Jesup boys wrestling program continues success with State Duals return

Jesup has experienced an impressive four-year run.

The J-Hawks have made a steady ascent up the boys wrestling ranks, transforming from a newbie on the duals scene to a finals contender thanks to a deep and talented senior class.

Just two seasons after making its debut, Jesup is the No. 2 seed at the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 1A State Duals tournament Saturday at Xtream Arena.

“When we got our toes wet a few years ago, making it down to State Duals in Coralville for the first time, was exciting,” Jesup Coach Levi Vogel said. “It set the standard that this is where we belong. This is where we need to be each and every year.

“I think it’s a good thing when we set that high expectation and set goals on being down in Coralville at the State Duals and competing for a championship.”

The development is apparent in the J-Hawks’ results. They placed fifth in 2024 and took a step further last season, winning the quarterfinal dual and finishing fourth. Jesup is projected to reach its first final against perennial power and top-ranked Don Bosco.

"It’s been really fun,” Jesup senior Cooper Hinz said in a text message with The Gazette, “getting better as a team with the same guys for four years has been a very fun experience."

Hinz saw the potential from his first year in the program. He watched it materialize into wins and gradually changing aspirations into expectations.

My sophomore year was the first time Jesup ever qualified for states duals in school history and we knew it was just the start,” said Hinz, a three-time state medalist who has signed to wrestle at Michigan. “We had a lot of young guys who are now all seniors."

Eleven seniors make up the roster. They have ushered in a new era of J-Hawk wrestling. Hinz said the key is staying dedicated and trusting coaches. The entire group bought in four years ago and continued to improve each year.

“This senior class has been unbelievably special,” Vogel said. “Just the amount of dedication these seniors have put in over the last four years and the last eight to 10 years of their wrestling career. They come to work daily. They listen. They do the right things and it’s paid off.

“Look how successful we have been the last four years at the high school level. It just shows that if you put the time in, the hard work and pay attention to the little details it will pay off.”

The impact extends beyond victories, state finishes and individual medals. Success has yielded more fans, more fans and more wrestlers in the feeder system.

Vogel said the youth program has boomed from 70 to 80 kids in Kindergarten through eighth grades to about 110. Future J-Hawks flock to duals and line up to slap hands with varsity wrestlers when they enter the gym for home meets.

Hinz has seen the community support increase during his career. The J-Hawks have garnered more fans. He expects a huge following at Xtream Arena on Saturday.

“The support from the community has been awesome,” Hinz said. “When I was a freshman nobody knew who Jesup was in the sport of wrestling but now we’ve made a name for ourselves and we have a filled gym at a normal conference dual. We’ll have a huge crowd there Saturday and they’ll be ready to support."

Vogel said the team possesses resilience. The J-Hawks battle each other in the room and have overcome various obstacles, rebounding from losses, biding their time as a reserve to make the most of one season as a starter and devastating injuries.

“They don’t quit,” Vogel said. “When something happens, they get right back to work and they just get better. We’ve just developed a mindset in the room that you just have to strap up the shoes, get to work and put on a show. Hopefully, our best is better than our opponent’s best that day.”

Jesup enters with a 26-1 record and opens with No. 7 Nashua-Plainfield. The J-Hawks will face each challenge as it comes but they aren’t content with just returning to the field or wrestling to their seed. They want to do the unexpected.

"It would be awesome to go out with 10 seniors in the lineup and have the best finish Jesup has ever had but we know we can do it,” Hinz said. “We’re not just coming to participate. People think it’s a race for second but we know we have what it takes to win. We’re ready to shock the state Saturday night."

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