It’s no secret that Division I wrestling talent is littered throughout Iowa.
Many of the state's top high-schoolers have gone Division I the last few years. In 2019, 17 in-state wrestlers joined Division I programs. This past year’s senior class sent 18 to Division I schools.
But these next two classes have the potential to put Iowa back on the national wrestling map — up near Pennsylvania and Ohio in terms of top prospects and depth.
Already, four in-state wrestlers from the 2021 class (seniors-to-be) have committed to Division I programs: Fort Dodge’s Drake Ayala and Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen are both headed to Iowa, Union’s Adam Ahrendsen recently committed to Northern Iowa, and Waverly-Shell Rock’s Bailey Roybal is going to South Dakota State.