AMES, Iowa -- Last season, Iowa State wrestler Jarrett Degen captured his first all-American honor. This year, the expectations are on the rise.
Degen, a former Belgrade High School four-time state champion, was ranked No. 3 in the Flo Wrestling 2019-20 NCAA rankings at 149 pounds. The Open Mat selected Degen fourth in their poll.
Degen finished his prep career with the Panthers with a 184-8 record, winning four consecutive Class A state titles. After earning a pair of all-American honors at the 2016 USA Wrestling Junior Nationals, he attended Virginia Tech, tallying a 22-9 record during his redshirt season.
After transfering to Iowa State for the 2017-18 season, Degen compiled a 23-11 record as a redshirt freshman, placing third at the conference championships and qualifying for the 2018 NCAA Championships, where he qualified for the round of 12 before being eliminated in the blood round. Last season, Degen placed runner-up at the Big 12 Championships, then added a seventh-place finish at the NCAAs to secure all-American status.
Degen will be a redshirt junior this season. His Iowa State team is ranked No. 13 overall, according to Flo Wrestling.
Former Sidney grappler and current University of Minnesota wrestling coach Brandon Eggum has the Golden Gophers ranked No. 11 in the Flo Wrestling polls. Eggum was a three-time all-American and twice won Big Ten championships. He recruited Havre High four-time state champion Martin Wilkie to join the Gophers this season.
To view the Flo Wrestling NCAA rankings (account required) please click here. For The Open Mat rankings, click here.
The NCAA wrestling season begins this month, with many programs' first action in November.
