Union’s Thomsen tops Bettendorf champion with scramble

CEDAR FALLS - Max Thomsen trained for it like any other match.

Still, the possibility of facing another nationally ranked NCAA Division I recruit made it more appealing. When Union Community decided to open the tournament season with a different event, he eagerly awaited the chance to wrestle Bettendorf's two-time state champion Fredy Stroker.

'All I thought was this is what I want,” said Thomsen, a three-time state champion attempting the join the state's elite group of 23 four-timers this season. 'I wanted to put it on the line. I wanted to be challenged. I wanted to take on the best.”

Thomsen walked away with what he wanted last night at Cedar Falls' Keith Young Invitational. He emerged from a scramble late in the ultimate tiebreaker, scoring three nearfall points for a 4-1 overtime win over Stroker to win the 145-pound title. His win helped Union capture the team title by 5 1/2 points over Bettendorf.

Thomsen is ranked first in Class 2A, fifth nationally by Intermat and has signed to wrestle at Northern Iowa. Stroker is top-ranked in 3A, rated fifth in the nation and will wrestle at Minnesota. They train together at camps.

Thomsen never altered his preparation.

'It's the same as I always train,” Thomsen said. 'I train to be the best. I train to beat everybody, that's including him, every single day.”

The pair wrestled more than eight minutes and ignited the gymnasium with a late scramble that resulted in the final score. Stroker entered the final 30-second period, needing just an escape to win. As Thomsen was defending a stand-up, Stroker hit a forward roll, catching a leg and setting his hips on top of Thomsen.

Thomsen didn't panic, snagging Stroker's wrist for a 2-on-1 tilt and back points. He looked in trouble, but Thomsen said he was in more control than it appeared as the crowd roared at the turn of events.

'I was in the zone,” Thomsen said. 'The only people in that whole entire gym were me and Fredy. We were just scrapping at it to decide who was the best in Iowa.”

Union Coach Pat Hogan has rarely seen Thomsen in precarious positions. He was unsure in the corner but said the win was a product of guts.

'The will to win, I guess, with him,” Hogan said. 'Everyone thought he was in a bad situation and he ends up doing something like that. You get what you put in and he deserves those breaks.”

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