The wrestling season concluded at the individual state tournament on Feb. 21, but this season will go down in PV’s history as one of the best of all time.
Assistant coach Travis Willers recognizes that this season was monumental for PV’s wrestling program. “This season is one I will remember forever. We have such a great group of kids and they worked their tails off in order to accomplish everything they did this year,” he said.
This season, the Pleasant Valley Boys Wrestling Team advanced to the State Dual Tournament for the first time in 14 years.
The road to the state wasn’t easy. In the regional finals on Feb. 3, PV faced off against their familiar cross-town rivals: Bettendorf. The Bulldog Wrestling Team is led by four number-one- ranked wrestlers, three of whom are going on to wrestle at the Division I level.
However, PV demonstrated its depth and talent as a unit, defeating Bettendorf 34-32. By winning numerous matches early in the dual, they built a lead large enough that they were able to forfeit their last three matches, allowing the heavier weights to rest and avoid injury.
As the only senior on varsity, the regional win was particularly significant to captain Lucas Reeder. “It really meant a lot considering we were top 8 out of the 65 teams in 3A to make it to state duals,” Reeder said. “Also, with us being able to beat Bettendorf to go to team state; the pain of losing to them and not making it [to state] last year just made the feeling a lot better.”
In addition to breaking the 14-year-long state dual tournament drought, the team also broke two PV wrestling records.
First, they broke the record for the most dual wins in a season with 28 wins. The team also sent a record-setting 11 out of 14 wrestlers to the Individual State Tournament, where four of them placed in the top eight (Lucas Reeder 106 lbs, Liam Fitzgibbon 120 lbs, Soren Kelsall 150 lbs, Dane Cox 285 lbs).
While both the stat sheet and record book highlight the team’s achievements, their hard work and determination have gone unseen. “We had countless morning practices, morning runs, days in the weight room, camps, offseason training and offseason tournaments,” shared Reeder.
Junior and co-captain Soren Kelsall agrees that the team’s hard work makes the wins even more rewarding. “The team’s success this season has proved that our workouts over the offseason stacked up to something great, and is a great reflection of our team culture and the very good bond we have with each other,” Kelsall expressed.
With 13 out of the 14 varsity wrestlers returning next year, the team is optimistic that they will continue to succeed. As one of the returning captains, Kelsall will play a key role in achieving that success. “My mentality headed into next season is to dominate and shoot for the top of the state podium,” Kelsall said.
Willers agrees that they have only created a foundation for future success. “This season is just a stepping stone of what we will accomplish next year,” he said.
The 2025-2026 wrestling team has made history at PV, leaving a lasting impact. Impressive talent, strong leadership and unwavering dedication have created a state-renowned wrestling institution. PV has established itself as the team to beat in the MAC, paving the way for future success and providing incentive for young PV athletes to begin wrestling.
