Union crowned two state champions on the same night for the seventh time in school history, as Brayden Bohnsack – pictured wearing a ‘12th man’ shirt in honor of the late Gavin Rohrbach – and Jace Hedeman won their respective brackets last Saturday night at the Iowa High School Boys State Wrestling Tournament held at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Both are now three-time state champions. Bohnsack scored a 3-2 decision over Ballard’s Easton Enyeart to win the Class 2A 120-pound title. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

DES MOINES – Union wrestling crowned not one but two three-time state champions during last Saturday’s finals of the 100th IHSAA Boys State Wrestling Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines – a first for the school which now boasts a whopping 24 Class 2A boys state wrestling individual championships among its ranks.

Brayden Bohnsack (50-4) – a senior who entered the tournament as the reigning state champ at 113 – captured the 120-pound title Saturday evening to complete a three-peat while fellow senior Jace Hedeman (55-0) remained undefeated on the season to win the 132-pound bracket for his third state title.

Bohnsack and Hedeman’s tandem wins mark the seventh time in history the Union Knights have crowned two state champions in one tournament; the first time was in 2000 when Union’s current head coach, Bart Mehlert took gold at 140 pounds alongside his teammate Trey Clark at 189.

Last year, Bohnsack took gold at 113 pounds alongside his teammate, senior Caleb Olson at 150. The year prior, in 2023, Bohnsack (106) and Hedeman (113) were both state champions. In 2022, Hedeman kicked off Union’s current state champion streak by capturing the 106-pound title as a freshman.

With their wins, Bohnsack and Hedeman have now tripled the names on Union’s three-time state champions list which previously contained only Clark who became the school’s first three-timer in 2000. In 2014, the Knights briefly had two names on the list when junior Max Thomsen (138) — now an assistant coach for the Knights — won his third state title; in 2015, Thomsen became Union’s first and still only four-time state champion when he took gold at 145 – a feat he accomplished alongside teammate Jacob Holschlag who won the 170 title to become a two-time state champion.

Seniors Brayden Bohnsack, left, and Jace Hedeman, right, pictured Saturday, Feb. 22, on the Class 2A 120-pound and 132-pound podiums, respectively, while wearing their first-place medals following the finals of the 100th IHSAA Boys State Wrestling Tournament held at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. PHOTOS BY JAKE RYDER

Last Saturday, Bohnsack chose to end his senior season on the mats on a muted note. After winning by 3-2 decision over Ballard’s Easton Enyeart, Bohsack removed his anklet before calmly walking to his corner to retrieve a black, ’12th man’ t-shirt which he donned in honor of his late friend, senior Gavin Rohrbach (No. 12 on the Union football team) who lost his life as a passenger in a car accident on Sept. 10, 2024 — an accident Bohnsack himself was also part of as a passenger. Only after sliding the shirt over his singlet, did Bohnsack allow the official to raise his arm for the win.

When asked in the press gaggle on Friday following his semifinal win by pinfall how he felt about achieving a third straight state final appearance, Bohnsack was reflective.

“I’m excited, you know. I’m used to the nerves down here. I just wrestle. It’s my last year here. Just have some fun with it. I also have some new things in life that motivate me. I just think, I’m lucky to do this.”

In an article by The Gazette newspaper published on Feb. 22 following the finals, Bohnsack discussed his decision to wear the ’12th man’ shirt.

“I’ve been thinking about him a lot,” Bohnsack said of Rohrbach. “I think this season, I was just grateful for the opportunity, you know. And I also wanted to just have fun and enjoy it. Not everyone gets to do it.”

PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

Bohnsack went 4-0 at state; in addition to his semifinal and final wins, he notched a 16-1 tech fall over Garrett Pumphrey of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in his opening round on Wednesday before claiming an 8-2 decision over Central DeWitt’s Eli Edfors in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Both U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) have nominated Bohnsack to attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado next academic year.

Hedeman’s gold

Moments after Bohnsack won his third state title Saturday night, Hedeman followed suit, securing his third gold with a first-period pinfall win over New Hampton/Turkey Valley’s Carter Cajthaml. After escaping Hedeman’s first takedown roughly 45 seconds into the match, Cajthaml was taken down again some 30 seconds later by the top-seeded Knight. With 25 seconds remaining in the first, Hedeman claimed victory and capped off his high school wrestling career with a pin.

Before speaking to the press following the match, Hedeman put on his ’12th man’ shirt.

Union crowned two state champions on the same night for the seventh time in school history, as Jace Hedeman, pictured, and Brayden Bohnsack won their respective brackets last Saturday night at the Iowa High School Boys State Wrestling Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Both are now three-time state champions. Hedeman claimed a first-period pinfall win over New Hampton/Turkey Valley’s Carter Cajthaml for the Class 2A 132-pound crown. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

“You’re never promised tomorrow,” he said, per reporting by The Gazette. “So if I’m not promised tomorrow, I’d better be happy with how I treat people. I better go out there and give it my all.”

Hedeman also went 4-0 at the state tournament to retain his undefeated senior year record. In his opening round on Wednesday, Feb. 19, he pinned Central DeWitt’s Dolan Theisen in 38 seconds before winning by 22-4 tech fall over Brett Johnson of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont the next day in the quarterfinals. In the semis on Friday, he won by 18-3 tech fall over Davenport Assumption’s Steele Diercks.

Hedeman has committed to wrestle with the University of Northern Iowa Panthers next season.

Mehlert, Jones also medal

Coy Mehlert (51-3) and Kaydin Jones (47-8) were the other medalists for the Knights this year with sophomore Mehlert securing a bronze finish at 106 pounds and junior Jones placing fifth at 126.

Union’s 2025 boys wrestling state qualifiers pictured last week in Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena during the 100th IHSAA Boys State Wrestling Tournament including (from left) Brayden Bohnsack (120), Stratton Luke (113), Coy Mehlert (106), Kaydin Jones (126), Jace Hedeman (132), and Brock Bergmeier (150). PHOTO BY BART MEHLERT/FACEBOOK

State qualifiers Stratton Luke (44-12) and Brock Bergmeier (30-21) did not place.

The Knights finished third overall in the team standings with 103 1/2 points; Burlington Notre Dame claimed the team title with 129 points followed by Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont with 107 1/2 points.

PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER