Xavier’s Josh Gerke joins elite club

CEDAR RAPIDS - For the second time this season, a Cedar Rapids Xavier wrestler has achieved 100 career wins.

Junior Josh Gerke (145 pounds) collected his 100th win at the Clyde Bean Duals. Gerke normally wrestles at 145 pounds, but Oskaloosa did not have a wrestler at that weight. Gerke opted to go up to 152 pounds for the match. Seven more pounds did not give the Oskaloosa wrestler any advantage over Gerke in the match, however. Gerke pinned him in the first period, and the team's celebration began.

'It was a really cool experience looking up to see everyone holding a sheet of paper with the number ‘100' on it,” Gerke said.

Gerke joins an elite group of Xavier wrestlers who have won 100 matches, including David Drahozal, Nick Drahozal, James Colwell and teammates Jeff Vipond and Clint Lembeck. Gerke also is the second wrestler for Xavier to reach this milestone during his junior year.

'Since wrestling falls during the three big holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, to get 100 wins takes sacrifice during this time,” Coach Ryan Chambers said about his three 100 career winners (Gerke, Lembeck and Vipond). 'The guys that get 100 wins in a career are the ones who are eating, living and training right. This is what sets them apart from the average wrestler.”

Gerke is getting hot at the right time with a win at the Mississippi Valley Conference tournament at 145 pounds on Jan. 31. He will be looking to carry this momentum into districts, which take place Saturday at Waverly-Shell Rock.

Practices for the Xavier wrestlers was shortened this week and there was even more focus on the mentality they need in order to make a state run. Xavier has the potential to send a large group to state, but first it must get through districts. At the district meet, the top two placing wrestlers at each weight qualify for the state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena, Feb. 17-20.