IOWA WRESTLING

Lisbon’s Cobe Siebrecht commits to Iowa wrestling

Cody Goodwin
Hawk Central

The Iowa wrestling program picked up another big in-state commitment Thursday.

Lisbon senior Cobe Siebrecht announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes Thursday morning. He is a two-time state finalist in Iowa's Class 1A and is currently ranked No. 18 nationally at 138 pounds by Flowrestling. He projects at 149 pounds in college.

“I’ve dreamed of being a Hawkeye every since I was little,” Siebrecht told the Des Moines Register. “I feel like every little kid’s dream, if they grow up in Iowa, they want to be a Hawkeye. It’s like a dream come true.”

Lisbon's Cobe Siebrecht is a two-time state finalist with more than 150 career wins. The senior announced his commitment to Iowa on Thursday morning.

Siebrecht is Iowa’s third 2019 commitment, joining Illinois standout and Cadet freestyle world medalist Abe Assad and Minnesota state champ Zach Glazier, both of whom have already signed.

This season, Siebrecht is 33-0 with 17 pins, according to Trackwrestling. He is the unanimous No. 1-ranked 138-pounder in 1A. He boasts a career record of 164-27. He reached the 1A state finals as a sophomore in 2017 at 106 pounds, then again as a junior last season at 126 pounds. The Lions won the state team title both years.

Siebrecht has been a mainstay in Flowrestling’s national rankings since he beat Missouri standout Wyatt Henson, a Junior freestyle All-American this past summer, by an 11-2 major decision at the Independence Invitational in December. He was named The Open Mat’s national high school wrestler of the week as a result.

“We’ve been wrestling real well as a team,” Siebrecht said. Lisbon is currently ranked No. 3 as a team in 1A with five ranked wrestlers, according to the Predicament. “Later in the season, we’re going to be grinding it out, trying to get back to the top of the podium.

“I think we have a team that’s capable of doing that.”

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Lisbon is only 25 miles away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and Siebrecht made the trip often. He trains with the Eastern Iowa Wrestling Club in the spring and summer, and he spent extra time watching the Iowa program and Hawkeye Wrestling Club during open practices.

Siebrecht took an official visit in September. He enjoyed seeing the campus and hanging out with other members of the team. All of it left an impression. The only other real competition for his services, he said, was Minnesota State-Mankato, where his older brother, Cooper, is currently a freshman.

“Iowa’s coaches were a big part of my decision,” Siebrecht said. “I watched their open practices, and I saw how into it everybody is. That’s where I wanted to be. I want to train with guys who want to win national titles.”

With Siebrecht's commitment, the Hawkeyes have received five verbals in as many months. Mason City’s Cullan and Colby Schriever, as well as Arizona prep Jesse Ybarra, all committed as part of Iowa’s 2020 haul in September. Minnesota prep Ryan Sokol then became the Hawkeyes’ first 2021 commitment in October.

Additionally, Siebrecht is now the 12th Iowa senior with plans to wrestle Division I, and just the fifth to go to an in-state school. Albia’s Aden Reeves and Assumption’s Julien Broderson have both signed with Iowa State, while Southeast Polk’s Lance Runyon and Perry’s Kaleb Olejniczak are both headed to Northern Iowa.

The other seven are headed out of the state. South Dakota State scooped up Southeast Polk’s Cade DeVos, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows’ Spencer Trenary, Don Bosco’s Daniel Kimball and Ballard’s Skyler Noftsger. Additionally, Dowling’s Greg Hagan signed with Indiana, Akron-Westfield’s John Henrich is bound for Nebraska, and Waukee’s Anthony Zach is headed to Northern Illinois.

Siebrecht is also the latest Lisbon wrestler to join the Hawkeyes. Carter Happel, one of the many 141-pounders in the Iowa room, was a four-time state champion for the Lions from 2013-16. Even more, assistant coach Ryan Morningstar is also a Lisbon graduate.

Lisbon wrestles both Alburnett and Starmont on Thursday night, then will compete at the Ed Hadenfeldt Invitational at Solon this Saturday. The No. 3 Hawkeyes wrestle at No. 5 Minnesota on Sunday.

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