Seven Buena Vista County Wrestlers Qualify for Iowa State Tournament; Alta-Aurelia Leads

1. Eli Rieb, Alta‑Aurelia (113-, Class 1A)

Eli Rieb is one of Alta‑Aurelia’s three qualifiers and is listed in the 1A 113-pound bracket after district tournaments reported Feb. 16, 2026. Southeast Iowa Union lists his first-round pairing exactly as: “1A 113: Dakota Aney (Columbus/WMU) vs. Eli Rieb (Alta/Aurelia).” Rieb’s draw puts him and Alta‑Aurelia on the Des Moines stage at the Casey’s Center, a trip that involves travel logistics and costs for families and the program as they prepare for the state meet.

2. Laeton Langschwager, Alta‑Aurelia (120-, Class 1A)

Laeton Langschwager appears in the Chronicletimes excerpt as “Alta‑Aurelia’s Laeton Langschwager, 120 pounds,” confirming his district win and state berth reported Feb. 16, 2026. As one of three Alta‑Aurelia qualifiers, Langschwager’s advancement highlights the small‑school program’s depth and raises expectations locally for podium contention. His presence on the state roster also reflects district-level coaching and resource allocation that have supported multiple wrestlers to qualify from the same team.

3. Jaxson Page, Alta‑Aurelia (126-, Class 1A)

Jaxson Page is the third Alta‑Aurelia wrestler listed among the area qualifiers at 126-, completing the trio that gives Alta‑Aurelia the largest local representation at state. The concentration of three qualifiers from one Buena Vista County program is notable for the community and for local youth-sports development, signaling potential momentum for the program’s feeder systems. Page’s qualification adds another athlete whose travel, lodging and school-day scheduling will factor into team planning for Des Moines.

4. Levi Else, Ridge View (150-, Class 1A)

Levi Else qualified for the state tournament at 150- for Ridge View, one of two Ridge View wrestlers advancing from the district list. Ridge View’s pair of qualifiers (Else and Blake Myrtue) reflects consistent performance from the school’s program at the Class 1A level and contributes to Buena Vista County’s total of seven qualifiers. Else’s trip to the Casey’s Center joins a regional cohort that SEIU noted will include dozens of area wrestlers across classes, underscoring the regional reach of the state tournament.

5. Blake Myrtue, Ridge View (190-, Class 1A)

Blake Myrtue is listed among the Ridge View qualifiers at 190-, giving Ridge View two representatives at the state meet and widening the county’s presence in the higher weight classes. Myrtue’s qualification matters for Ridge View’s team profile and for local fans tracking which programs send athletes to Des Moines; it also influences how the school budgets travel and support for a multi-athlete trip. The district-to-state pipeline that produced Myrtue and Else raises questions about equitable access to coaching and competition across neighboring schools.

6. Rylan Richardson, Storm Lake (132-, Class 3A)

Rylan Richardson is listed under Class 3A for Storm Lake at 132-, the lone Storm Lake wrestler noted in the area qualifiers snippet. Unlike the other six local names in Class 1A, Richardson represents a 3A program advancing from his district into the state field, which SEIU summarized as beginning midweek at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines. Richardson’s qualification is a reminder that Buena Vista County’s wrestling footprint stretches across classifications; it also means Storm Lake families and staff must navigate the different schedules and brackets that come with 3A vs. 1A competition.

7. Connor Brown, Sioux Central (175-, Class 1A)

Connor Brown completed the county’s list of seven qualifiers at 175- for Sioux Central, rounding out the local delegation of three Alta‑Aurelia wrestlers, two Ridge View wrestlers, one Storm Lake and one Sioux Central competitor. The original reporting posted Feb. 16, 2026 aggregated these district results into the seven‑qualifier total, and regional coverage (SEIU) further placed matches at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines and noted that 19 area wrestlers overall would be at the tournament. As the team and community prepare for state, the combined burdens of travel, ticketing and access to paywalled local coverage highlight equity issues: families and smaller programs must manage expenses and limited reporting access while athletes represent their schools on the state stage.