Between “getting his face smashed into the mat” as a freshman, to undefeated champion as a senior, it has been a fun ride for Mount Vernon senior Klayten Perreault.
Perreault beat Cael McCabe of Fairfield 7-1 in the Class 2A championship at 106 pounds Saturday night, Feb. 17, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
“It’s a great feeling once you’ve got it,” Perreault said. “But the best feeling was six minutes before, right when I walked out on the mat. It was wonderful.”
The senior highlighted a pretty good trip to Des Moines for the Mustangs, who had four wrestlers finish on the podium, and the team ended up second, the highest-ever finish for Mount Vernon at the traditional state tournament.
“It shows we’re working hard and going the right direction,” Mount Vernon coach Vance Light said. “We keep setting the goal a little higher, and hopefully that keeps on happening.
“It doesn’t hurt that we have pretty good athletes.”
Perreault, who finished 46-0 with 41 pins, had to wrestle all six minutes in the semifinals and finals. He had a 3-0 decision over Easton Enyeart of Ballard in the semifinals.
“There hasn’t been a whole lot of long matches for me,” Perreault said. “They challenged me, but I was ready for it.”
Four years ago, Perreault came in undersized for the smallest weight.
“He didn’t know a lot, but he always went super hard,” Light said. Perreault finished fourth at state as a junior. “Now those 106-pounders have a hard time matching his conditioning and strength and work ethic. He’s in great shape, goes 100 mph and he’s super strong.”
It was a long way from his freshman season.
“I think this was the best way I could go out,” Perreault said. “Especially how I started out. Balance it out a little bit.”
Sophomore Jase Jaspers also made the 2A finals, and lost to Blake Fox of Osage in the 138-pound championship, 3-1.
It was his second-straight runner-up finish in Des Moines.
“They don’t give state titles away,” Light said. “He’s been to the finals twice and lost to two good kids.
“Sure, it stings a little bit, but he’s got two years. His goal is to get one. … And you’ve got to get one before you get two.”
Jaspers did enact a little revenge on his way to Saturday night. He beat Solon’s Jordan Schmidt in the semifinals 2-1 in the first tiebreaker. Schmidt had beaten Jaspers at districts.
“That was our fourth time wrestling,” Jaspers said, noting he won three times. “During the district match, I tried to do too much, and got out of position.
“I got back to my style.”
His older brother, Jackson, placed third at 144. He became the first four-time place-winner in Mount Vernon history with his best finish.
“No one likes losing, but coming back all the way, better than I’ve ever done before?” Jaspers said. “You can’t be upset with that.”
Jackson Jaspers was emblematic many of the Mustangs at state. Losing a tough match early, but battling back through the consolations.
“Friday morning, to come in there, we went 8-1 that day,” Light said. “We put some distance between us and the third-place team. And got close to Osage.”
Osage proved a little top-heavier, crowning four champions Saturday night to claim the 2A team crown.
Following Perreault and the Jasper brothers, Mikey Ryan (150) finished fourth and Ethan Wood (285) placed sixth.
Jake Haugse (120) and Caysen Curran (190) each had a pair of wins. Wastson Krob (175) also qualified.
“I think it sets up the program for the next few years to compete on a level we haven’t before,” Perreault said. “We have so many upcoming freshmen. You can see what is happening.
“Once you see a program get this high, loads of support comes in, and it only gets better from here.”
Expectations will be high in 2025. The Mustangs return a lot of points.
“It is no different than in years past,” Light said. “You have got to get healthy. And get the kids spread out in weight, and just take it when it comes.”
“We’ll have five returning state qualifiers,” Jase Jaspers said. “That experience under our belt. We will be ready to win it next year.”
Perreault will be moving on, with plans to attend Iowa State. He might continue to wrestle, but has not heard back from the Cyclone coaches, yet.
The smallest weight class in college is 120 pounds. Perreault would need to pack on some pounds.
“I’m sure with enough peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I can put on the weight,” Perreault said with a smile.
Class 2A
Team scores (top 10) – 1. Osage 128.5; 2. Mount Vernon 110; 3. Union 95; 4. Burlington Notre Dame 79.5; 5. Creston 78; 6. Hampton-Dumont-CAL 73.5; 7. Roland-Story 71; 8. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 65; 9. Webster City 62.5; 10. Anamosa 59.
MOUNT VERNON
106 – R2: Klayten Perreault (MV) pinned Gavin Knutson (Decorah) 1:53. QF: Perreault pinned Kale Bennobis (Waukon) 3:03. SF: Perreault dec. Easton Enyeart (Ballard) 3-0. 1st: Perreault dec. Cael McCabe (Fairfield) 7-1.
120 – R1: Jake Haugse (MV) pinned Ryan Hartwig (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows) 3:49. R2: Vinny Mayberry (Glenwood) pinned Haugse 1:01. CR2: Haugse pinned Gavyn Winters (Greene County) 5:30. CR3: Haugse dec. Brody Buhman (Assumption) 5-2. CR4: Brayden Maury (West Delaware) pinned Haugse 1:05.
138 – R2: Jase Jaspers (MV) pinned Brady Beers (Humboldt) 1:27. QF: Jaspers dec. Ragen Hasche (CL/G-LR) 5-0. SF: Jaspers dec. Jordan Schmidt (Solon) 2-1 TB-1. 1st: Blake Fox (Osage) dec. Jaspers 3-1.
144 – R2: Jackson Jaspers (MV) dec. Easton Wheeler (Anamosa) 3-1. QF: Tucker Wheeler (PCM) dec. Jaspers 4-3. CR4: Jaspers maj. dec. William Fullhart (Decorah) 12-2. CR5: Jaspers dec. Austin Evans (Creston) 1-0. CS: Jaspers dec. Tyler Wieland (Independence) 6-3. 3rd: Jaspers dec. Tucker Wheeler (PCM) 7-5.
150 – R2: Mikey Ryan (MV) maj. dec. Jax Jensen (Winterset) 16-2. QF: Hudson Scranton (Anamosa) dec. Ryan 8-4 SV-1. CR4: Ryan dec. Hewitt Brinegar (PCM) 8-5. CR5: Ryan dec. Dirk Boyles (Burlington Notre Dame) 11-5. CS: Ryan dec. Tate Slagle (Algona) 3-1. 3rd: Hudson Scranton (Anamosa) dec. Ryan 6-5.
175 – R1: Logan Allender (Cherokee) pinned Watson Krob (MV) 4:14. CR2: Krob dec. Dain Burkhart (Fairfield) 7-5. CR3: Leander Reicks (NH/TV) dec. Krob 6-2.
190 – R1: Caysen Curran (MV) pinned Brendan Lanfers (Sioux Center) 4:00. R2: Brody Sampson (Ballard) pinned Curran 3:53. CR2: Curran pinned Layton Slaymaker (Central DeWitt) 2:48. CR3: Blake Jager (EBF) dec. Curran 5-2.
285 – R2: Ethan Wood (MV) dec. Landon Griffin (Webster City) 5-1. QF: Carter Heilskov (Hampton-Dumont-CAL) pinned Wood 5:03. CR4: Wood pinned Brady McDonald (Independence) 3:16. CR5: Wood dec. Landon Griffin (Webster City) 3-1. CS: Paul Ballard (Albia) pinned Wood 4:40. 5th: Max Chapman (Creston) pinned Wood :28.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Jayce Pendergrass | Mustang Moon

Mount Vernon’s Mikey Ryan grapples against Hudson Scranton of Anamosa at the state wrestling tournament. Ryan finished in fourth at the state tournament, wrestling back to another match against Scranton in the consolation bracket.