Sub-zero temperatures and a blistery winter’s day would not stop the traditionally great Ed Winger Invitational at Urbandale High school on Jan. 24.
One of the more-competitive Iowa high school boys wrestling tournaments of the year, the Ed Winger Invitational saw a tough team race and individual matchups that we are almost assuredly going to see again at the state wrestling tournament next month. As it always tends to do, the annual tournament at Urbandale brought the heat despite the bitter cold outside.
When marquee tournaments occur, it’s a good time to reflect on some major results. With that in mind, here are three of the biggest takeaways from the Ed Winger Invitational.
Carlise’s Jaxon Miller wins marquee finals matchup
At 175 pounds, everyone circled the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds before the tournament started.
Both No. 1 seed Miller and his opponent, Ankeny Centennial’s Max Dhabolt, are reigning state champions in Class 3A and they were set for a collision course in Urbandale. They are some of the best in the nation at the weight. Miller is a Northwestern commit and Dhabolt is an Iowa State commit, with both set to be big contributors at the Division I level. The pair won in bonus-point fashion in every match to reach the finals for the bout on Saturday.
In a match that saw plenty of fun action, it was decided by one takedown. Miller’s slick throw-by attempt in the first period was all he needed to secure a 4-2 decision.
“Just (was) trying to get to my attacks as much as I could,” Miller said. “Which, even if I did get to one or two shots, there’s still so much room for improvement. That’s what I noticed.”
Dhabolt has only competed in 10 matches in total this season, all but one of those coming in January. Even so, he is one of the top-ranked recruits nationally, making for one of the bigger wins of Miller’s career.
Make no mistake, however, this is a match we’re likely to see again in the Casey’s Center. Probably in the finals if all goes to plan. If it does, it’ll be one of the more competitive and anticipated matchups of the state tournament.
Dowling Catholic rebounds from dual loss, takes first place
Coming off a 55-15 drubbing by Southeast Polk earlier in the week, the Maroons wasted little time getting back on track with a first-place finish as a team. Of their 14 wrestlers, eight of them finished seventh or better. Of those eight, six made the finals, with 106-pound sophomore Cruz Gannon winning the lone individual title for the squad.
Gannon did it against Fort Dodge freshman Knox Ayala, the younger brother of Iowa Hawkeyes Drake and Dru Ayala. Gannon rolled to a 14-1 major decision, leaving little doubt in the final result as he seeks to earn his first state title after finishing second a year ago
Beyond winning a title at the Ed Winger, to continue to show his status as a state title favorite in a talented 106-pound weight class in Class 3A, Gannon said his team’s performance firmly showed the Maroons are a team to watch for the postseason. While Southeast Polk wasn’t wrestling in the tournament, surpassing the talent level at the Ed Winger is a sign that Dowling Catholic can still have a solid state tournament.
“It cements it into the ground, we’re here,” Gannon said. “We’re competitors.”
Fort Dodge’s Dreshaun Ross blitzes through competition in pursuit of fourth state title
It’s not a surprise Ross won a title at the Ed Winger. Heck, it won’t even be if he wins a fourth state next month. However, his dominance was something many were in awe of on Jan. 24.
The Oklahoma State commit didn’t have a single match get out of the first period. He started the tournament with two falls, followed by a 21-6 technical fall over Waukee Northwest’s Henry Mohr in the semifinals. He racked up a third win by fall in the finals against Dowling Catholic’s Brady Hagan. After getting the first takedown in his matches, they seemed to roll in bunches as his opponents looked powerless to slow his offense.
Perhaps more impressive than the result was that Hagan is likely to be his top challenger for a state title. Hagan’s not just your average heavyweight, either, as a 16U Fargo finalist in 2024. But Ross showed just how far the gap was with his dominant win by fall, recording 21 match points before taking him to his back.
If weren’t obvious already, there’s a clear reason Ross is considered to be the top heavyweight prospect in the country.
2026 Ed Winger Invitational champions, team results
Top-five team scores
Match-by-match results can be found on Flowrestling.com.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 3 Takeaways from Ed Winger Invitational, from Dreshaun Ross to Dowling
Reporting by Eli McKown, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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