Led by a cast of eight varsity seniors, the Norwalk boys wrestling team put together another great season in 2024-2025. The Warriors finished 21-5 in duals, falling one win shy of tying the school record. They defeated four State Duals qualifiers in North Scott, eventual Class 2A runner-up West Delaware, Independence and Osage.

Norwalk qualified eight individuals for the traditional State Wrestling Tournament, scored 45 points to place 22nd in Class 3A, and had a pair of state medalists in seniors Kolton Borcherding-Johnson and Dominic Tigner. Head coach Jake Brown tells KNIA Sports that the Warriors weren’t that far away from having 11 or 12 wrestlers advance to the state meet, and he was pleased with the team’s 16-14 match record in Des Moines.

Borcherding-Johnson, who overcame two shoulder surgeries during his career, placed third in the 3A heavyweight class and finished his senior year with a 39-2 record. His only loss at state was an ultimate tiebreaker defeat in the semifinal round. Brown says that Borcherding-Johnson showed remarkable perseverance to perform at a high level in football and wrestling after his junior season was cut short by injury.

“I’m proud of him, for sure,” Brown said. “He had a good career… battled through a lot of adversity. Just getting him (to state) and him getting on the podium is a win in itself. But he’s a competitor. He doesn’t look at it like that. He was coming there to win it, and that says a lot about him as well.”

Tigner, a three-time state qualifier, ended his career by placing seventh at 157 pounds for his first state medal. He finished 32-8 on the season. Coach Brown says that Tigner was the only wrestler all year to score a takedown on eventual champion Maximus Dhabolt of Ankeny Centennial in their quarterfinal match. He clinched his state medal by avenging a loss to Waukee Northwest’s Gabe Rubino earlier in the season.

“It was just great to see because he’s been so close so many years,” Brown said. “He’s beaten so many guys that have been on the podium and done this and that. We’re proud of him for all he’s done and for finishing on the podium.”

Additional state qualifiers for Norwalk included junior Asaiah Martinez at 113 pounds, junior Madox Ward (120), senior Blake Lee (144), senior Tyler Stanford (175), sophomore Victor Esparza (190) and senior Harrison Tripp (215). Esparza and Tripp both won three matches at state, Martinez won twice and Stanford earned a win as well.