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Coe prepares for second half of the college wrestling season after strong start
12th-ranked Kohawks are 2-0; NWCA Multi-Divisional Duals needs volunteers; Cornell returns to action Saturday at Central Invitational
Jan. 2, 2025 5:55 pm, Updated: Jan. 3, 2025 7:42 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS – Coe Coach John Oostendorp said he feels good about the first half of the season, including the work done during the holiday break.
The Kohawks schedule will amp up soon.
Coe posted a 2-0 dual record and is ranked 12 th in the National Wrestling Coaches Association NCAA Division III dual poll. Four Kohawks grace the individual rankings, coming out of the break.
“I thought we wrestled pretty well, overall,” said Oostendorp, who is in his 24th season as Coe head coach. “We really got some good competition, going into our holiday training break.”
The Kohawks defeated No. 17 Central and Buena Vista in dual competition. They closed the first half with a fourth-place finish at the North Central Open in Naperville, Ill. Coe placed behind No. 1 Augsburg, No. 10 North Central and No. 6 Castleton and ahead of No. 8 Baldwin-Wallace, No. 13 Wisconsin-Whitewater and No. 23 Wabash.
L.J. Richardson has powered the Kohawks, winning the 174-pound title with consecutive wins over top-eight ranked foes. Richardson, a 2023 All-American, has climbed to fifth in the rankings and is joined by former Linn-Mar prep and 12th-ranked Bryce Parke (133), No. 11 Jared Voss (184) and #13 Matt Arsenault at 197. Voss finished second at North Central, while Parke was fourth.
Add in talented starters like Brayden Parke (125) and 149-pounder Dresden Grimm, Ty Koedam (157) and heavyweight Damari Dancy and Coe has a solid lineup.
“We have some experience but we have some first and second-year guys in there, too,” Oostendorp said. “We have a good mix, right now.”
Oostendorp said the team has pushed each other and leadership has been a collaborative effort. The group effort has spawned benefits.
“It comes from a lot of different guys,” Oostendorp said. “That is one thing that has really allowed us to have some strong performances.
“You have guys who have been through one, two or three college season. It helps you prepare for what you have to push through. There are going to be some tough times. You can’t give into the negatives and keep working to get yourself back on track.”
Coe has eliminated the annual holiday wrestling trip and stayed home to focus on training over the holidays. The key is to train with a purpose and prevent from the days blending into each other.
Oostendorp said if you get most out of your training over the break you will be considerably better the next time in competition.
The Kohawks will jump right into the fire with the NWCA Multi-Divisional Duals Jan. 10-11 at UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The following month will including duals against American Rivers Conference foe Loras and Wartburg and Bremner Cup foe Cornell.
“We’re just preparing for the National Duals, which is one of the highlights of the season,” Oostendorp said. “We had a good showing up there last year and placed fifth. We have a lot of the same team coming back.
“It’s going to be great competition, going forward all through January, February and on into March.”
NWCA MULTI-DIVISIONAL DUALS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The NWCA Multi-Divisional Duals return to Cedar Falls for the second straight season after a lengthy hiatus. This year, the event will bring back a D-I bracket that will include University of Northern Iowa.
The tournament is still looking for at least 30 more volunteers for the two-day event. Tournament organizers are looking for table workers to run timers, riding time and video cameras. Wrestling knowledge is preferred.
Action begins at 10 a.m. on Jan. 10 and 9 a.m. Jan. 11. Anyone interested can contact volunteer supervisor Dick Simmons via email at dickrsimmons65@gmail.com.
“It’s going to be a great event,” Simmons said. “We’re looking for volunteers to pull off this awesome competition.”
CORNELL RETURNS TO ACTION AT CENTRAL
Few teams entered the holidays as hot as Cornell. The Rams won five straight duals, improving to 9-4 this season. They will look to pick up where they left off before the new year at the Central Invitational in Pella.
The Rams are led by No. 6 Cael McLaren at 184 and 197-pounder Treyton Steffen, who is ranked 14th.
Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com
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