Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Dodger senior Lane Cowell will be going for his third career championship at the Don Miller Fort Dodge Invitational on Saturday.

Wrestling at home holds its advantages under normal circumstances, but given the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty surrounding athletics, getting the chance to perform in your own gym just becomes all the more special.

Fourth-ranked Fort Dodge will compete in the Dodger gym for only the second time this season when they host the 46th annual Don Miller Invitational on Saturday.

Action begins at 10 a.m.

“There is nothing better than wrestling in your home gym,” Thompson said. “It’s a different year with all of the COVID precautions, but we’ve been working hard to abide by the new regulations and make sure we were able to have tournaments like this.”

Joining the five-time defending champion Dodgers will be Messenger-area schools Humboldt, Webster City, and Emmetsburg. Also in the field is 10th-ranked West Des Moines Dowling, Ankeny Centennial, Decorah, Lake Mills, Mason City, Sioux City East, Spirit Lake and West Fork.

“Because of the pandemic, we had a lot of teams shuffle in and out,” Thompson said. “We have some good competition coming in. I would love it if these schools came back so we could get it up to a 16-team field.”

Fort Dodge’s senior trio of Drake Ayala (132), Lane Cowell (120), and Dreyzon Phillips (145) are looking to defend their Miller Invite crowns. Ayala, the future University of Iowa wrestler, is bidding for his fourth Miller Invitational crown — a feat accomplished only by Thompson and Cole Clarken at FDSH.

Ayala, the nation’s top-ranked 126-pounder who currently sits sixth on the Dodgers’ all-time win list (143-2), is 8-0 this season.

Cowell, ranked third at 120, is 7-1 and vying for his third gold medal in this event. Phillips (9-1), ranked third at 145, will compete at 152, looking for his second straight Miller crown.

No. 4 senior Kody Cook (160) was second here a year ago, and third-rated sophomore Max Bishop (113) was third last season.

“It’s a sigh of relief that we’re able to hold this,” Thompson said. “We will compete in front of our home crowd one last time heading into the break.

“We will take some time off, and use this first part of the schedule to review and as a measuring stick.”

There will be 30 total ranked wrestlers in the field. Ayala is in a three-pack of top-rated individuals. Dowling’s Kyler Carstarphen is No. 1 at 106, and Webster City sophomore Camron Phetxoumphone will look for his second Miller crown at 113.

Also ranked for Webster City is Chase Rattenborg (No. 9) at 132 and sophomore CJ Hisler, who is seventh at 175.

Humboldt’s Jace Goodell is eighth at 126 pounds. Emmetsburg’s Matthew Wirtz is fourth at 195 and teammate Jordan Anderson is seventh at 220.

For Centennial, Freshman Lucas Bruhl — the son of 1988 Dodger state champion Brad Bruhl — is rated eighth at 113. Junior Jackson Helmkamp — the son of 1986 Dodger gold medalist in Brent Helmkamp — is third at 138.

Junior Carter Bennett — the son of 1989 medalist Joe Bennett — is also in the Jaguar lineup at 138.

For the consecutive straight year, the Miller Invitational will also offer a girls bracket. The number doubled from close to 30 competitors in 2018 to 60 last year. Thompson is expecting around 80 on Saturday.

Fort Dodge sophomore Alexis Ross claimed the 132-138 pound crown last December after two victories.

Humboldt will be back in the girls field after crowning three champions in 2019. Emily Zaugg (143-145), Mady Lange (130-132) and Kendal Clark (160-164) were victorious for the Wildcats.

PROBABLE DODGER LINEUP

106 — Dru Ayala, fr., (8-1); 113 — Max Bishop, so., (7-0); 120 — Lane Cowell, sr., (7-1); 126 — Carter Forbes, sr., (3-1); 132 — Drake Ayala, sr., (9-0); 138 — Damarion Ross, fr., (6-5); 145 — Cal Hartman, fr., (5-5); 152 — Dreyzon Phillips, sr., (9-1); 160 — Kody Cook, sr., (5-2); 170 — Tucker Pederson, so., (2-2); 182 — Ben Egli, jr., (6-2); 195 — Pry’Shayn Mosley, jr., (1-4); 220 — Alex Read, so., (8-3); 285 — Keaton Nichols, so., (2-6).

RANKED WRESTLERS

106 — 1. Kyler Carstarphen, jr., Dowling; 5. Dru Ayala, fr., Fort Dodge; 9. Carson Doolittle, fr., Webster City; 10. Kinser Hanson, so., Lake Mills; 113 — 1. Camron Phetxoumphone, jr., Webster City; 3. Max Bishop, so., Fort Dodge; 8. Lucas Bruhl, fr., Ankeny Centennial; 120 — 4. Lane Cowell, sr., Fort Dodge; 5. Ethan Mahoney, jr., Dowling; 126 — 1. Drake Ayala, sr., Fort Dodge; 8. Jace Goodell, so., Humboldt; 132 — 5. Jace Rhodes, jr., Mason City; 9. Jack Ramaker, sr., Lake Mills; 9. Chase Rattenborg, sr., Webster City; 138 — 3. Jackson Helmkamp, jr., Ankeny Centennial; 9. Dalton Thorson, sr., Lake Mills; 145 — 3. Dreyzon Phillips, sr., Fort Dodge; 152 — 4. Jackson Rolfs, sr., Decorah; 160 — 2. Casey Hanson, sr., Lake Mills; 4. Kody Cook, sr., Fort Dodge; 7. Max Derry, sr., Dowling; 8. Carter Cahill, jr., Ankeny Centennial; 170 — 9. Brady Hanson, sr., Lake Mills; 182 — 3. Elijah Wagner, sr., Lake Mills; 5. Ben Egli, jr., Fort Dodge; 195 — 4. Matthew Wirtz, jr., Emmetsburg; 7. CJ Hisler, so., Webster City; 8. Carson Hagan, so., Dowling; 220 — 7. Jordan Anderson, sr., Emmetsburg; 9. Ralston Rumley, sr., Dowling.