Here are all 31 of Iowa’s four-time state high school wrestling champions

In the 96-year history of the Iowa high school state wrestling championships, only 31 wrestlers have won four individual state titles.

One more wrestler could join the list at this week's 2023 Iowa high school boys state wrestling championships, set for Feb. 15-18 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Ben Kueter, a senior from Iowa City High, is in position to potentially win his fourth straight individual state wrestling title. He is competing this week at 220 pounds in Class 3A. He's previously won titles at 160 in 2020, 195 in 2021, and 220 last year.

Here are the 31 four-timers:

Bob Steenlage, Britt

Years: 1959-62

Iowa's first four-timer came 36 years after the Iowa High School Athletic Association took control of the state wrestling tournament. He won at 95, 103, 112 and 120 pounds.

Jeff Kerber, Emmetsburg

Years: 1976-79

Kerber became the second four-timer 17 years after Steenlage, winning at 98, 112, 119 and 126 pounds. Kerber was the first four-timer to go undefeated for his career, posting a 126-0 record.

Scott Morningstar, Lisbon

Years: 1977-80

A wave of wrestlers followed Kerber as four-time champs. Morningstar won his fourth state title the year after Kerber won his fourth. Morningstar's son, Ryan, would go on to win three state titles.

Joe Gibbons, Waterloo Columbus/Ames

Years: 1978-81

Gibbons became the fourth four-timer, but the first to win his four titles across two different schools. He won his first two at Waterloo Columbus, in 1978-79, then won his last two at Ames, in 1980-81. The Gibbons family has combined to win 10 total state titles — Joe won four, Jim won three, Jeff won two and Tim won one.

Greg Randall, Mount Vernon

Years: 1979-82

For the fourth straight season, another wrestler wins a fourth state title. This time, it's Randall, who won at 98, 112, 126 and 132 pounds.

Mark Schwab, Osage

Years: 1982-85

Schwab became Iowa's sixth four-timer in 1985, winning twice at 98 pounds, then again at 105 and his fourth at 112. He won his first title the year Randall won his fourth.

Dan Knight, Clinton

Years: 1984-87

Knight is Iowa's seventh four-timer, and the fifth to win his fourth title in the 1980s. Knight, who now coaches at Bettendorf, won at 98, 112 and twice at 126 pounds, compiling a perfect 128-0 record along the way. The Knight family — Dan, Jeff, Steve, along with Evan and Colby, Steve's kids — also combined to win 10 state titles. Dan's son, Jake, is a freshman at Bettendorf and will wrestle at 113 pounds in Class 3A this week.

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Shane Light, Lisbon

Years: 1987-90

Light became Iowa's eighth four-timer, and the first of four four-timers in the 1990s. He was also the second four-timer from Lisbon. Only four schools have produced multiple four-time champions: Lisbon, Ogden, Don Bosco and Centerville.

Jeff McGinness, Iowa City High

Years: 1990-93

McGinness became the ninth four-time state champion, posting a 172-0 career record along the way. The IHSAA expanded to three wrestling classes ahead of the 1968-69 season, and Knight and McGinness became the first two wrestlers to win all four state titles in Iowa's largest of the three classes.

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Jason Keenan, Ogden

Years: 1992-95

Keenan became No. 10, winning his titles at 103, 112, 119 and 125 pounds. He was also the first of two from Ogden.

Eric Juergens, Maquoketa

Years: 1993-96

Juergens went 144-0 on his way to becoming Iowa's 11th four-time state champ. He also won his four titles at 103, 112, 119 and 125 pounds.

Jesse Sundell, Ogden

Years: 1998-01

Sundell followed Keenan as Ogden's second four-timer, and Iowa's first to win his fourth state title in the 21st century. Sundell is now Ogden's wrestling coach.

Mack Reiter, Don Bosco

Years: 2000-03

The 2002-03 season — already two decades ago! — was a special one for Iowa high school wrestling, as both Mack Reiter and C.J. Ettelson became the first two four-timers to win their fourth titles in the same season. Reiter won all of his in Class 1A to become the Dons' first four-timer.

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C.J. Ettelson, Hudson

Years: 2000-03

Ettelson won his first three titles in Class 2A, then Hudson dropped to 1A for his final championship run. Hudson had three individual state wrestling titles before Ettelson came along and won four.

Dan LeClere, North Linn

Years: 2002-05

Two years after Reiter and Ettelson won four at the same time, LeClere and Jay Borschel did the same between 2002-05. LeClere won all of his in Class 1A. 

Jay Borschel, Linn-Mar

Years: 2002-05

Borschel won all four in Class 3A, winning at 103, 125, 152 and 171 pounds. Both his and LeClere's senior seasons were chronicled in the book "Four Days To Glory," written by Mark Kreidler.

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T.J. Sebolt, Centerville

Years: 2003-06

Sebolt became Iowa's 17th four-timer, and the first to win his fourth title at Wells Fargo Arena, after the IHSAA previously held the event at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. He was also the first Iowa high school wrestler to record 200 career victories. 

Bart Reiter, Don Bosco

Years: 2006-09

Bart Reiter joined brother Mack as a four-time state champion, becoming the first set of brothers to become four-time state champs. They would not be the last, either.

Nick Moore, Iowa City West

Years: 2007-10

Moore went 183-1 on his way to winning four state titles for the late Mark Reiland at West. Moore won his titles at 130, 140, 152 and 160 pounds.

Cory Clark, Southeast Polk

Years: 2009-12

Clark became the 20th four-timer in Iowa history, winning his titles at 103, 112, 119 and 126 pounds on his way to a 185-1 career record. He went on to become a four-time All-American at Iowa, which included three NCAA finals appearances and one national title.

John Meeks, Des Moines Roosevelt

Years: 2009-12

Meeks became Iowa's 21st four-timer with a 168-0 career record, winning the same year as Clark. Meeks is responsible for four of Roosevelt's 12 all-time individual state wrestling titles. He was also the last one to win four while completing an undefeated career.

Jake Marlin, Creston

Years: 2010-13

In back-to-back seasons, there were multiple four-time state champs. In 2013, it was Marlin and Brandon Sorensen. Both of them won all four of their titles in Class 2A, too.

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Brandon Sorensen, Denver-Tripoli

Years: 2010-13

Sorensen won his four state titles at 119, 130, 132 and 145 pounds, then went on to become a four-time All-American for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Max Thomsen, Union

Years: 2012-15

Thomsen compiled a 210-1 career record while winning four Class 2A state titles. He also won 199 consecutive matches, which is tied for the longest winning streak in state history.

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Carter Happel, Lisbon

Years: 2013-16

Happel became Iowa's 25th four-time state champion, and also Lisbon's third, joining Morningstar and Light. He went 209-1 overall, which included 172 wins in a row.

Brody Teske, Fort Dodge

Years: 2015-18

Teske went 177-1 and became Fort Dodge's first four-time state champion. His only loss came to Underwood's Alex Thomsen, another four-time state champion who also finished his career with a single loss, to Teske.

Alex Thomsen, Underwood

Years: 2015-18

Thomsen went 190-1 and became Underwood's first four-time state champion. His only loss came to Fort Dodge's Brody Teske, another four-time state champion who also finished his career with a single loss, to Thomsen.

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Cael Happel, Lisbon

Years: 2017-20

Happel joined older brother Carter as a four-time state champion. He was Iowa's 28th four-timer, Lisbon's fourth four-timer, and gave the Happel family 11 total state titles — four each for Carter and Cael, and three from father Dean, from 1982-84.

Matthew Lewis, Centerville

Years: 2018-21

Lewis joined Sebolt as another four-timer for Centerville, winning at 106, 113, 126 and 145 pounds.

Marcel Lopez, New London

Years: 2019-22

Lopez became New London's first-ever four-time state champ, winning at 106, 113, 120 and 126 pounds in Class 1A. New London has 11 all-time individual state wrestling titles, and Lopez is responsible for four of them.

Carter Fousek, Crestwood

Years: 2019-22

Fousek joined Lopez as a four-time state champ, winning his four titles in Class 2A at 106, 113, 126 and 138 pounds. Fousek became the first four-timer in the history of the storied Crestwood/Cresco wrestling program.

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Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at@codygoodwin.