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  • Photo: Photo/David Peterson

    Photo: Photo/David Peterson

    Night of Conflict Preview

    The first annual Night of Conflict is an event being held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the University of Iowa campus, conducted by IAwrestle.com on Friday evening. Matches primarily feature a wrestler from Iowa against one from outside of the state.

    The official order of matches is pending final determination, but they will start at 7 p.m. CT. The wrestlers have been split to two teams, each coached by a recent Hawkeyes national champion who competed for the United States at last month's World Championships in Las Vegas.

    These are the matchups and a profile of the contestants (Team Ramos wrestler listed first, followed by the Team Metcalf wrestler):

    106: Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee, Iowa) vs. Cody Phippen (Platte County, Mo.)
    This a rematch of the Cadet National final in folkstyle from April at 100 pounds, a match won by Biscoglia, who was a backup to state runner-up Jakob Allison this past high school season. Now a sophomore, he placed sixth at both the UWW Cadet Nationals (46 kilos) and Cadet Nationals (100 pounds) in freestyle. Phippen was a state runner-up in Kansas as a freshman before moving across the border this off-season, and is also a two-time All-American in Greco-Roman at both the UWW Cadet Nationals and Cadet Nationals; he also earned All-American honors in freestyle at both the Cadet and Junior Nationals this summer.

    113: Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) vs. Brody Teske (Fort Dodge, Iowa)
    Hayes was a state runner-up during his junior season of high school, and has verbally committed to the Unviersity of Virginia. He also was a Junior National champion in both Greco-Roman and freestyle at 106 pounds this summer. Teske won state this past year as a freshman at 106 pounds, and was runner-up at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals, but failed to earn All-American honors in Cadet freestyle at 113 pounds this summer.

    113: Justin Portillo (Clarion Goldfield, Iowa) vs. Aden Reeves (Albia, Iowa)
    The senior Portillo is a two-time state finalist, both times in the 106-pound weight class, winning the title this past season. Incoming freshman Reeves is ranked No. 13 nationally among all wrestlers in the Class of 2019 after earning All-American honors in both styles at this summer's Cadet Nationals at 106 pounds, fifth in Greco-Roman and fourth in freestyle.

    120: Cole Manley (Altoona, Pa.) vs. Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa)
    Manley was a state runner-up last season competing at 106 pounds in the big-school division, and had an excellent Disney Duals, going undefeated at the 106-pound (+5) weight class. Thomsen is ranked No. 27 overall in the Class of 2018 after following up an undefeated state title at 113 pounds, with a double All-American finish at the Cadet Nationals, fourth in Greco-Roman and runner-up in freestyle at 120 pounds.

    120: Josh Portillo (Clarion Goldfield, Iowa) vs. Justin Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio)
    The senior Portillo is a two-time state champion, winning his state title last year at 126 pounds, and he also won a Junior National folkstyle title at 120 pounds last spring. Fellow senior Stickley is a two-time state placer, both times at 106 pounds, which includes his runner-up finish last season; he also earned runner-up honors at the NHSCA Junior Nationals competing up at 113 pounds

    120: Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) vs. Jack Wagner (Bettendorf, Iowa)
    Two-time state runner-up Renteria is ranked No. 27 overall in the Class of 2017. He was a Cadet National folkstyle champion this spring at 120 pounds, and earned All-American honors in both styles at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo this summer (third Greco-Roman and sixth freestyle at 126 pounds). Wagner is a two-time state champion, and was undefeated at the Disney Duals competing in the 113-pound (+5) weight class. When the two wrestlers met at the Clash this past January, Renteria emerged with the victory.

    126: Gabe Townsell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) vs. Drew West (Highland Riverside, Iowa)
    Two-time state placer Townsell is ranked No. 76 overall in the Class of 2016, placing third at 126 pounds during his junior season. This summer, Townsell earned a Junior National title in Greco-Roman at 126 pounds. The junior West won state as a freshman before placing third this past season, losing to Thomsen in the quarterfinal round; he is also a three-time Fargo All-American in Greco-Roman, including his third place finish at the Junior level in the 113 weight class this summer.

    126: Brock Rathbun (Center Point-Urbana, Iowa) vs. Max Murin (Central Cambria, Pa.)
    Both wrestlers in this match won state titles this past season; with Rathbun also being a two-time champion, three-time finalist, and ranked No. 84 overall in the Class of 2016. The junior Murin placed fifth during his freshman season, and was excellent this past off-season; finished sixth at the UWW Cadet National freestyle tournament, went undefeated at the Disney Duals competing at 113 (+5), and took fourth in Cadet freestyle.

    138: Ryan Leisure (Clear Lake, Iowa) vs. Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.)
    Both wrestlers in this match won state this past season. The junior Leisure is a two-time state finalist, and was also a UWW Cadet All-American in Greco-Roman at 58 kilos this spring. Storr is a two-time state champion and three-time state finalist, and ranked No. 59 overall in the Class of 2016; he also placed third at the Super 32 Challenge last fall, and was a UWW Cadet National runner-up in freestyle at 63 kilos.

    138/145: Carter Happel (Lisbon, Iowa) vs. Jarrett Degen (Belgrade, Mont.)
    This is a battle of three-time state champions, both of whom are ranked nationally within the Class of 2016. Happel placed fifth in Junior freestyle this summer at 138 pounds, competed in the 2014 UWW Cadet World Championships at 63 kilos, and is ranked No. 30 overall in the Class of 2016. Degen earned a NHSCA Junior Nationals title at 138 pounds this summer, placed eighth in Junior Greco-Roman this summer, and is ranked No. 87 overall in the 2016 class.

    138/145: Happel vs. George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.)
    Happel will also face off against another nationally ranked Class of 2016 prospect in two-time state champion Phillippi. The University of Virginia verbal commit is ranked No. 16 overall in the Class of 2016, and is a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer; fourth at 132 pounds last fall, runner-up at 120 in the fall of 2013.

    160: Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind.) vs. Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio)
    Both wrestlers in this match are ranked among the elite Class of 2016 prospects nationally. Three-time state placer Hughes won state this past season, after finishing fifth and second the previous two seasons; the No. 31 overall senior also placed fourth at the Super 32 Challenge last fall at 152 pounds, and went undefeated this summer in the Disney Duals at 152 pounds (+5). Marinelli is a three-time state champion, and ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2016; he was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge last fall at 160 pounds, and is now a three-time finalist at the Walsh Ironman, winning the title during his junior season.

    160: Colton Clingenpeel (Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Iowa) vs. Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney, Pa.)
    Clingenpeel is a two-time state placer, including a third place finish at 138 pounds last season. He also earned All-American honors in Junior Greco-Roman this summer, finishing eighth at 152 pounds. Fellow two-time state placer Young is ranked No. 32 overall in the Class of 2016, placing seventh in last year's Super 32 Challenge at 152 pounds and sixth at the FloNationals during this past spring.

    220: Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa) vs. Dylan Prince (Pittsburg, Kans.)
    Andersen is a two-time state champion, and three-time state placer, along with holding the No. 43 overall position in the Class of 2016. He was champion in Junior folkstyle this spring at 220 pounds, and also competed at the UWW Cadet World Championships in Greco-Roman last summer at 100 kilos. The junior Prince finished third at state in the 182-pound weight class last season, and was All-American in both styles at 195 pounds in the Cadet Nationals (fourth Greco-Roman, fifth freestyle)

    285: Zach Muller (Downers Grove South, Ill.) vs. Gannon Gremmel (Dubuque Hempstead, Iowa)
    The junior Muller has yet to make the state tournament, but was most excellent this off-season, starting with a Cadet folkstyle title at 285 pounds. He also earned All-American honors in both styles at the UWW Cadet Nationals and Cadet Nationals competing at heavyweight. The senior Gremmel, ranked No. 60 overall nationally, has placed in all three state tournaments of his career at 220 pounds. He had an in-season win over eventual state champion Andersen, but lost to him during the state tournament on the way to a third-place finish.

    Women: Morgan Becker vs. Rachel Watters

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