Wrestling fans can expect to see the best individuals in the state competing on Friday and Saturday at the 2017 Iowa state wrestling tournament in Des Moines. Here are some interesting numbers to keep in mind.
- 16,980 seats in Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines are expected to filled for the finals
- 672 total wrestlers competing in the state tournament
- 224 per class (1A, 2A, 3A)
- 230 different schools represented (90 in Class 1A, 83 in Class 2A and 57 in Class 3A)
- 16 wrestlers competing in each weight classes
- 14 weight classes (106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220, 285)
- 42 total individual Iowa state wrestling champions will be crowned
- 18 state champions from 2016 have qualified for this year’s state tournament (eight in Class 3A, four in Class 2A and six in Class 1A)
- Six wrestlers are attempting to win their third straight state title.
- Four of these wrestlers are seniors; Marcus Coleman (Ames), Ryan Leisure (Clear Lake), Brody Teske (Fort Dodge), Bryce West (Solon)
- Two are juniors; Chase Shiltz (Creston/Orient-Macksburg) and Alex Thomsen (Underwood)
News
- 25 total four time Iowa state wrestling champions
- Zero wrestlers have a chance to win a fourth straight title this year
- 82 total three time Iowa state wrestling champions (As noted above, there are six wrestlers that have a chance at it this year)
- 23 undefeated wrestlers heading into the state tournament (10 in Class 3A, 3 in Class 2A, 10 in Class 1A) with Chase Shiltz (52-0) of Creston/Orient-Macksburg in Class 2A (182) as the only 50-win undefeated wrestler in the state of Iowa
Be sure to watch all of the action on CSN or live stream via the NBC Sports App beginning with the semifinals on Friday at 3:30 p.m. all the way through the championship matches on Saturday night.
More Iowa high school wrestling coverage:
Advice on how to win an Iowa wrestling state title from Dan Gable and Mark Ironside
Iowa high school wrestling triva: How many can you get right?