Union’s 2025 boys wrestling state qualifiers pictured on Saturday, Feb. 15, in Webster City following the completion of the Class 2A District 11 tournament including (l-r) runner-up Brock Bergmeier (150), district champion Stratton Luke (113), district champion Coy Mehlert (106), district champion Jace Hedeman (132), district champion Brayden Bohnsack (120), and runner-up Kaydin Jones (126). Bohnsack and Hedeman are both two-time state wrestling champions with Bohnsack a returning state champion. PHOTO BY REBECCA DAVIS

WEBSTER CITY – The No. 7 Union boys wrestling team crowned four district champions and two runners-up on its way to second place at the Class 2A District 11 tournament hosted by Webster City last Saturday, thereby qualifying six for the 2025 state boys wrestling tournament set for Feb. 19-22 in Des Moines.

Fourth-ranked Clarion-Goldfield-Dows took the team title with 213.5 points, while Union (170) and Woodward-Granger (150.5) claimed silver and bronze, respectively, in the eight-team meet.

The Knights’ triumphant day kicked off at 106 pounds, where No. 3 Coy Mehlert – after taking a bye in the quarterfinals – swiftly pinned Webster City’s Ty Bingham in just 38 seconds for the semifinal win. He then defeated Clarion-Goldfield-Dows’ Paxton Redenius in the first place match by 15-0 technical fall halfway through the first period. The sophomore Mehlert (47-2) spent a total of just one minute, 43 seconds on the mat en route to the district title.

Sophomore Stratton Luke (41-10) – who was unranked by IAwrestle ahead of Districts – won the 113 bracket with a pair of wins. He scored a 40-second semifinal pin over East Marshall/GMG’s Hayden Boles before tallying a 19-1 technical fall over Clarion-Goldfield-Dows’ Angel Cortes in the finals.

Fourth-ranked Brayden Bohnsack – a two-time returning state champion – kept it rolling at 120, improving to 46-4 with two wins on his way to the district crown. The senior Knights wrestler took a blistering, 15-second pinfall win over Webster City’s Tariq Burton in the semifinals before getting a 4-1 decision over No. 1 Linden Phetxoumphone of Clarion-Goldfield-Dows in the finals.

No. 4 Kaydin Jones was the fourth Union wrestler to qualify for state. After a pair of second-period pins in the 126-pound bracket, Jones lost in the finals to No. 5 Adrian Phetxoumphone of Clarion-Goldfield-Dows in a 7-4 decision. He then triumphed in the wrestleback for true-second with a 43-second pin over East Marshall/GMG’s Xavier Slifer, punching his ticket to state and improving to 43-6.

Top-ranked, two-time state champion Jace Hedeman (51-0) took a 54-second pinfall win in the semis over Clarion-Goldfield-Dows’ Ryan Hartwig and a 17-2 technical fall over Tanner Paustian of Woodward-Granger to win the 132 title and remain undefeated on the season.

Brock Bergmeier’s wrestleback for true-second at 150 pounds rounded out the Knights’ six state qualifiers. After taking a 17-5 major decision in the quarterfinals, the unranked junior was pinned in the semis by Dike-New Hartford’s Gavin Gerbracht. Bergmeier rallied in the consolation semifinals with a first-period pinfall win over South-Hardin/BCLUW’s Zaden Eggers before winning the third place match over Roland-Story’s Isaac Hall with a late pin. In his wrestleback for true-second – and with a trip to the state tournament on the line – Bergmeier pinned Tristan Mason of Webster City in five minutes, 36 seconds.

Also at Webster City, sophomore Cooper Davis (144) and senior Briar Mast (157) took bronze, while senior Wyatt Walker (165) placed fourth for the Knights.

The 2025 IHSAA State Traditional Tournament is scheduled to begin this Wednesday and last through Saturday, Feb. 22, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines with the finals for all classes set for Saturday evening beginning at 5:15 p.m.

The Telegraph will feature coverage from the state tournament in next week’s edition.