2007 state champs join Creston Wrestling HOF

Two years of inductees will be honored at the annual Creston Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Banquet.

This year’s event will be held Saturday, Oct. 9 in the First National Bank/United Farmers Cooperative Building north of the rodeo arena on the Union County Fairgrounds in Afton. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, masks will be optional and encouraged. The venue is a large building that can be opened if weather permits for a more “outdoor atmosphere” under a roof.

The official 2021 inductees are members of the 2007 Panther wrestling team, the only team in school history to win both the traditional individual state tournament and the state dual tournament.

That squad had a 19-0 dual record and a best-ever Creston finish of runner-up in the annual large multi-state Cliff Keen Invitational in Kansas City. The 2007 Panthers won the sectional, district, individual state and state duals to close out the season.

The 2007 team scored 112 points to outdistance Ballard’s 79 points and New Hampton third at 74 in the traditional state tourney; and topped Clear Lake in the finals of state duals, 45-19.

Taking state titles for the Panthers that year were juniors Andrew Long (112 pounds) and Kalab Evans (160), while junior Bret Kautz was runner-up at 130. Other state placewinners were Quin Leith (third at 125), Caleb Brus (fifth at 152) and Jesse Harris (seventh at 140). Other state qualifiers were senior Tyler Linderman (119), a state champ one year earlier, and Trent Tucker (135), who would win a state title a year later.

One year later Creston scored even more points at traditional state (139), which is the second most ever in Class 2A, but Ballard beat the Panthers for the title with a record 181.5 points.

The team was coached by Darrell Frain, assisted by Matt Long, Drew Duff and Nick Hemann.

Due to cancellation of the event in 2020 because of the pandemic, those honored as inductees from last year will be Vern Loudon, Terry Cooper, Dannie Stephens, the late Bob Decklever and the late Gary Wimmer.

Loudon, a 1973 Creston graduate, was Creston first collegiate All-American. Loudon wrestled at 126 pounds for Iowa Central Community College, taking sixth place in the national junior college tournament in 1975. He was slowed by an ankle injury in his quest to advance in the 1976 NJCAA tournament.

Cooper was Creston’s first undefeated state champion as a senior in 1981 at 112 pounds. He wrestled one year at Ellsworth Community College after starting at Drake University. He was ranked second at 126 pounds going into nationals, but displaced his ribs in the second round of the tournament.

A 1968 graduate of Creston High School who also wrestled at Southwestern Community College, Stephens coached wrestling in the area for more than 45 years. He began his coaching career at Bedford for six years, followed by stints with the Creston High School program and then at the middle school level for many years. He was head coach in Creston for five years, coaching undefeated state champions Terry Cooperad Roger Baker.

Decklever, a 1965 graduate, was Creston’s first state placewinner in taking fourth place in 1964. He also qualified for the state tournament in 1965, losing a one-point match in the first round to a returning placewinner when there was no wrestleback opportunity in that round.

Decklever had records of 21-2 and 22-2 in those two years before wrestling for a short time at Northwest Missouri State University. For a time he coached football and wrestling in Red Oak. He also lived in Creston as rural water coordinator for seven counties before moving to Chicago in 1985.

Wimmer was a 1964 Creston graduate and became of the first State Wrestling Tournament officials from this area. He was a respected coach at the middle school level in Creston for many years.

As an elementary PE teacher, Wimmer introduced students to the fundamentals of wrestling as a unit in his classes. He also taught swimming in the Franklin Elementary pool. He was known as a coach who generated confidence in his athletes by instilling a sense of pride in their work and accomplishments.

Tickets for the event are $20 each and the deadline for advance ticket sales will be Tuesday, Oct. 5 for meal planning purposes. The event starts with social hour (cash bar) at 4 p.m., posthumous inductions of Wimmer and Decklever t 5:30 p.m., followed by a steak or chicken dinner.

Other inductions will take place after the dinner. There will also be an raffle for items such as a meat bundle, gift basket and an antique refrigerator with a Creston wrestling logo. There will also be silent auction items.

Tickets may be purchased from committee members Chuck Hulett (641-202-2262) or Hulett & Sons Auto Salvage, John Walters (641-247-1984), Danny Hayes (641-202-6566), and Randy Marlin (641-247-1451); or from Emmy Key at Hartsock Insurance or April Evans at Farm Bureau Insurance.