Plenty of support in the corner for Linn-Mar’s Kate Seery at state-qualifying meet in Iowa City

IOWA CITY — Kate Seery wrestles with the benefit of her “support person” in her corner.

As the Linn-Mar senior chases a girls’ wrestling state championship later this week, she is bolstered by having her father and biggest fan, Kelly Seery, as her head coach.

“I love it,” Kate Seery said after she recorded a pair of pins to win the 115-pound championship at a Class 2A state-qualifying meet Friday night at Iowa City High School. “Being able to have him at all of my matches is really great.”

The dominant day lifted Seery (40-4) to the state tournament — which begins Thursday at Xtream Arena in Coralville — in back-to-back seasons. As a junior last year, Seery placed third at state at 110 pounds.

“I learned anyone can get beat,” said Seery, a three-time Mississippi Valley Conference champion. “I really just had this mindset this year of, ‘I don’t want to lose again. I don’t want to feel what I did then.’ I always just take the next steps.”

Seery was not just inspired by her father to take up wrestling. Her older brother, Reece Seery, also wrestled at Linn-Mar and helped the Lions reach the 2022 State Duals, their first appearance in 20 years.

“We were always wrestling when we were younger and I was always around it,” Kate said. “I went to every tournament, every meet and so I thought, ‘Well, why don’t I give it a try?’ I ended up loving it.”

After starting out with sports like basketball, Kate eventually found a permanent home on the wrestling mat.

“It’s been great,” Kelly Seery said. “It’s just been a joy to be in her corner and watch her wrestle. She has improved throughout the years and has gotten better. It’s been a fun ride.”

Kate Seery heads a dominant trio at the top of the lineup for Linn-Mar. At 120 pounds, junior Chloe Adamson posted three falls en route to a regional crown, while senior Brielle Parke needed just two pins to win the title at 130.

“I feel like I wrestled hard and did what I needed to,” Parke said.

Like Seery, Adamson and Parke will also be making a return trip to the state meet after getting a taste of the heightened environment last season.

“They’ve been great,” Kelly Seery said. “To have those three set the tone for everybody else. People can watch how they prepare, how they wrestle. It helps the team out when you have got those three girls leading the way.”

The top-two finishers in each weight class advance to the state meet. The Lions had four wrestlers earn state berths with a second-place finish, including junior Brooke Walrath (100 pounds) and a trio of sophomores in Caroline Pohlman (125), Aurora Lloyd (170) and Divine Akili (190).

“We had pretty good intensity today,” Kelly Seery said.

Southeast Polk finished atop the team standings with 250 points, while Linn-Mar was second (213.5). Western Dubuque — led by three champions in Elli Casey (100 pounds), Ava Pfab (170) and Gracelyn McCarthy (235), plus runner-up Khloee Schmidt (140) — was third with 148.5 points.

Iowa City High qualified two wrestlers in runners-up Martha Willard (120 pounds) and Shaona Emmanuel (155) and placed fourth as a team (122.5 points).

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