Burkles on each side of Coe-Cornell wrestling rivalry

CEDAR RAPIDS - At one time, Tyler Burkle was teammates with older brother, Kyle, and younger sibling, Alex, as the three each won state titles for North-Linn High School.

Now, they are on opposite sides of the mat.

Alex is the starting heavyweight for Coe College and Tyler, a former Kohawk national champion, is a first-year assistant, while Kyle, the oldest, is in his third season as a Cornell assistant. The fifth-ranked Kohawks and No. 13 Cornell continue their rivalry on the mat Friday night at Eby Fieldhouse, starting at 7 p.m. The dual is the regular-season finale for both, leading to the Iowa Conference tournament Friday, Feb. 25 at Simpson College in Indianola.

The bond between brothers is stronger than the force of the rivalry.

"We really don't talk about it to be honest," said Alex Burkle, a sophomore. "I was at his house Super Bowl Sunday and nothing was said about wrestling. We try to keep wrestling out of the picture sometimes when we're with family."

It also helps that all three differ in size. Kyle competed at the lightest weights, competing at 141 and 149 for Upper Iowa University. Tyler was a three-time All-American, winning a Division III NCAA crown at 165 pounds in 2008. Alex is the biggest. Family secrets aren't divulged during training.

"I don't really coach against them," Kyle Burkle said. "My brother can take care of  himself. He's pretty tough. I know my brother can hold is own with anybody in the country."

Actually, Alex shared a story of Kyle helping him after a tournament hosted by Coe. In the Kohawks practice room, the Coe 285-pounder was rolling around with an opposing coach dressed in Cornell purple. Alex Burkle said it was likely a strange sight for Coe Coach John Oostendorp to see as he passed and looked inside.

"I think that was the big brother coming out in him," Alex Burkle said of Kyle's advice. "He helps out a younger brother whether he's at a different school or not."

Even though they will be staring across from each other when the whistles are blowing Friday night, they figuratively are on the same team. Everything will return to normal when the dual is finished.

"I'm supportive of them," Kyle Burkle said. "They're supportive of me.

"When we come out of the gym we're still brothers."

That may not keep from some words being exchanged, especially since Coe hasn't lost to Cornell since 1999 including a 33-10 win at Mount Vernon last year. Coe edged Cornell, 21-19, at home two years ago. Another win may lead to some good-natured ribbing.

"It's all friendly," Tyler Burkle said. "There is some trash-talking but it's all in good fun."

Their parents, Linda and Kevin Burkle, will be in Coe attire, according to Alex and Tyler. The support is a little different when one is competing compared to on the staff. They will cheer for Cornell when facing a different foe.

"They like to see Cornell do well when they're not competing against Coe," Tyler Burkle said. "They support Cornell, too."

Tyler and Kyle were teammates at North-Linn. A little more than two years after Kyle graduated, Tyler and Alex were teammates. Tyler has already spent two seasons in the starting lineup with his brother in the rival's corner for this dual. His role has changed but his approach is the same.

"I'm going to have the same mindset this Friday night as I did last year," Tyler Burkle said. "We want our 10 guys to go out there and wrestle the way they know how to wrestle."

Alex, who is ranked fifth, is making his debut for this dual. He likely will face former BGM prep Wyatt Bauman, who Alex beat in high school. Alex expects a large crowd to file into the gym for an exciting dual.

"You don't want to look bad in front of your brother. You don't want to look bad in front of your fans, especially being at home," Alex Burkle said. "Other than that it's another day at the office. You just have to take care of business and do the best you can."

The team that triumphs will grasp second-place in the IIAC standings behind Wartburg. Coe is 15-5. Cornell is 14-7-1, winning at least 14 duals for the fifth time in head coach Mike Duroe's six seasons. Both are currently 6-1 in the conference.

The Rams are a win away from tying the school's season best mark of 15 in 2005-06. Cornell leads the series 32-17-2, including an 18-11-2 advantage since 1983.

"Coe has a very good team with depth," Duroe said in a press release. "They continue to get stronger. We're definitely the underdogs on paper. That should give us an added incentive to wrestle well. There's a lot at stake from a team element, individual (conference) seeding and pride."