Carton looks to thrive as a Hawkeye

Topher Carton's wrestling career was influenced by his exposure to University of Iowa wrestling. Now, he will continue his career as those he wanted to emulate.

The Davenport Assumption senior confirmed he verbally committed to wrestle for head coach Tom Brands and the Hawkeyes on Monday, following an official visit last weekend.

Carton molded his style around the Hawkeyes he watched take the mat when he was younger. He has taken the mat for every high school bout wearing Hawkeye socks.

"Their dominance showed me a different way to approach the sport of wrestling," Carton said. "You don't just want to win you want to dominate. The way they approach everything really helped me in my training. I modelled myself under that and that style."

Carton was part of a group of wrestlers who visited campus last weekend. Carton received some insight from former Assumption teammate Brody Grothus, a freshman on the Hawkeyes roster this year, and said he fell in love with the program as soon as he made contact with the team and coaches.

"I decided that was the place I wanted to be," Carton said. "That was the best place for me to excel for wrestling. Everybody can see from past experiences it's pretty hard not to do.

"The intensity in the practice room and that drive, the desire to win, from all  the wrestlers ... they're really set on winning and that's their goal to win everything."

Assumption Coach Pete Bush, 190-pound NCAA champion in 1982 for the Hawkeyes, said Carton has been a lifelong Hawkeye fan and has been consumed with the Hawkeye program as long as he has known him. Bush said one of the strengths of Carton is his constant need to learn and improve.

"He loves being on the mat," Bush said. "He doesn't need a break. He's a 12-month out of the year guy.

"He has a Division I, Iowa-style of dominating on the mat and for preparation."

Carton, who runs cross country for Assumption in the fall to maintain conditioning for wrestling, is always wired for the sport he loves, which makes him a good fit in Iowa City. Bush recalled Carton peppering him with wrestling questions the first time they met.

 Bush said Carton has a great work ethic that will mesh well with the Hawkeye mentality of training and competition.

"Wrestling is always on his mind," Bush said. "He reminded me of an Iowa wrestler the first time I talked to him."

Carton won the Class 2A 119-pound state title in February, finishing with a 45-0 record. He transferred to Assumption after winning two state titles for Alleman Catholic High School in Rock Island, Ill., posting a 76-0 mark his first two years. Carton is ranked 17th nationally at 126 pounds in Wrestling Institute Newsmagazine's preseason high school rankings.

He said he plans to wrestle 132 pounds this season and expects to compete at 133 or 141 in college.

Carton chose Iowa over Indiana University. When it came down to it, there was no choice for the unbeaten high school wrestler.

"Iowa is Iowa," Carton said. "You really can't beat Tom and Terry Brands as coaches."

Brands and his staff have assembled a strong recruiting class from this year's crop of prep seniors.

Carton is the second undefeated three-time state champion to commit to the Hawkeyes this fall. He joins Southeast Polk's Cory Clark, who has a 133-0 record. Clark, along with Iowa State commit John Meeks, of Des MOines Roosevelt, will attempt to be the sixth and seventh undefeated Iowa high school wrestlers and fiftha dn sixth unbeaten four-time Iowa state champions. Clark is ranked fourth at 126 by W.I.N.

According to media reports, Sam Brooks, a state champion from Oak Park (Ill.) River Forest High School, also committed to Iowa on Monday. He is ranked second at 195 pounds by W.I.N.