Resilience in rebuilding ­— Creston wrestling recaps season

Monday evening, the Creston wrestling teams met to celebrate another year on the mats, saying goodbye to nine seniors.

Girls

“This season for the girls team looked a lot different,” coach Maggie Arnold said. “There were tons of new faces on our team this year. We were predominantly freshmen, so it was really great in seeing them grow all season long.”

The girls voted on awards for most improved, most valuable teammate and Miss Creston Wrestler.

Kora Lohoff and Kaylee Wells were selected as most improved. “Kora made a big run at the end of the season, beating two ranked athletes at the Atlantic tournament and then got a couple of upsets on the backside of her regional bracket to finish fourth place.” Arnold said. “Kaylee showed up to practice with the right mindset each day. She was willing to learn and be coached and to push through challenges even when things didn’t come easy. Her improvement didn’t happen overnight. It was built through hard practices, tough matches and the decision to keep going when things got difficult.”

Most valuable teammate went to Sydney Hoffman. “She practices with intensity, pushes through challenges and sets a standard that others follow,” Arnold said. “At the same time, she is incredibly kind, always lifting others up and creating a positive environment for everyone on the team.”

Miss Creston Wrestling was aptly awarded to Grace Keeler. The senior became Creston’s first four-time girls wrestling letterwinner, first to 100 career wins and first to 100 career pins.

“Grace finished the season with a record of 47-9. She will graduate with the most wins in Creston girls wrestling history with 132 and most pins in program history with 109,” Arnold said. “It’s been an absolute honor to get a front row seat to Grace’s growth throughout her career. She started as a 17-win freshman that was completely new to the sport and finished with a sixth-place state finish.”

Hoffman and Keeler are the team’s two graduating wrestlers, but Arnold also took time to recognize senior manager Lilly James.

“The managerial position is oftentimes overlooked in terms of importance, but when you have a manager as great as Lilly, that is certainly not the case,” she said. “I’m so grateful for everything she did for myself and the team all season long.”

This season, the Panthers sent two girls to the state tournament, Keeler at 135 and Alainah Galanakis at 130. Keeler placed sixth while Galanakis was knocked out in the blood rounds.

“We were the smallest school at our regional, but definitely belonged among the large schools there. At the state tournament, we made some more noise.”

As a team, the girls finished the season with a cumulative GPA of 3.401. Keeler and James both earned Hawkeye 10 all-academic awards.

Boys

Still in a rebuilding phase, the Panther boys struggled with open weight classes but still finished with an 11-11 dual record.

“We were open and didn’t have little guys that would help us out,” coach Cody Downing said. “Obviously where we’re at at the end of the year is not where we want to be, but we still carry respect from our opponents everywhere we go. So that’s never going to change. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us, and everybody wants to beat us. That’s never going to change.That’s a badge of honor that we carry with us.”

The senior wrestlers, Evan Abel, Jackson Pettegrew, Kylen Parsons, Brodrick Phelps, Gunner Martwick and Lane Travis, were all Regional Dual Team qualifiers in 2023, 2024 and 2025. They placed fifth at the state duals in 2023 and were state champions in 2024. They were Hawkeye 10 Dual champions, Hawkeye 10 Tournament champions and John J. Harris champions in 2023 and 2024.

“We aren’t where we were three years ago about this group,” Downing said. “We’re not state champions without them. I know the senior class in 2024 gets a lot of credit. We do not win the state duel tournament without this class.”

Abel has wrestled for many years, but was unable to compete most of his high school career due to health issues.

“Even with an injury, he still found a way to be there basically to every meet, to every practice,” Downing said. “I don’t think you find that every day. I think if somebody else is put in that position, I don’t know if they continue to commit that amount of time, but Evan did.”

Pettegrew was only able to wrestle the back half of his senior season but ended up with 75 career wins and 72 career pins.

“I would have loved to see a healthy version of him this year,” Downing said. “Didn’t happen. He ended up fighting back, being a contributor to us, honestly with a shot of being at the state tournament.”

Parsons is another wrestler who has been at it since the youth days.

“We got 125 wins and 71 career pins out of him. I don’t know that a lot of people know that,” Downing said. “He had a great career.”

Phelps qualified for state at 126 in 2024 and at 138 in 2025. He just missed the 2026 state tournament and ends his career with 122 career wins and 61 career falls.

“I know the season didn’t end the way Brodrick wanted it to or probably deserved it to, but that’s the way it is. Sometimes life’s that way,” Downing said. “I’ve been in the exact position he’s in. It’s hard. He had a great career. He’s going to be on the board as a two-time state qualifier.”

Martwick is another two-time state qualifier, coming in late this season after a football injury.

“We got back where we needed to be,” Downing said. “He had a great year... Gunner bought in.”

Gunner finished his career with 108 career wins and 74 career falls.

Travis is a three-time state qualifier, a 2024 state placewinner at 113 and a two-time Mike Abel Outstanding Wrestler award winner. His team voted him best teammate and hardest worker.

“159 career wins and 95 career falls — that’s a great career,” Downing said. “I’m super proud of him and the career he had.”

Also voted as one of the hardest workers was sophomore Jose Avila, a 2026 state qualifier. He was also selected as one of two most improved wrestlers, the other going to Zadek Engdahl.

Coaches each give out their own awardat the end of the year. Earning coach’s awards were Will Schaefer, Corbin Jones, Martwick, Parsons, Engdahl, Riggins Hanson and Drake Wilson.

The last award of the night went to coach Downing as the wrestlers selected him as the one they’d most like to punch in the face.

“That means I’m doing it right... I was surprised coach [Tanner] Webb got a vote,” Downing joked.

Next year, the team prepares for its junior class to take over the leadership role, starting with longtime wrestler Colby Brammer. The others, though less veteran at the sport, will also be needed to guide the team in the right direction.

“We’re going to get opportunity on the mat and keep building the culture,” Downing said. “We have some really, really successful groups coming in at the youth level. We’ve got to hold this culture and hold a standard of this is the right way to do things and lead from there.”

GIRLS LETTERWINNERS:

First:

EllaRae Pryor

Eva Chesnut

Kaylee Wells

Esme Capra

Corbin Williamson

Kora Lohoff

Christina Strand

Second:

Lydia Williams

Third:

Alainah Galanakis

Sydney Hoffman

Fourth:

Grace Keeler

MANAGER LETTERWINNERS:

Lilly James

Ally Lents

Nevaeh Pena

Henley Shinn

BOYS LETTERWINNERS:

First:

Riggins Hanson

Tyler Travis

Will Schaefer

Zadek Engdahl

Michael Wofford

Second:

Nate Bentley

Ben James

Colt Key

Corbin Jones

Jose Avila

Drake Wilson

Tom Mikkelsen

Third:

Colby Brammer

Evan Abel

Fourth:

Brodrick Phelps

Gunner Martwick

Kylen Parsons

Jackson Pettegrew

Lane Travis