Young wrestlers provide thrills at Harris tourney

Originally, I had a pretty leisurely Saturday planned last week.

Maybe work on some Progress Edition stories, while catching Iowa State vs. Kansas and Drake vs. Wichita State on the tube in the afternoon.

Then I picked up the assignment for the John J. Harris Wrestling Tournament in Corning, and the Omaha World-Herald called to ask if I could send them a story and photos. Their deadline was 9:15 p.m., so I knew I'd have to hustle back to Creston to sort through the photos and get a story organized.

It turned out to be a 12-hour work day, by the time I got done with the CNA stuff, too. But it was a blast.

The classic tournament for southwest Iowa wrestling always has great competition, and enough upsets to keep you on the edge of your seat. Former Corning coach Don Ashenfelter was working at the scorer's table near center mat, and we agreed the semifinal round and third consolation round provided the best value for the buck.

You have kids on the front side of the bracket trying to become John J. Harris finalists, which is quite an honor, and kids on the back side fighting to clinch a medal.

That's the round where Creston/O-M heavyweight Ryan Maitlen provided the upset of the tournament — and a feature photo for the front page Monday of Panther faithful jumping for joy — when he shook Tri-Center's Caleb White off his back and pinned him in the third period. White was rated No. 2 in the state and was a national freestyle runner-up last summer.

Then Mount Ayr's Dylan Lame beat White in the third-place match. White was introduced to the the tradition that sometimes you can finish higher in the state tournament than at John Harris.

Atlantic coach Drew Duff was a state champion for Winterset in 1994 at 160 pounds. He came to Corning three times as a varsity wrestler and never won the Harris Tournament.

Duff made an observation after his Trojans won their second straight team title.

"There were a lot of good freshmen out there today wrestling at a high level," said Duff, former Nodaway Valley coach. "Youth programs around the area are improving, so you'll see more of that."

Eight freshmen finished in the top four of their weight classes Saturday, and they weren't all in the lowest weight classes. Freshman champions were Atlantic's Bryce Wernimont at 112 pounds, and Creston/O-M sensation Jake Marlin at 135 pounds, despite moving up from his customary 130 pounds.

Also, Panther freshman Keaton Hulett was leading his third-place match at 171 pounds, 7-1, before getting caught in a pin. Freshmen also placed high at 135 and 145 pounds.

Marlin and Hulett don't seem the least bit intimidated by more seasoned wrestlers at their weight classes.

Marlin's father, Randy, was the first Panther state champion I covered here in Creston in 1986. He beat Glenwood's Mike Moreno, who went on to wrestle at Iowa State and later coach successfully at Clarinda, and now Urbandale. Now Moreno has sons who are also college prospects, including one who has battled with Marlin in junior national tournaments.

I've covered a lot of great wrestlers here, but I'm not sure I've seen the combination of quick moves and flexibility I see in Marlin, who always seems to come out on top in crazy scramble situations. If you blink you miss the takedown move, much like we saw in Andrew Long.

"He's got a feel for what's going on out there way more than your typical freshman," said coach Darrell Frain. "You can tell he's put a lot of hours in."

I asked Frain what Marlin needs to become even a more complete package at this early stage of his career.

"He gives up his legs a little more than we'd like him to, and they get in on him," Frain said. "But he's good enough to fight out of it."

Four of Creston/O-M's nine placewinners were freshmen or sophomores, so it should be a fun three or four years ahead watching these wrestlers develop.

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Leith, by the way, could have a front-row seat to a really interesting 125-pound match Sunday in Ithaca, N.Y. That's when No. 6 Cornell hosts second-ranked Iowa State.

Long, ranked fifth at 21-3, is slated to wrestle Cornell's Troy Nickerson, the defending NCAA champion. However, Nickerson has been in and out of the lineup with shoulder problems, so it's no guarantee the match will transpire.

Leith is a sophomore 133-pounder for Cornell. He hasn't cracked the varsity lineup, but does have a 1-3 mark in open tournaments this season. He won six matches last year as a freshman.

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I heard from our former sportswriter, Scott Vicker, who seems to have licked his injury problems running for St. Louis University. He ran a 9:22 3K race a week ago at Indiana, and will be running the mile and 800 meters Saturday at UNI. He is contending for a relay spot with a mile or 800 leg at the conference meet in Rhode Island later in the indoor season.

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Creston native Jeff Hundley of the Sugar Bowl staff said New Orleans "is bonkers" over the Saints right now.

"It's fun to watch," Hundley said. "These people have suffered poor football for a long time. It seems like everyone has an extra spring in their step."

There's another Creston angle to the Super Bowl. Colts head coach Jim Caldwell played in the same Iowa Hawkeye secondary as Creston's Rod Sears in the late 1970s, just before Hundley became a student there. Colts defensive coordinator Larry Coyer coached Caldwell and Sears as a defensive coordinator under Bob Commings then.

As a student at the time in Iowa City, I can tell you defense was not the problem. The Hawks just couldn't score. Sears and Caldwell were part of a staunch defense that had to stay on the field too much because of the constant three-and-outs.

I'll root for the Colts for all those Hawk angles, plus tight end Dallas Clark and injured safety Bob Sanders.

But, the Saints' resurgence is a heck of story.