Osage’s Fox Becomes 3X State Champ, NP’s Rinken Two-Timer

Osage wrestler Blake Fox is now a three-time state champ.

Fox claimed his latest crown Saturday (02.22) at the 100th Iowa High School Boys State Wrestling Tournament in Des Moines, winning by technical fall in the Class 1A finals at 144 pounds over Steven Brandenburg of Lake Mills.  

Also finishing atop the podium in Class 1A, for the second time in three years, is Nashua-Plainfield’s Jayden Rinken, after he scored a decision over Drew Anderson of Oakland Riverside at 132 pounds. Rinken also won a state title as a sophomore.

Fox and Rinken complete senior seasons at 58-0 and 57-0 respectively.

Also winning Class 1A state titles are Denver’s Gavin Landers at 126 pounds and Boden White at 157. For Landers, just a sophomore, it’s his second crown after winning 113 pounds as a freshman. Kanen Decker of Waspie Valley took the Class 1A title at 175 pounds. 

Area wrestlers scoring second-place state finishes in Class 2A include New Hampton-Turkey Valley’s Carter Cajthamel at 132 and Cresco-Crestwood’s Carter Schmauss at 126.  Bas Diaz of Waverly-Shell Rock, a state champion last year in Class 3A at 150 pounds, lost in the finals this year at 157.

Area third-place finishes in Class 1A include Nic Brase of Nashua-Plainfield at 113, Dawson Jacobsen of Central Springs at 126, South Winneshiek Kyle Kaboushek at 144, and Grant Muller and Ledger Nehls of Osage at 175 and 285 respectively. In Class 2A, Mitchell Schmauss of Cresco-Crestwood placed third at 120.

Osage, which won the Class 2A team title in 2024, finished fourth in the Class 1A team standings this year, with Denver and Nashua-Plainfield 10th and 11th.