Wrestling in the Metro

CEDAR RAPIDS - The wrestling season has begun, but the verdict is still out on the level of competition in the Metro area.

It's hard for most coaches to determine exactly how strong area wrestling is and how it compares to recent years.

“It's hard to tell until you see how people do against each other,” Linn-Mar Coach Doug Streicher said. “There are three or four teams that could separate themselves. It's too early to tell which ones they are.”

The Lions and Cedar Rapids Prairie appear to be leading the way. Both own 6-2 records and captured team tournament titles against respected Class 2A competition the opening weekend. Prairie won the Independence Invitational by a half-point over Osage, crowning six champions with eight finalists. Linn-Mar won West Delaware's Hawk Invitational by 22 1/2 points over New Hampton, losing only one of seven championship bouts.

The Hawks, ranked ninth in the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Class 3A dual rankings released Sunday, and Lions were the top finishers at the Five Seasons Duals last weekend, placing fourth and fifth respectively, The unranked Lions beat No. 11 Urbandale.

Those two have been atop the Metro regularly in recent seasons, and were the top two Metro finishers at the Mississippi Valley Conference tournament last year. Cedar Rapids Kennedy, which returns five state qualifiers this season, and Cedar Rapids Jefferson, which reached the regional duals in 2009 after advancing eight to state, would come next in the pecking order, according to J-Hawks Coach Dick Briggs. A drop exists from the top tier of teams to the other half of the Metro.

“We're right smack in the middle,” said Briggs, whose J-Hawks are 3-1. “From our perspective, sitting in the middle, there's kind of a gap.”

Success can be cyclical. Currently, it's prevalent at Prairie, Linn-Mar and Kennedy, which claimed the Metro's most recent team trophy, placing third at the 2003 state meet, but it's not a given.

“That can change,” Prairie Coach Blake Williams said. “Year and year out it can be a different story.”

Each program has made contributions at the state level, especially at the traditional tournament. Each school has had a state finalist since Mike Shedek won his second state title for Cedar Rapids Xavier in 2001. Prairie has been represented in the state finals the last three seasons and four of the last five. Cedar Rapids Washington 2009 state champion Brandon Burrell, the Metro's last state champion, is one of three Warrior finalists since 2003. Jason McCormick of Jefferson reached the 171-pound finals in 2009, but the J-Hawks have the longest state title drought dating back to Tim Ironside in 1998. Kennedy and Linn-Mar have had multiple champions since 2004. Marion had finalists in 2003 and 2004 with 2A state champ Aaron Conway and runner-up Kody Blazek.

“When you get down to the state tournament it appears the Cedar Rapids teams have very good individuals,” Kennedy Coach Brent Paulson said. “Hopefully, this year, many of the Cedar Rapids get over the hump and get to the state finals, which I think we're very capable of doing.

“There's some good wrestling in the Metro area. There are some outstanding freshmen, that in a couple years, will make a huge impact across the state.”

Streicher said good teams need a contingent of elite athletes and some devoted wrestlers who have progressed through the years. He wasn't ready to say that the Metro has better individual talent than overall teams.

"Every year a good program's going to have a tough two, three or four kids that have really put the time in and are that state quality type kids," Streicher said.

The youth is starting to make an impact. Streicher had four freshman finalists at West Delaware, and Prairie had a host of freshman in the lineup last season that reached the state duals for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Both are examples of solid youth programs, which is common in the Metro.

“From what I understand, feeder programs are getting better around the Metro. Those are huge,” Williams said. “Ideally, you want kids as freshmen who can step in and compete.”

Prairie is the last team to reach the state duals finals, placing second in 2006. Linn-Mar was third in 2002. The most recent state team title in the Metro was the Hawks' state duals crown in 1998 and their traditional title in 1995. While teams like Iowa City West and Waverly-Shell Rock have stockpiled state titles in recent years, it is hard to tell when the next one will call the Metro home. Paulson said it's not due to a lack of local coaching, which owns numerous state titles and All-American honors as competitors.

“We have some great coaches in this city,” Paulson said. “There are some very good coaches that know what they're doing and devote a lot of time.”

Metro coaches will figure out how strong their respective programs are as the season progresses.