TOTAL DOMINATION: Wrestling Team Predicted to Have a Winning Season
Kaelee Keesee
Managing Editor
Total domination. Those are the words everyone is using to describe the Southeast Polk wrestling season.
There are nine returning state medalists on the current varsity line-up, including sophomore Zach Barnes, seniors Mason Kerr and Deion Mikesell, bronze medalists seniors Nolan Hellickson and Keegan Shaw, runners-up seniors Briar Dittmer, Aaron Meyer and Jake “Turbo” Marnin, and state champion at 220-pounds, junior Ethan Andersen.
Completing the line-up are state qualifier senior Brady Buchheit, returning varsity member junior Kameron Padavich who finished his season with a bronze medal at districts and two newbies with impressive records of their own, freshmen Gauge Perrien and Nathan Lendt.
“The battle at 106 lbs. between Gauge Perrien and Adam Brown is also probably the battle for the #1 ranking in the state,” said coach Jessman Smith. “Continuing improvements by Batterson and Jorgensen, Brady Buchheit, and Kameron Padavich will be exciting to me.”
The team is currently ranked 1st in the state by The Predicament and 6th in the nation by Intermat. This year’s graduating class holds at least three future Division I wrestlers with Iowa redshirts Shaw and Meyer and Harvard commit Hellickson. Andersen has also verbally committed to wrestle for Mizzou after graduating next spring.
“They’re going to be fantastic,” said sophomore Sawyer Shaw about the performance of his teammates this year. “I can’t choose one that will be the most successful. I think all of them are going to be very successful.”
Both head Coach Jason Christenson and Smith stated that all 14 varsity members are the “ones to watch.”
“Ironically enough, the salty veterans Hellickson, Shaw, Meyer, Dittmer, Kerr, Mikesell, Andersen and Marnin- just to name a few- will frequently be boring because of their sheer level of dominance,” said Smith. “They probably won’t be fun to watch until we get to big, marquee match-ups in the championships of our biggest tournaments where they will be challenged the most.”
It is no argument that the team and individual titles won’t just be handed to them. There are a number of schools ready and willing to take the titles for themselves with one standing out above the rest.
“As it has been the case in Iowa for the previous three years, it’s a two-horse race within Iowa,” said Smith. “Bettendorf returns 5 state champions- which has never been done in Iowa- along with a finalist and another place winner. They are always well- coached, well-conditioned and perform their best in the state tournament.”
In other parts of the country, the Rams will see competition in other nationally ranked teams such as Broken Arrow, Illinois, Montini Catholic, Illinois, St. Eds, Ohio and Tulsa Union, Oklahoma.Optimism is still high in the members of the team.
“I think [the season] will go well. SEP is going to dominate and win another title and, hopefully, I’ll win an individual title, too,” said Hellickson. Andersen also believes his season will be a dominant one. After winning a state title last season, he has plans to repeat his undefeated record leaving nothing but devastation in his wake.
Southeast Polk has a very long and prominent wrestling history that most credit to the coaching staff. However, the coaches stated it’s so much more.
“The work the kids are willing to put in is borderline crazy, but they don’t even blink or bat an eyelash and that’s been the biggest difference since pre-2005,” said Christenson.
Smith easily agreed. “Every student athlete in our room has the ability to contribute to our program-no matter how small- and it adds up to this cummulative effect that keeps us at the top every year,” he said. “Our team is a chain interconnected and only as strong as our weakest link. That is how we constantly take junior varsity wrestlers- affectionately coined ‘Jeff’s varsity’ for assistant coach Jeff Evans- and put them on the state medal podium the next year.”
Sophomore Zach Barnes has seen the difference first-hand, transferring from Waukee at the beginning of the year.
“We train at the highest intensity in the state and have the deepest team in the state and we all have the highest goals; therefore, the most drive,” he said.
On and off the mat, these coaches keep their athletes to the highest of standards.
“Wrestlers are ornery by nature. It is what draws us to this sport- the physical contact and legalized violence,” Smith said. “They are naturally a little challenging to manage on and off the mat, as they’re not as well behaved as crosscountry runners or swimmers. At the same time, we typically have the most athletes on the Academic All-State Teams. On the mat, we expect them to let their aggressiveness shine.” The hard work and long practice seems to be worth it for the boys of the wrestling team and one moment makes up for everything.
“[The most exciting part is] getting my hand raised in front of thousands of people after beating a tough opponent,” said Meyer.
With the goal of sending all 14 athletes on the varsity to the state tournament in February, the season will be one to watch.
“Agressive. Relentless. Entertaining. Is that too much to expect?” stated Smith.
Managing Editor
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| Senior Aaron Meyer takes down his opponent. Photo courtesy of Aaron Meyer. |
Total domination. Those are the words everyone is using to describe the Southeast Polk wrestling season.
There are nine returning state medalists on the current varsity line-up, including sophomore Zach Barnes, seniors Mason Kerr and Deion Mikesell, bronze medalists seniors Nolan Hellickson and Keegan Shaw, runners-up seniors Briar Dittmer, Aaron Meyer and Jake “Turbo” Marnin, and state champion at 220-pounds, junior Ethan Andersen.
Completing the line-up are state qualifier senior Brady Buchheit, returning varsity member junior Kameron Padavich who finished his season with a bronze medal at districts and two newbies with impressive records of their own, freshmen Gauge Perrien and Nathan Lendt.
“The battle at 106 lbs. between Gauge Perrien and Adam Brown is also probably the battle for the #1 ranking in the state,” said coach Jessman Smith. “Continuing improvements by Batterson and Jorgensen, Brady Buchheit, and Kameron Padavich will be exciting to me.”
The team is currently ranked 1st in the state by The Predicament and 6th in the nation by Intermat. This year’s graduating class holds at least three future Division I wrestlers with Iowa redshirts Shaw and Meyer and Harvard commit Hellickson. Andersen has also verbally committed to wrestle for Mizzou after graduating next spring.
“They’re going to be fantastic,” said sophomore Sawyer Shaw about the performance of his teammates this year. “I can’t choose one that will be the most successful. I think all of them are going to be very successful.”
Both head Coach Jason Christenson and Smith stated that all 14 varsity members are the “ones to watch.”
“Ironically enough, the salty veterans Hellickson, Shaw, Meyer, Dittmer, Kerr, Mikesell, Andersen and Marnin- just to name a few- will frequently be boring because of their sheer level of dominance,” said Smith. “They probably won’t be fun to watch until we get to big, marquee match-ups in the championships of our biggest tournaments where they will be challenged the most.”
It is no argument that the team and individual titles won’t just be handed to them. There are a number of schools ready and willing to take the titles for themselves with one standing out above the rest.
“As it has been the case in Iowa for the previous three years, it’s a two-horse race within Iowa,” said Smith. “Bettendorf returns 5 state champions- which has never been done in Iowa- along with a finalist and another place winner. They are always well- coached, well-conditioned and perform their best in the state tournament.”
In other parts of the country, the Rams will see competition in other nationally ranked teams such as Broken Arrow, Illinois, Montini Catholic, Illinois, St. Eds, Ohio and Tulsa Union, Oklahoma.Optimism is still high in the members of the team.
“I think [the season] will go well. SEP is going to dominate and win another title and, hopefully, I’ll win an individual title, too,” said Hellickson. Andersen also believes his season will be a dominant one. After winning a state title last season, he has plans to repeat his undefeated record leaving nothing but devastation in his wake.
Southeast Polk has a very long and prominent wrestling history that most credit to the coaching staff. However, the coaches stated it’s so much more.
“The work the kids are willing to put in is borderline crazy, but they don’t even blink or bat an eyelash and that’s been the biggest difference since pre-2005,” said Christenson.
Smith easily agreed. “Every student athlete in our room has the ability to contribute to our program-no matter how small- and it adds up to this cummulative effect that keeps us at the top every year,” he said. “Our team is a chain interconnected and only as strong as our weakest link. That is how we constantly take junior varsity wrestlers- affectionately coined ‘Jeff’s varsity’ for assistant coach Jeff Evans- and put them on the state medal podium the next year.”
Sophomore Zach Barnes has seen the difference first-hand, transferring from Waukee at the beginning of the year.
“We train at the highest intensity in the state and have the deepest team in the state and we all have the highest goals; therefore, the most drive,” he said.
On and off the mat, these coaches keep their athletes to the highest of standards.
“Wrestlers are ornery by nature. It is what draws us to this sport- the physical contact and legalized violence,” Smith said. “They are naturally a little challenging to manage on and off the mat, as they’re not as well behaved as crosscountry runners or swimmers. At the same time, we typically have the most athletes on the Academic All-State Teams. On the mat, we expect them to let their aggressiveness shine.” The hard work and long practice seems to be worth it for the boys of the wrestling team and one moment makes up for everything.
“[The most exciting part is] getting my hand raised in front of thousands of people after beating a tough opponent,” said Meyer.
With the goal of sending all 14 athletes on the varsity to the state tournament in February, the season will be one to watch.
“Agressive. Relentless. Entertaining. Is that too much to expect?” stated Smith.
.JPG)
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