Meet Iowa’s best high school 120-pound wrestlers in 2024

Five with state titles on their resumes return including three from last season in Carter Pearson, Gage Spurgeon and Rowdy Neighbor

Carter Pearson of Southeast Polk is one of the many returning state champions back this winter. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Winning a state wrestling championship in Iowa is tough. Doing it more than once is extremely difficult. For Carter Pearson, Gage Spurgeon and Rowdy Neighbor, they all enter this season looking to repeat.

But just to show how real that challenge is, two more - Jake Knight and Jayden Rinken - are both former champions who came up short last year.

Here is a look at some of the best high school 120-pound wrestlers in Iowa. These weights are based on the final 2023-24 state tournament brackets. 

Carter Pearson, Southeast Polk, Senior

Pearson is one of the top talents in the state, finally breaking into the finals last year and taking full advantage by finishing first at 39-0. He has two third place medals to his resume, coming into this year 121-7 overall.

Jake Knight, Bettendorf, Junior

Knight’s quest for four hit a wall last year, as he fell to Pearson in the finals, settling for second with a 34-2 record. The Oklahoma commit went 46-1 as a freshman and won it all.

Rowdy Neighbor, Alburnett, Senior

From eighth to second to first is the climb Neighbor has made over the last three years. He had 141 wins coming into the season.

Jayden Rinken from Nashua-Plainfield seeks a second state title this winter on the wrestling mats. / Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jayden Rinken, Nashua-Plainfield, Senior

Rinken placed third as a freshman, going 53-2. He followed that up with a state championship season and a 47-2 record. After advancing to state once more last year, he failed to reach the podium, going 47-3. 

Gage Spurgeon, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Sophomore

One year in and one state title down, as Spurgeon went 38-1 and claimed gold in 2A.

Ryan Bahnson, West Lyon, Junior

Bahnson has had two strong years so far, placing second and seventh while winning 85 matches.

Emmitt Newton, Davis County, Senior

Newton has one more chance to win it all, as he has placed third, fifth and fourth the last three years. Overall, he has 138 wins.

Linn-Mar's Malik DeBow is back in search of his fourth state wrestling medal after placing fifth twice and seventh. / Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Malik DeBow, Linn-Mar, Senior

Two fifths and a seventh make DeBow one of the more experienced and solid wrestlers to compete this coming season.

Mitchell Pins, Dubuque Hempstead, Senior

Pins is another three-time qualifier with three medals to his credit, placing eighth last year after finishing sixth the two before. He is 86-21 overall going into this season.

Cale Nash, Clear Creek-Amana, Senior

Nash went from off the podium during his first two trips to state, to seventh last winter, going 48-6 overall. He owns 123 wins to his credit, losing just 14 times total the last two years.

Clear Creek-Amana's Cale Nash is a returning state placewinner after finishing seventh last year. / Kelsey Kremer/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Carter Schmauss, Crestwood, Junior

Following a run to state as a freshman with an eighth place medal, Schmauss went 35-3 last year and finished fifth overall in 2A.

Evan Simpson, Cedar Falls, Senior

Simpson made it to the podium last year as a junior, placing sixth with a 42-9 record. He also qualified as a sophomore.

Ayden Beck, Baxter, Senior

Beck not only made his state debut last year, he had a run, finishing fifth in 1A with a 45-5 mark.

Dawson Jacobsen, Central Springs, Senior

Jacobsen cracked the 50-win mark, going 51-9 overall including a ninth at state.

Kaydin Jones, Union LaPorte City, Junior

Jones finished off his sophomore season by placing seventh in state while going 42-7.

Owen Mayall, Humboldt, Senior

Mayall landed on the 3A podium in his first state appearance, going 34-13 to place eighth.

Sam Egan, Sumner-Fredericksburg, Junior

Egan is a returning state medalist, placing eighth in 1A with 35 wins last year.

Alex Hornyak, Waverly-Shell Rock, Senior

Three tips to state have yet to result in a medal fro the Go-Hawk, but he does have 81 wins during that time.

Isaac Wilson, Algona, Senior

Another three-time qualifier who is still looking for his debut on the podium. Wilson has won at least 40 matches each of the past three years.

Jayson Johnson, Tipton, Senior

One final time for Johnson to win a medal, as the senior has two state appearances with 76 wins during that stretch.

Kellen Oliver, Riverside, Senior

Oliver is another senior searching for his state podium debut after qualifying each of the past two years with 65 wins.

Matthew Williams, North Scott, Junior

Williams went 27-22 as a freshman and reached state, following that up with a 33-18 mark and a second trip to state. 

Ajay Braddock, Boone, Junior

Another two-time returning qualifier, Braddock is still looking for his first state medal.

Tanner Paustian, Woodward-Granger, Sophomore

Paustian reached the state field as a freshman, winning 38 matches.

Matthew Tran, Iowa City West, Sophomore

Tran is entering his second season with one state tournament appearance already under his belt.

Drew Anderson, Lewis Central, Sophomore

Anderson earned invaluable experience last year, cracking the Titan lineup as a freshman while reaching state with 33 wins.

Other Iowa high school wrestling lists

* Meet the state's best 106-pound wrestlers

* Meet the state's best 113-pound wrestlers