Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Blake Gioimo made strides in the offseason to land prize catch in February

CEDAR RAPIDS — Blake Gioimo enjoys the outdoors.

A self-proclaimed pond-hopper has cast his line in the Cedar River, Lake Macbride and neighborhood fishing holes. He usually is flanked by close friends, who have shared the same interest since they were young. Gioimo will squeeze in some ice fishing on an open weekend during wrestling season.

There are the occasions where he soaks in nature’s serenity as a setting sun glistens off the water, a stark contrast to the intensity of Cedar Rapids Prairie wrestling.

“I love bass fishing,” Gioimo said. “I’ve probably spent a little too much money on that. You can never have enough fishing stuff.”

Gioimo hooked a 6.5-pound bass. He has his sights on something larger.

“My goal is 8 (pounds),” Gioimo said. “That’s when I know I’ve completed my goal.”

The Hawks’ senior is also trying to land another prize catch after two straight state title chances got away. Gioimo opens his senior campaign ranked third and will attempt to close his career with a state title at a weight packed with two returning Class 3A state champions.

“The way my body is, I feel I’m a 120-pounder, so I’m going to go 120,” Gioimo said. “I don’t really care who is there. It goes without saying that if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. There are two guys supposedly better than me so I have to beat them.”

Gioimo has been working to take that one final step since a tough 1-0 loss to Waukee Northwest’s Koufax Christensen in the 113-pound final in February. Much of that effort revolved around other disciplines.

“He was a maniac this off season,” Prairie Coach Derick Ball said. “Didn’t get the results he wanted but trained hard. He’s a true student of the sport.”

Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling in the spring and summer fueled his drive to become a better and more complete wrestler.

“Freestyle and Greco have been key to his evolution,” Ball said. “He went from ‘I don’t like freestyle and Greco’ to making both styles a key part of his training. Two years ago there would have been no Greco. It wasn’t comfortable for him. He now understands that getting out of your comfort zone is what leads to growth.”

Gioimo qualified for Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D., and had some success with Dylan Carew’s Big Game Wrestling Club. A wrestler who likes space on his feet and a hammer on top had to adapt to produce offense from tie-ups instead of backing out to reset.

“Coach Dylan always says offensive minded, defensive ready,” Gioimo said. “Someone goes upper body with me, sure, I might have to play a little defense into that but now that I know Greco, it can work right into my offense.”

The Iowa State signee tested the waters at the Super 32 Challenge — a national folkstyle tournament held in Greensboro, N.C. — in October. He went 2-2 but it was a good gauge against top competition.

“There’s always going to be someone better than me and I always have to train to be better than that person,” said Gioimo, a three-time state qualifier. “I lost out there to some pretty good kids. I lost a couple close ones. That’s what motivates you that much more. I lost a match, 1-0, on the front side. That motivates me more to be better.”

IAwrestle.com released its 3A rankings. Christensen is ranked No. 1. Bettendorf’s T.J. Koester won the 106-pound title last year and starts the season ranked second, one spot in front of Gioimo.

“This is his toughest climb,” Ball said. “It’s not often a two-time finalist comes in ranked third. I think he likes being the hunter.”

He doesn’t mind that hunter role. He likes the outdoors after all and won’t quit until he can reel in that elusive state gold. Those two finals losses are the fuel that continues to drive him with when training gets tough.

“I don’t think of it as a sour taste,” Gioimo said. “I embrace it. Yeah, it sucks but it just motivates me that much more. I never want that to happen again, so every time practice is getting a little hard or I’m feeling down on myself I remember that.

“I’ve got to get the edge on those guys. I have to keep going. I can’t stop.”