The Fairfield boys wrestling team competed at the highly competitive Ottumwa Invitational over the weekend on Friday, January 9th and Saturday, January 10th, facing one of the toughest fields in the state. The tournament featured 24 teams, including several ranked Class 3A programs and multiple contenders from Class 2A and 1A. The Trojans finished 14th overall with 230.5 points in the demanding two-day event.
Team Standings (Top 15)
- Iowa City West (3A #7) – 627.5
- North Scott (3A #10) – 620.5
- Cedar Rapids Prairie (3A #16) – 425
- Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln (3A) – 386
- Louisa-Muscatine (1A) – 358
- Creston (2A) – 329
- Iowa City Liberty (3A) – 318
- Ottumwa (3A) – 314
- Newton (3A) – 312.5
- Center Point-Urbana (2A) – 266
- Albia (2A) – 258.5
- Davis County (2A) – 258.5
- Tipton (2A) – 243.5
- Fairfield (2A) – 230.5
- Sigourney-Keota (1A) – 216
Individual Results
Cael McCabe – 2nd Place (113 pounds)
Top-seeded Cael McCabe delivered the Trojans’ best performance, finishing as runner-up at 113 pounds. McCabe dominated early, winning his first match by fall in just 47 seconds after building a 5-0 lead. After receiving three byes, he pinned his next opponent in 58 seconds following a 7-1 advantage.
On day two, McCabe continued his dominance with a first-period fall at 1:31 after establishing a 12-3 lead, then secured a 9-0 major decision. In the championship match, McCabe fell by technical fall 21-5 in the second period at 3:51 to a 3A opponent in Iowa City West’s Diego Robertty, but his second-place finish highlighted his strong weekend performance.
Dain Burkhart – 4th Place (175 pounds)
Fourth-seeded Dain Burkhart earned a fourth-place finish at 175 pounds. Burkhart opened with a second-period fall at 3:48 after building a 12-2 lead, then added a quick 49-second first-period pin. He won a tight 6-5 decision to close day one.
On day two, Burkhart edged his opponent 5-3 by decision before dropping a close 7-5 decision. In the third-place match, he fell 6-0 by decision but showed consistency throughout the tournament.
Noah Patel – 7th Place (106 pounds)
Fifth-seeded Noah Patel battled to a seventh-place finish at 106 pounds. After an 8-4 decision win and a second-period fall at 2:27, Patel lost by technical fall 21-5 in the second period.
On day two, Patel faced tough competition, losing by technical fall 15-0 and major decision 9-0 before bouncing back. In the seventh-place match, he rallied from a 6-4 deficit to pin his opponent at the end of the first period at 2:00.
Jasper Carpenter – 8th Place (132 pounds)
Eighth-seeded Jasper Carpenter opened strong with a 36-second first-period fall, followed by a 16-1 technical fall in the third period at 4:32. He dominated his next opponent with a second-period fall at 3:48 after building a 14-0 lead before losing a 12-2 major decision.
On day two, Carpenter lost consecutive matches by technical fall before dropping the seventh-place match 11-5 by decision.
Alex Hudson – 10th Place (190 pounds)
Ninth-seeded Alex Hudson struggled early but finished strong. After losing his opener in 28 seconds and falling in consecutive matches by technical fall, Hudson rebounded on day two with a first-period fall at 1:23 and a third-period pin at 4:21. He lost the ninth-place match by technical fall 19-3 in the second period at 2:51.
Sebastian Ftwi – 11th Place (215 pounds)
Thirteenth-seeded Sebastian Ftwi earned 11th place with a resilient performance. After losing three quick matches by fall, Ftwi won by first-period fall at 1:03. On day two, he added a second-period fall at 2:46 before losing by first-period fall at 1:57. He secured 11th place with a medical forfeit.
Hayden Bowman – 12th Place (126 pounds)
Fourteenth-seeded Hayden Bowman faced difficult competition throughout. After losing three straight matches, including two by technical fall, Bowman won by third-period fall at 5:32 after holding a 10-8 lead. He lost by technical fall 18-2 at the end of the third period and fell in the 11th-place match by second-period fall at 2:46.
Aiden Holthus – 14th Place (157 pounds)
Tenth-seeded Aiden Holthus had an up-and-down tournament. He won twice by first-period fall, including a quick 41-second pin, but also lost several matches by fall. In the 13th-place match, he fell by first-period fall at 1:08.
Dusty Haynes – 15th Place (150 pounds)
Sixteenth-seeded Dusty Haynes earned one impressive victory, a 17-0 technical fall in the second period at 2:57. After losing several matches by fall and technical fall, Haynes secured 15th place with a medical forfeit.
Kohda Higdon – 16th Place (120 pounds)
Fifteenth-seeded Kohda Higdon struggled against tough competition, going winless over two days and finishing 16th with losses by fall, technical fall, and major decision.
Ezekiel Moore – 18th Place (138 pounds)
Thirteenth-seeded Ezekiel Moore went 2-5 on the weekend. He won by first-period fall in 36 seconds and earned a 9-2 decision victory. Moore lost the 17th-place match by first-period fall at 1:02.
Kenneth Houston – 19th Place (165 pounds)
Nineteenth-seeded Kenneth Houston went winless at 165 pounds, losing six consecutive matches before finishing 19th.
Jo Jo Childs – 19th Place (285 pounds)
Thirteenth-seeded Jo Jo Childs also finished 19th after going winless in competition, securing his placement with a medical forfeit.
Tournament Perspective
The Ottumwa Invitational provided Fairfield with valuable experience against elite competition from across multiple classifications. Facing nine Class 3A teams, along with strong 2A and 1A programs, the tournament served as a measuring stick for the Trojans as they continue their season and prepare for postseason competition.
McCabe’s second-place finish and Burkhart’s fourth-place performance highlighted the weekend, while several other Fairfield wrestlers gained crucial mat time against high-level opponents in what proved to be one of the state’s most competitive tournaments of the season. They’ll be back in action against Ottumwa, Albia, and host Oskaloosa on Tuesday, January 13th.
