Henry Christensen gives Ballard a potential state wrestling champion at 215

Henry Christensen has always danced to the beat of his own drum.

The Ballard junior has a likeable and care-free personality that has made him a beloved teammate on a Bomber boys wrestling team that is ranked No. 4 in Class 2A by IAwrestle.com.

Christensen is following in the footsteps of his older brother Gabe, who won a state title at 195 in 2A last season. But according to his father and Ballard coach Casey Christensen, there is no pressure to follow up what his brother did.

“Henry has always been himself,” said Casey Christensen. “He was always his own personality and I think he carries that onto the mat.”

But that does not mean Henry is not competitive.

“I’ve always wanted to be better than my brother," said Henry Christensen. "It motivates me a lot."

More: Ames Tribune's preseason list of the top 15 area Iowa high school boys wrestlers for 2023-2024

Henry has actually been one step ahead of Gabe during his career.

Gabe did not make state as a freshman. He placed eighth at 160 as a sophomore and fifth at 182 as a junior before winning his state title last year.

Henry qualified for state as a freshman and placed eighth at 195 in 2A before taking second at 220 last season.

Henry is looking to win two state championships before his time is done at Ballard. His older brother is 100% behind him in his quest.

“I’m glad I was able to do what I did and I’m glad it can motivate him for the next couple years,” said Gabe Christensen. “I hope he can do that — win two titles. I hope that drives him every day in practice and competition.”

Henry entered Saturday's Jack Mendenhall Invitational at Ames ranked No. 3 at 215 in 2A. Henry took second to unbeaten Fort Dodge sensation Dreshaun Ross at 215 during the Mendenhall Invite, going 3-1 during the tournament to put his record at 26-2 on the season.

“I’m an upperclassman now,” Henry Christensen said. “It’s good to know I can go at it and be more confident. I’ve had a lot of great competition. I’ve been battling and winning most of them.”

Going up against Brody Sampson every day in practice has helped toughen up Henry for his big matches this season.

“I’ve been working with Brody a lot and he’s been pounding on me,” Christensen said. “I used to be lazy on bottom and that’s no longer my mentality.”

Sampson, like Henry, was a state runner-up last year. After placing second in 2A at 182 in 2023 he is now undefeated and ranked No. 1 in 2A at 190.

“Him and I clash heads quite a bit,” said Sampson. “He was a bit out of shape at the beginning of the season, but he’s getting there. “One of us doesn’t want to lose to the other. It’s hard work at the end of the day, so it’s definitely going to pay off.”

Henry said he has learned a lot from his practice bouts with Sampson. He also has benefitted from going up against several elite wrestlers over the years, including current Iowa Hawkeye Ben Kueter last year and Ross this season.

Ross pinned Henry on Saturday. But Henry was grateful for the experience.

“He’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime guys,” Henry Christensen said. “He kind of took it to me. You just kind of learn from it. You learn how to take a loss and you learn the little things.”

Helping Ballard reach state duals is another motivation for Henry this season. With four other ranked wrestlers in Sampson, Easton Enyeart (106), Tucker Vitzthum (144) and Rhett Hedrick (175), the Bombers can do a lot of damage in the postseason.

More: From unkown to freshman phenom. How wrestler Easton Enyeart exploded onto the scene at Ballard

“As a team we’re doing really well,” Henry Christensen said. “I’m going to do my best to contribute. We’ve got a good team and it’s really fun to be on it.”

His dad stressed three things that will help him finish the season strong for his team.

“Keep working, stay healthy and do the stuff he does to help him win,” Casey Christensen said. “He does those things he’ll be fine.”

If Henry does those things, the loss to Ross could very well be his last setback of the season.

“I’ve had two losses, but I think I can go and win the rest of these matches,” Henry Christensen said. “I want to get to the top of the podium as a state champ.”

Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ballard's Henry Christensen sets his sights on a state wrestling title