Walters produces SW Iowa wrestling book

Creston’s wrestling guru has been busy again, this time compiling a Creston and southwest Iowa wrestling booklet available for purchase in the perfect week — when state wrestlers hit the mat at Wells Fargo Arena.

John Walters, who is known for constructing a lighted scoreboard with live updates of team scoring as tournaments progressed (prior to online Trackwrestling.com service), and a small 40-page historical booklet published in 2013, has produced a much bigger project this year.

Walters has had 100 copies published by Shaw Media, parent company of the Creston News Advertiser, that consists of 132 pages of photographs, historical lists and interesting side stories from Creston and southwest Iowa wrestling programs.

He is selling them for $15 at this week’s state tournament as he works as a broadcaster at the tournament for KSIB radio of Creston. Those wanting to get in touch with him to purchase a copy and email him at ratjdw@yahoo.com.

Walters said in trying to complete the project in time for state wrestling, he has several ideas in store for the updated version in the coming years.

“This is Volume 1,” Walters said. “In the next one I’ll have more information on the teams from the 1990s and 2000s in a more comprehensive edition, and I’ll have all of the information on each team together. And after people see this book, I hope more of them send me good stories about wrestling in their community. We have some good ones in this edition.”

Walters said the book is a product of his hobby of perusing the archives section of the Iowa High School Athletic Association website, as well as other online information on Iowa high school wrestling that he was able to find. He also found valuable information in two books written by former Des Moines Register wrestling writer Dan McCool.

He decided to compile the information pertaining to southwest Iowa in an easier format for fans from this region.

“Instead of going through a website for the whole state, and searching through so much stuff, I thought about making our own type of yearbook for Creston and southwest Iowa,” said Walters, a 1976 Creston High School graduate and state runner-up as a junior.

The book lists state placewinners from 65 programs in southwest Iowa and beyond. It’s a virtual encyclopedia for this quadrant of the state, including some information on those who went on to outstanding collegiate careers. Many successful longtime wrestling coaches are featured.

A state trophy listing and Hawkeye 10 Conference champions roster are included.

For Creston/O-M’s program, the book contains all state placewinners and a few “fun facts” about some of the history of the program, including many “firsts” such as a page on the first Creston state champion, the late Mike Howard.

There are several side stories of Creston wrestling, such as a listing of father-son state placewinners — Dan and Boone Hayes, Randy and Jake Marlin (Randy won a state title, Jake is Creston’s only four-time champ).

Also listed are brother combination names who medaled at state and they are familiar names to Panther wrestling — Downing, Abel, Goetz, Weeks, Kinsella, Hayes, Long, Harris and Hulett.

Another well-known father-son combination of Creston/O-M wrestling, of course, is successful head coach Darrell Frain and sons Trevor and Brody. Trevor, a two-time medalist at state, had one of the most remarkable string of quick pins of any middleweight wrestler in state history.

As a senior, Trevor had 18 pins in under a minute, nine under 30 seconds. During a three-week span he had pins of 5, 6, 9, 10 and 12 seconds.

Area coaches such as Larry Riley in Greenfield, Ron Scott at Mount Ayr and John J Harris in Corning are also featured. Dan Stephens, who still assists in Creston’s middle school program, has been involved in southwest Iowa programs for more than 40 years.

Those are just a small portion of the many items of interest to wrestling fans in this area of the state. And yet, Walters already harbors bigger plans ahead.

“Please contact me if I need to make corrections for Volume 2,” Walters said. “I plan to include more modern history of the Panthers as well in that edition.”