Coe's Farai Sewera succeeds in classroom to match wrestling feats

CEDAR RAPIDS — Farai Sewera's athletic resume is impressive.

He is a three-time national qualifier and the defending 165-pound national champion with 107 career wins.

The accomplishments on the mat are not enough to keep from getting called out by Coe Coach John Oostendorp in a team meeting last spring after missing a chance to pad his work resume. Despite another year of improved grades, Oostendorp challenged Sewera to push himself more after just missing obtaining academic All-America honors by one-tenth of a point last year.

'It could have easily changed,' said Sewera, who didn't attend some study table sessions encouraged by Oostendorp. 'I didn't know how close I was. I didn't think I needed to do all that stuff. It shows you have to do everything right.

'I missed it by such a small margin (and) that kind of sucked.'

Sewera continued his progress in the classroom, turning a 2.4 grade-point average as a freshman to two straight semesters with a 3.50 GPA. The Kohawks senior responded to his coach's motivation, earning academic All-American honors this year before getting a chance to defend his national crown at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, starting Friday at the U.S. Cellular Center. Action begins at 11 a.m.

After that first year. Sewera focused on putting the same effort toward his school work that he did as a wrestler. His GPA rose each year to where he currently owns a 3.2 overall. Each of Coe's last three national champs have been academic All-Americans — Sewera, Clayton Rush and Tyler Burkle.

'I challenged him in front of the team,' Oostendorp said. 'He was a national champion and I challenged him in another area.'

The psychology major and history minor is planning to attend graduate school to enter the school counseling field. Sewera said he was driven to meet Oostendorp's expectation to be good people and not just successful athletes.

'For me, I can't work hard on the mat and slack in the classroom,' said Sewera, a Zimbabwe native who was a state finalist for Lake Forest (Ill.) High School. 'There is a mismatch there. You have to work hard and get in that habit. You see the results and get in that habit.'

Many talk the talk, but Sewera walks the walk.

'He's a guy who is self-motivated and independent,' Oostendorp said. 'A lot of people will talk about what they are going to do. Farai does it with actions.'

Sewera is one of three Kohawks qualifiers, joining Jan Rosenberg (125) and 174-pounder Ryan Harrington. He is the top seed at 165 with a 25-2 record, including 15 straight wins. Sewera has the opportunity to join Rush as the program's only two-time NCAA champion, doing it in the shadow of his own practice room.

He wrestles a pigtail match against Teddy Erickson, of St. John's (Minn.) and the winner advances to face Wabash's Connor Brummett.

'I'm not really looking to defend it,' Sewera said. 'I'm just looking to go out and attack. I have to work for it again. Right now, it's not mine. It's for whoever wants to go get it most.'

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