West Liberty and Wilton wrestlers place at state tournament
by Margaret Hurlbert
February 02, 2022

MUSCATINE, Iowa–On the mats of the boys’ state wrestling tournament, wrestlers from across Muscatine County made their mark. This year, five Muscatine County wrestlers placed. From West Liberty, junior Colin Cassidy placed third in the 2A 106-pound weight class, junior Joshua Zeman placed eighth in the 145-pound division, senior Drake Collins placed fifth in the 170-pound division, and junior Jahsiah Galvan placed seventh in the 195-pound weight class. From Wilton, first year Jordan Dusenberry placed eighth in the 1A 120-pound division.

Throughout the season, each of the five wrestlers worked hard and met with success. Both Drake and Colin earned championships at the Louisa-Muscatine Invitational and placed as the RVC champions in their weight classes. Drake also won the Independence Cliff Keen Invitational, and Colin also won the Mount Vernon and Solon Invitationals. After an extended absence from wrestling, Jahsiah made remarkable progress in his first year back. “Jahsiah hasn’t wrestled since junior high, so qualifying for the state tournament is a huge success,” said West Liberty Wrestling Coach Ian Alke.

Competing in varsity wrestling for the first time, Jordan put up some pretty impressive numbers too, going 40-10 for the season. “He was an incredible asset to have in the lineup,” shared Wilton Wrestling Coach Gabe Boorn.

Reflecting on the state tournament and the season, both Boorn and Alke took great pride in how their wrestlers did. “We had a great season as a team, and only because every wrestler stepped up and worked towards their goals,” observed Boorn.

“They wrestled at their best at the right time. This is a tough tournament that requires several levels of mental toughness, physical talent, and commitment,” asserted Alke.

With such strong leadership from this year’s state tournament placers and all but one of them able to return and continue their wrestling careers next year, Alke and Boorn believe that both of their schools will have opportunities to compete in the state tournament next year and beyond.

“Colin, Drake, and Josh will make fine leaders next year. We have great kids coming up from junior high, so West Liberty Wrestling will be a team people should look out for,” stated Alke.

“This was a great way to send off our seniors who helped lead us to state duals and for our freshmen to realize what they are capable of in the next few years–and strive for more!” added Boorn.

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