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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
March 23, 2006 |
Finding the competitive drive
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
ANAMOSA — Heart. Desire.
Determination. Having those three key qualities can make what appears to be an average team and make them into something even they thought they couldn’t be.
The Anamosa wrestling team had heart. They also had desire and determination. But they needed that extra something to make them extra special.
“I always knew we had heart desire and determination,” said Raider wrestling coach Ron Timp. “These kids gave everything they had in each and every practice early on and I knew it would just be a matter of time before things came together for them.
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Hard to handle
Anamosa senior Lee Hardersen wraps up a win at the class 3A sectional tournament in Maquoketa this past season on his way to earning a district berth. Hardersen led a youthful Raider wrestling team during the 2005-2006 winter posting an impressive 33-11 record overall at 152 pounds for an Anamosa team that posted an overall 7-22 dual meet record. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski) |
Dominating season
Raider junior Mike Levasseur turned in a dominating 2005-2006 campaign for the Anamosa wrestling team logging a 32-13 record wrestling at 160 pounds while just missing a state tournament berth finishing third overall at the class 2A district tournament. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski) |
What made us an even better team was finding that competitive drive. When we got that, we became a team who could not only hold our own against just about anybody, but also took us to another level as a team.”
Competitive drive.
The 2005-2006 season started with a lopsided 70-12 setback against East Buchanan way back on December 1, but three short months later, the same Raiders battled those same Buccaneers and the outcome was much more, well, .......competitive.”
“Those two matches really told a lot about our season,” said Timp, who in one of the final matches of the winter saw his team downed by just a 36-33 final against that same East Buchanan team. |
“East Buchanan was rated as one of the best teams in the state and we showed we could hang right there with them. They had a lot more in the way of experience than we did, but we had just improved so much as a team during the course of the season that we made up a lot of ground.”
Which also bodes very well for the future of the Anamosa wrestling program.
“We were a young team last year and we were a young team again this year but I don’t expect next year we’ll have to go through a lot of the things we had to go through this year,” said Timp.
“At least I hope we won’t. We need to come into next season ready to wrestle and in wrestling shape and not work our way there through the course of the season.”
The Raiders were led by their Big-4 who carried the load much of the winter in senior Lee Hardersen, juniors Mike Levasseur and Robert Young and sophomore Derek Young.
“We were strong from 135-to-160 all season long,” said Timp of Derek Young, who wrestled at 135 pounds, Robert Young (140 pounds), Hardersen (152) and Levasseur (160). “Those were our top four guys all year and guys we really counted on for points in our dual meets and to reach the finals of the tournaments we competed in. For the most part, they came through for us.”
Hardersen, one of three seniors on the Anamosa wrestling roster this season, led the team with a 33-11 record overall and earned his first class 2A district tournament berth after advancing past sectionals in Maquoketa.
“It’s just too bad things had to end they way they did for Lee,” said Timp as Hardersen suffered a season-ending injury warming up for his shot at a state tournament berth. “Lee was a leader for us on this team this year. He’s improved so much over the last three years. We’re really going to miss his work ethic and his sense of humor in the wrestling room.”
James Kryger and Brandon Overman also graduate after four years with the program.
“James started the year at the JV level but worked his way back into the varsity line-up,” said Timp. “He really got the most out of his ability and that’s a credit to his work ethic. He just never quit when it would have been very easy to with the way his season started.”
Kryger was 13-22 overall with six pins.
“I’d have to give the Mr. Guts award to Brandon for sticking it out for four years,” said Timp. “He wrestled JV his whole career but just loved being around the sport so much he kept coming back. A lot of kids would have quit if they weren’t wrestling varsity but Brandon kept coming back battling. He’s a great kid to have on the team.”
Overman posted an 11-7 record overall this past winter with five pins.
While the Raider program loses three special seniors, they do return most of their roster for another run next winter.
“If we can get the guys we have now back out next year and add more numbers to the roster, we could start to have an even bigger effect dual meet wise,” said Timp. “Getting our numbers up is one of our main priorities and getting kids on the mat.”
Levasseur, Robert Young, Derek Young, Jeff Ingles, Josh Noland, Curtis Paustian, Jay Kenney, Jared Husmann, Brady Vaughn, Pat Kos, Nile Price, Jeff Vaughn, Travis Keltner, Jordan Alderdyce and Cole Payton all return with at least some varsity mat experience.
“Having those guys back will be big,” said Timp. |
 Bringing a very experienced squad back
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
WYOMING — It’s easy to find a place to start when talking about the 2005-2006 Midland wrestling season.
You start at the top with Eagles Adam Gudenkauf and Spencer Bowen who both earned class 1A state tournament berths at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines last month breaking in the brand spanking new facility in style.
Gudenkauf and Bowen each advanced past the first day of action and Gudenkauf took to the mat all three days for the Eagles placing a sensational eighth overall at 215 pounds.
Gudenkauf was the second straight Midland High School wrestler to take to the podium on championship Saturday night at the state wrestling meet following in the footsteps of Cody Goble, who claimed eighth overall at 112 pounds just a season ago.
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Control wrestler
Midland’s Spencer Bowen was in control most of the 2005-2006 season logging a sensational 28-10 record overall at 112 pounds while also tallying 17 pins and earning his first-ever state tournament berth. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski) |
Back at state
Midland’s Adam Gudenkauf picks up a pin at the state tournament on his way to an eighth-place finish at 215 pounds for the Eagles. Gudenkauf led the club with 30 wins and 21 pins and was second with 42 takedowns for an Eagle team that posted an 8-14 dual meet mark. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski) |
Bowen won his first match with a flair posting a big pin after trailing most of the match.
“Adam and Spencer have really given this program a lot to be proud of,” said Eagle wrestling coach Erik Wagler after guiding his club to an 8-14 dual meet record this past season. “And the great thing is, they’re back for more next season too.
They and everyone else we have on the team this year. We wrestled this season without a senior on the roster and had a pretty good run of it too. Hopefully having all that experience back next year will lead to even better things down the road.”
The Eagles were a junior-dominated club in 2005-2006 as Gudenkauf, Ryan Balichek, Justin Yarolem, Kevin Reilly, Austin Yoerger, Tony Fields, Ryan Smith, Zach Krotz, K.C. Barnette, Alex Petersen and Tim Petersen make up the talented 11 juniors on the Midland team this past season. Bowen and Jordan Sanchez were the lone sophomores while Cory Rains was the only freshman on the team. |
“Last season we had only two wrestlers with winning records and this year we ended up with six having winning records,” said Wagler. “We had no returning district qualifiers now we have three district qualifiers back, two state qualifiers and a state medalist all back next year.”We bring back a very experienced team next year and we couldn’t say that at this time last season.”
After getting off to a bit of a slow start to the season, suffering an 80-0 setback at North Linn, the Eagles gradually began to flourish.
“We got off to a rough start before the winter break,” said Wagler. “We lost several matches to sectional and district competition but we avenged many of those losses when it counted.”
Gudenkauf’s 30 wins led the team this winter while Balichek added a sensational 29-12 campaign wrestling at 189 pounds and he also topped the team with 61 takedowns.
“Adam got off to a slow start this season not placing at our first tournament,” said Wagler. “He battled a knee injury all season long too but continued to work hard. I was also pleased with the way Zach Krotz and K.C. Barnette wrestled as well.”
Midland boasted a whopping five wrestlers with more than 20 wins this season in Gudenkauf, Balichek (29) Bowen (28), Reilly (27) and Yarolem (22).
“We improved as individuals,” said Wagler. “That shows their hard work does pay off. But if we want to be better as a team at dual meets and tournaments, we need to fill holes so we don’t give away so many forfeits.”
Gudenkauf was second on the team with 42 takedowns while Reilly and Yarolem tied for third with 41 takedowns each. |
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