Hosting NCAA D-II wrestling in Cedar Rapids, Upper Iowa qualifiers have potential for deep runs

CEDAR RAPIDS — Upper Iowa Coach Heath Grimm remained busy Thursday, attending meetings, conducting final workouts and helping with mat setup.

As he hurried around to address the welcomed responsibilities of a tournament host, he ran into one of his wrestlers escorting his dad around the Alliant Energy PowerHouse.

“Pride and comfort,” Grimm said about the Peacocks hosting the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships for the third time since 2008. “Our athletics administration loves wrestling.

“I just ran into (Upper Iowa junior) Tate Murty and his dad. Tate is taking his dad around and said it’s so comfortable here. Everybody knows me, so he can just walk freely. There’s no anxiety.”

Grimm and the Peacocks hope to benefit from that “home sweet home” feel for the national tournament that begins Friday at 10 a.m. Upper Iowa qualified four for the two-day event.

“There is a level of comfort because it’s in Iowa,” said Grimm, who is in his 23rd season as Upper Iowa’s head coach. “It’s just up the road. It’s awesome.”

The Peacocks have talent with the potential to make a deep run in the tournament. Former Monticello prep Chase Luensman and Murty lead the way. Both are former All-Americans.

Luensman, who has a relentless and aggressive style, is the No. 3 seed at 165 pounds. He was a National Wrestling Coaches Association All-American when the championships were wiped out in 2020 and a qualifier in 2021. Grimm said Luensman has the potential to wrestle Saturday night.

“We laugh about him being ‘The Machine’ but that’s what he needs to be,” Grimm said. “He needs to eliminate the feelings and all that goes along with our sport mentally and just trust who he is physically.”

Luensman has three losses this season with two coming to Wisconsin-Parkside’s top-seeded Shane Glantz. A loaded bracket will force Luensman to be focused on a different challenge each session.

“He is an absolute beast,” Grimm said. “Even that kid that’s the No. 1 seed, I don’t think he wants a piece of him again.

“There are some really talented kids, even first round (against Nebraska-Kearney’s Kaden Hart). It’s one match, one extremely different opponent at a time.”

Luensman showed resolve during the super regional just to qualify. His maturity and mentality after a semifinal loss helped him regroup and win two matches to qualify with a third-place finish. He dominated his first consolation match and then beat the foe who kept him from qualifying last season.

“That was a big sigh of relief,” Grimm said. “I could see the mental growth. At this stage of the game, there’s not a lot of physical growth. It’s about mental growth. I think him having to persevere and having to come back the hard way two weekends ago was great for him for this weekend.”

As for Murty, he placed sixth in 2021 but went 1-2 last season, coming up a victory shy of the podium. In the round of 12, Murty was winning by a major decision when he gave up a defensive pin. The rare result left a sting that hasn’t soothed.

“It has driven him crazy since that day,” Grimm said. “You want to go to war with a guy like him.

“Tate is going to walk out of here on that podium.”

Murty is the No. 8 seed but Grimm likes his chances against any wrestler in the bracket.

“Tate is as good as any 141-pounder in the country,” Grimm said. “His dad was his coach, all he’s ever done his whole life is wrestle. Nothing is going to rattle his cage.”

They are joined by 157-pounder Eric Faught and Colter Bye at 184. Like Luensman, Faught was a national qualifier in 2021 and had to rebound from a tough regional semifinal loss to get the final qualifying berth for a return trip.

“Eric is a high-end guy,” Grimm said. “He always has been. He had a great redshirt year and a redshirt freshman year, coming a match away from becoming an (All-American). We see Eric right back in the mix. Eric is who he can be.”

Bye didn’t secure his position as a starter until winning a wrestle-off in sudden victory Monday before super regionals. He hasn’t looked back. Bye had the team’s best qualifying effort, earning runner-up honors. An unseeded Bye will cause any opponent fits.

“Colter is extremely strong,” Grimm said. “He wrestles a lot of tight matches. … He’s a bad draw for anybody.”

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com