WATERLOO — The 13th-ranked Fort Dodge wrestling team will get back to action this week.

The Dodgers will head to Waterloo East on Thursday for a dual and then compete at the Mendenhall Invitational on Saturday with 15 other teams.

This will be Fort Dodge’s first action in 2026, coming off of the Don Miller Invitational where they finished third.

Knox Ayala (106), Trace Rial (113) and Dreshaun Ross (285) all won individual crowns.

“They have some talented athletes,” said Fort Dodge head coach Bobby Thompson. “This will be a good dual for us to get back into action and get our feet wet, before we head to Ames on Saturday.”

Ross (12-0), the Oklahoma State commit, has now won 114 straight matches and is 123-2 in his career.

He currently sits 15th on Fort Dodge’s all-time win list.

Senior Rylee Brown (9-4) currently sits at 99 career victories and classmate Jesse Egli (9-4) has 97 career wins.

“The break went well,” Thompson said. “They’re eager to get back to the mat. We’ve been going strong for a couple of weeks during the break, and it will be nice to have a two-pound allowance.

“It will be nice to get this dual with East to get the cobwebs out.”

Joining the Dodgers and host Little Cyclones on Saturday will be Ankeny, Ankeny Centennial, Bettendorf, Boone, Dowling, Indianola, Iowa City High, Maize South, Marmion Academy, Perry, Spencer, Valley and Waverly-Shell Rock.

“Indianola is really solid as well as both Ankeny and Centennial,” Thompson said. “Waverly-Shell Rock, Bettendorf and Valley are strong. There will be a ranked team from Kansas and Illinois.

“It’s nice to begin the week the way we are and then have a tough tournament on the weekend.”

PROBABLE DODGER LINEUP

106 — Knox Ayala, fr., (10-3); 113 — Damien Yeoman, so., (7-6); 120 — Trace Rial, jr., (9-4); 126 — Sammy Davidson, sr., (3-5) or Aaron Perez, fr., (3-2); 132 — Hunter Kasperbauer, sr., (2-9); 138 — Angel Sandoval, sr., (0-6); 144 — Mason Zuspann, so., (2-2); 157 — Rylee Brown, sr., (9-4); 165 — Caiden Fraher, sr., (7-6); 175 — Jayce Skow, jr., (0-0); 190 — Jesse Egli, sr., (9-4); 215 — Cael Adams, so., (3-10); 285 — Dreshaun Ross, sr., (12-0).