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DAN MCCOOL
dmccool@dmreg.com

The bar for wrestling success is always set high in the state of Iowa.

That was evident last season as the state led the country in the number of national collegiate team championships, winning three of six crowns.

NCAA Division I champion Iowa, Division III title holder Wartburg and national junior college champion winner Iowa Central of Fort Dodge are the envy of this season’s foes.

This season gets into full swing this week at all levels - from high schools holding their first practices to the Hawkeyes and Iowa State competing in dual meets Friday.

Iowa coach Tom Brands enjoyed the title, but a new challenge is at hand for his wrestlers.

“They have an opportunity to thrust themselves into not just the wrestling community’s attention, but into the state of Iowa because they did a great thing, but it’s over,” Brands said.

There are many other scenarios within the borders to monitor. The following is a look at ten of them including a high school athlete trying to become the second half of a first-time, four-time state championship brother combination to a college that is introducing the sport for the first time.

1. Are there people in the wrestling world who don’t like seeing Iowa back on top of the sport?

The Hawkeyes’ Brent Metcalf won the 149-pound national championship last winter, then won every award short of an Academy Award.

“I think there’s probably a lot of people,” Metcalf answered, a chuckle penetrating his words. “I can think of one (team) not too far from here that probably wouldn’t mind having us not be on top, but that just goes with the nature of the sport.”

When the Hawkeyes were winning as many as nine championships in a row, folks wanted to see the Hawkeyes fall. There was not a team with enough horsepower on that weekend in March to make it happen. These years, there is more recruiting parity.

Iowa coach Tom Brands said there’s no reason to give up the top spot now.

“The attention is here again, wrestling season is right around the corner and the communication, the e-mails and the good lucks and the letters and everything is at a heightened pace, so there’s more and we’ve got to capture it,” he said. “How you do that? You perform. How do you perform? You go out and look to dominate, widen the gap, and keep continuing a good thing.”

Until someone figures a way to out-perform the Hawkeyes at the right time, they will be expected to cart another trophy out of St. Louis this winter.

2. How will Upper Iowa - the only NCAA Division II program in the state - fare?

The folks in Fayette waited a season, and now they’re excited to get local recruit Kyle Pedretti of MFL/Mar-Mac of Monona in the lineup.

Pedretti finished second at 125 pounds in the Pointer Open at Wisconsin-Stevens Point last Saturday.

Coach Heath Grimm has two returning all-Americans - Travis Eggers and Tyler Mumbulo - from last season’s squad that finished 14nationally.

Upper Iowa won the last two Northern Sun Conference dual-meet titles, but the road gets tougher this season with the addition of Minnesota State-Mankato. The Mavericks won the Division II National Duals and were No. 2 in the nationals.

3. Is Wartburg going to win the NCAA Division III championship again?

If Jim Miller is Wartburg’s coach, the Knights have to be one of the favorites. He has an amazing knack for taking ordinary kids, teaching them how to work and watching them prevail in March.

Wartburg is the defending champion and starts the season ranked No. 1. This could be the first time since 2003 and 2004 that the Knights win consecutive crowns.

Wartburg has three national champions - Jacob Naig, Aaron Wernimont and Romeo Djoumessi. Wernimont and Djoumessi are No. 1 in the preseason. Naig has a semester of eligibility remaining and will join the team after Christmas.

“The good part for us is we’ve got three national champions that are back. I know I’ve never had that,” Miller said. “The negative is, just like most years, you’ve got maybe three weights that you’ve got to fill with no idea who that kid is going to be or how well they’re going to respond to the challenge of being the guy.

“As we go along, we’ve been able to really improve as the year’s gone on, we’ve been pretty good at that. Hopefully we can do that again.”

4. Will two brothers from Gilbertville make high school history?

Don Bosco of Gilbertville’s Bart Reiter will try to win his fourth state title. Mack Reiter did it for the Dons in 2003.

The Reiters could become the first pair of brothers to be four-timers. It would be a heck of a celebration in the Don Bosco section because this tournament marks 30 years ago that the Dons became the only team to qualify its entire lineup.

Another question: Will any of this season’s three team champions break scoring records. Waverly-Shell Rock, Ballard of Huxley and Don Bosco accomplished that feat last winter. Waverly-Shell Rock became the first team to crack the 200-point mark.

Ballard is ranked No. 9 in Amateur Wrestling News preseason Prep 40 poll, Iowa City West is No. 11, Don Bosco is No. 17 and Waverly-Shell Rock is No. 34.

According to W.I.N. Magazine’s preseason team rankings, Ballard is No. 8.

5. Is Northern Iowa going to have a good season?

The Panthers wrestle one of the more challenging schedules each season, but injuries have been a back-breaker in recent years.

Coach Brad Penrith has a returning all-American in Moza Fay and a potential all-American in Andrew Anderson.

Perhaps there will be Terrence Young in the lineup at 125, who was a national junior college champion at Iowa Central last season. He’ll be the most talented guy the Panthers have had at the lightest weight since Kyle Anson, the Iowa City High product who had to give up the sport because of injuries a few years ago.

The Panthers might have a good showing if they can stay healthy.

6. Who are some of the other nationally ranked high school wrestlers in the state and Iowa college recruits?

Ballard of Huxley’s Trent Weatherman helped his team win a state championship last season, and he enters this season ranked No. 10 nationally by InterMat. He is an Iowa State recruit.

Derek St. John of Iowa City West is the lone Iowan who is No. 1 in the Amateur Wrestling News rankings. The Iowa recruit, who is listed at 160 pounds, is ranked No. 6 by InterMat.

Another Iowa recruit, Tony Ramos of Glenbard North High School in Illinois, is No. 1 at 130.

7. Can Iowa State beat Iowa in a dual and/or replace Iowa on top in March?

The Cyclones are going to have to beat Iowa at its own game, being tougher in every fight, as well as being able to shut down what will be a noisy Iowa crowd on Dec. 6.

In the NCAA tournament, Iowa State needs as many wrestlers as possible to stay on the front side of the bracket as long as possible and a healthy dose of bonus points. W.I.N. Magazine’s preseason tournament power ratings had Iowa winning the tournament by one point over Iowa State.

Think how noisy it will get in St. Louis if the team race is that tight going into the finals on March 21.

8. Why will there be a little extra wrestling buzz in Des Moines?

Fans in the city won’t have to leave town to watch a college meet.

Grand View has its home opener Dec. 3, which will be the first time a college meet is contested in the city since the 1992-93 season, right before Drake dropped its program.

This is Grand View’s first season. The Vikings hired Johnston’s Nick Mitchell as head coach and some team members are familiar if you spent any time at recent state high school tournaments.

The lineup includes Matt Burns of Urbandale, who won a national title two seasons ago at Iowa Central.

9. What’s the view from the NAIA schools Morningside, Briar Cliff and Northwestern in northwest Iowa?

Morningside is ranked No. 12 in the preseason rankings. William Penn is No. 13 and Northwestern is tied for No. 14.

Unranked Briar Cliff returns an all-American in Julian Gunnels. Morningside has three all-Americans returning and Northwestern has two.

Something else that’s neat about Morningside, Briar Cliff and Northwestern all three head coaches are Iowa guys.

Morningside’s Tim Jager wrestled for Dave Schaefer at George-Little Rock, Briar Cliff’s Damon Clayborne wrestled at Sioux City North for Mark Caputo - who is now one of Clayborne’s assistants. Northwestern’s Rik Dahl wrestled for Jim Kinyon at Roland-Story.

10. Can Iowa Central win its fourth crown in a row?

Luke Moffitt has become one of the best young coaches in the sport. He has a network of connections and an eye for talent. He and his staff have groomed high school wrestlers for the next level.

He also won a junior college national championship for the Tritons, so there is a strong bond.

This season’s roster includes returning all-Americans in runner-up Brad Lower and fourth-place finishers Carrington Banks and Joe Johnson.

Iowa Central will get a serious challenge from North Iowa Area Community College, which finished fourth in its first season after a long period of inactivity.

New head coach Mark Schwab features returning national champions Albert White and Glenn Rhees.

North Iowa hosts Iowa Central in a dual meet at Mason City High School on Jan. 20.

Tags: iowa high school wrestling, iowa wrestling

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