The KNIA-KRLS countdown of Norwalk’s Top 10 Sports Stories for the 2022-23 school year has reached the number one spot. The Warriors’ top story is the unbeaten championship wrestling season and all-around athletic prowess of senior Maddux Borcherding-Johnson.

The University of Iowa football recruit capped a 33-0 season on the mats with four wins inside Wells Fargo Arena to earn the Class 4A championship medal at 285 pounds. He scored one pin and won three hard-fought decisions at the State Wrestling Tournament, including a 3-1 victory over Waverly-Shell Rock’s Jake Walker in the heavyweight finals. In previous state meets, Borcherding-Johnson placed fourth as a freshman and third as both a sophomore and junior.

Borcherding-Johnson and Norwalk head wrestling coach Jacob Brown both credited assistant coach Alex Burkle for pushing the Warrior senior to a higher level in 2023. Brown called it an absolute thrill to watch Borcherding-Johnson end his career at the top of the medal stand.

“Maddux has put in so much time. It was so great to see it all really come together for him and his family,” Brown said. “I’m so happy for him but it’s almost a relief because he’s such a special, special athlete. For him to just finally get it done – we’ve been so close – it’s great.”

Overall, the Warriors qualified nine wrestlers for state and nearly had another champion in junior Tyler Harper. Norwalk’s 106-pounder earned an incredible 18-second semifinal pin against the top seed in Class 4A and lost by a narrow 10-7 decision in the finals. He finished 29-6 on the season.

As for Borcherding-Johnson, he was also a first team All-State defensive lineman in football and signed with Iowa in December. He finished his Norwalk career at the state track meet in May, placing second in the 4A shot put with a personal-best throw of 55 feet, 6.5 inches.

Borcherding-Johnson tells KNIA-KRLS Sports that his overall experience at Norwalk helped make him into a better student-athlete. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot of lessons and I’ve really pushed myself here,” he said, “and I think it’s going to help propel me in my future career.”

Borcherding-Johnson is listed as a 6-foot-2, 288-pound defensive lineman on the current Iowa Hawkeyes football roster.