The Mount Vernon High School boys wrestling team finished the season strong at the Iowa Class 2A Boys State Wrestling Tournament, held February 19–21 at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines.
Mount Vernon had three senior wrestlers earn state medals, marking a successful end to their high school careers.
At 157 pounds, Mikey Ryan advanced to the state finals and placed second overall. Ryan won his first three matches of the tournament before falling in the championship bout by a takedown in the final 25 seconds to Tucker Wheeler of Prairie City-Monroe.
One of his earlier wins came against Anamosa’s Hudson Scranton, where Ryan earned a 7-2 decision. After the match, Ryan hugged Scranton and spoke with him on the mat, showing sportsmanship and respect. Despite coming up just short of a title, Ryan reflected positively on his career, saying, “I wish I could have won and went out on top, but I’m grateful for everything I’ve done in wrestling and all the people around me who helped.” His runner-up finish was the team’s top performance of the weekend.
Senior Jackson Anderson placed third at 215 pounds. After losing earlier in the tournament, Anderson rebounded with strong wins in the consolation bracket to secure a spot on the podium on the final day.
At 175 pounds, Caysen Curran finished fourth at state. Curran battled through a tough bracket and earned multiple victories against ranked opponents before narrowly missing a top-three finish.
Mount Vernon’s head coach Vance Light said the seniors showed determination throughout the tournament. “They competed with confidence and stayed focused all weekend,” the coach said. “It was great to see them finish their careers at state.”
With three medalists, the Mustangs closed out the season with momentum and strong senior leadership.
