Four the love of wrestling

Max Thomsen got hooked on wrestling in Kindergarten.

In his own words, he became 'addicted' when his dad started to take him to weekly tournaments at a young age. He quickly became consumed with the sport.

'I just loved it,' Union Community's senior 145-pounder said. 'I loved competing and everything about it. It kept building on and on. It all worked out.'

Thomsen's success can reach new heights as he takes aim at the state's career wins record and attempts to become Iowa's 24th four-time state champion at the Iowa High School Athletic Association state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The three-day event begins Thursday with Class 3A competition at 9 a.m.

Thomsen (52-0) faces Gilbert's ninth-ranked Wyatt Rhoads (40-9) in the opening round, starting at 1:30 p.m. He is four wins from recreating the standing ovation he witnessed for Don Bosco's Bart Reiter in 2009. The applause made a considerable impact on Thomsen by the time he left the arena, even though he didn't realize the achievement immediately.

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'I was like I really want that to be me someday,' said Thomsen, vying to become the first to win a fourth title since Denver-Tripoli's Brandon Sorensen and Creston-OM's Jake Marlin both did it in 2013. 'The ovation and the intensity of it. It was pretty awesome.'

Now, he is on the verge of providing that same memory to another young wrestler. Even though the next four timer could be looking on, it will be unlikely that person matches what Thomsen has been able to accomplish. He has already set the state's career pin record, entering the State Duals tournament with 151, which surpassed Marlin's 148. Thomsen owned a 203-1 career mark before the dual event, which is just five wins shy of the record shared by Sorensen, UNderwood's Andrew Foutch and Albia's Shadow Leshen.

Union Coach Pat Hogan inherited a polished product, noting Thomsen was ahead of the game when he entered high school. The biggest development came in preparation and doing things the right way.

'He was pretty solid coming in,' Hogan said. 'The maturity thing was big for him.'

Thomsen has won 192 consecutive matches, which is a state best. His lone setback came in his first month of competition for the Knights, losing a close match to Iowa City West's two-time state champion Phil Laux at the Battle of Waterloo in December 2011. Thomsen said wins and losses don't concern him as much as simply performing his best, but the loss motivated him.

'Any time you lose it is going to be in the back of your head,' Thomsen said. 'It's going to burn you a little bit.'

Hogan witnessed the influence of the loss. He wasn't satisfied with just being competitive.

'I think it affected him,' Hogan said. 'He wanted to win that match. No doubt about it. He wasn't happy when he didn't.'

Thomsen's quest has garnered a lot of attention, including from opponents. Being a state champion draws the best effort out of most and that is increased when you have a chance at joining an elite club. Thomsen expects tough battles each round.

'It puts a big target on your back,' said Thomsen, who has signed to wrestle at University of Northern Iowa. 'Everyone wants to chop you down and everyone is gunning for you.'

He has handled the demands and the pressure that accompanies the feat. He said he is not exempt from nerves, but how they are handled separates the best from the rest.

'He goes about things pretty levelheaded,' Hogan said. 'He approaches everything with the same prepared manner as any other match. He'll be ready to go.'

Thomsen said each of his previous 12 state bouts have shaped him. The possibility of a fourth title Saturday night has been growing form his first boost of confidence as a freshman. He hasn't looked ahead, keeping his focus on his first match.

'It'd be a great honor,' Thomsen said. 'I'm not going to get ahead of myself. I'm going to take it small step by small step.'

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