,” he said with a slight smile. “It was something I wanted to hit as a goal in my high school career.”
Phetxoumphone was also complimentary of his new surroundings in Wright County and said that he enjoys the “atmosphere” in Clarion. He stated that the move “was a smooth transition.”
Now, with a new neighborhood to call home and 100+ wins to his name, Linden is ready to keep grinding.
“You’ve got to keep training to be the best,” he commented. “The sport is hard, but if you keep training at a high level you’ll be up there with the best.”
