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Head
Coach
Rob Martin
romartin@crschools.us
Athletic
Director
Chris Deam
cdeam@crschools.us
parent/student
e-mail dist. list form
We
hope this will make things easier when sending out forms and
other important info via email to all our parents and wrestlers. |
"The Night The Names On The Wall Came To Life!
2010 State Finalist Reunion
For those of you who were unable to attend we have posted a pdf version of the finalist program for you to download.
PLEASE CLICK HERE |
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Year
by Year
A Condensed Look at the First Fifty plus years
of
J-Hawk Wrestling...
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1997 The forty year anniversary of Jefferson wrestling
produced a happy return to the top ten in 3A with
an eighth place state team finish. It also produced
one of the most unlikely individual state champions
the school has ever seen in Toronald Harris-135
lbs. For the second time in as many years the J-Hawks
sent seven grapplers to the state tournament in
Des Moines.Junior Tim Ironside-119 placed fifth
in his second appearance, also qualifying were junior
Dillon Kuda-140 lbs and seniors Brett Richardson-125,
Ryan Roff-152, Tom Eaton-160, and Dan Newhard-171
lbs. |
Harris
capped an improbable run at the title. Possessing
cat-like balance, incredible natural strength, and
no fear of anyone, Toronald had been a four-year
member of the Jefferson wrestling program but heretofore
was incapable of finishing a season he began. In
a stroke of genius, although not recommended, Coach
Dick Briggs did not allow Harris to begin his season
until after Christmas. He had so little mat time
most knowledgeable students of the sport did not
know who he was. Many shook their heads in amazement
when he entered the District tournament with only
five matches. Once there, he did not win a district
title; he was pinned in his finals match. To Toronald’s
credit he was convinced he would (not could) be
a state champion. He went to Des Moines with blinders
on and single-minded; if he was not at the arena
competing he was in the coaches’ hotel room,
uniform on, waiting for the van to leave for his
next match. For three days he ultra-focused, with
just one outcome on his mind, the four matches (one
at a time) he needed to earn gold. He rolled through
the preliminary matches entering the finals with
a 10-1 season record. In a hard fought come-from-behind
match he defeated a Mason City wrestler who was
35-0. After having his hand raised he executed his
patented victory back flip on the 3A mat, after
first being granted Coach Briggs’ blessing.
The J-Hawks finished the dual season 10-6 and in
a testament to the strength of the MVC placed seventh
at the Super-Meet, yet eighth in the state. In retrospect
Briggs remembered the 1997 team as, “very
hard working, they believed in themselves and their
coaches, and they never lost sight of their goals.”
He attributed it all to great senior leadership.
Sadly, only twenty-seven total wrestlers finished
the season including six freshmen. It was a sad
story that was playing out all over the MVC. No
longer were sophomore and junior varsity duals contested,
let alone freshman dual competition. Some rosters
of MVC schools were in the teens. On a typical Thursday
dual only one mat was now being used for a handful
of matches preliminary to the varsity competition.
There was cause for concern, yet the coaching staff
had a plan, the results of which would not be seen
for several seasons. |
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1998 Three-time state qualifier Tim Ironside went into
the 1998 state tournament with the weight of the
world on his shoulders. Both older brothers had
won state titles; both had recently won national
titles at the collegiate level. Could he complete
the family trifecta? Entering the Big Barn Tim knew
he was not odds on favorite. Returning state champion
Eric Sinclair of Cedar Falls, who had already pinned
Tim twice during the regular season, stood firmly
in his way. The pressure was clearly a burden most
of us can only imagine. Luck of the draw handed
Tim no favors with his placement in the 130 lb bracket.
But being an Ironside meant you never looked for
an easy road. After a hard fought quarterfinals
match, it was on to the semis where he would have
his third meeting of the season with “headlock-specialist”
Sinclair.
After being pinned by him earlier in the year (for
a second time) Tim remarked, “I still don’t
see why I can’t tech-fall or even pin him!”What
a prophecy. Tim did just that, leading at the time,
he showed Sinclair the “Friday Night Lights.”
The fall was recorded and history was one match
from being made. |
In
a rematch of the J-Hawk Invitational 130 lb final,
Tim convincingly won his title match becoming
Jefferson’s twenty-ninth state champion
and making the Ironside clan the “first-family”
of wrestling in Cedar Rapids. It had to be especially
satisfying for Tim, knowing he had defeated the
second, third, and fourth place finishers in his
weight class that weekend. Coach Briggs was later
quoted, “I’ve held all three of the
Ironside boys’ state championship medals
and Tim’s was by far the heaviest. Knowing
the mountain Tim had to climb to win his state
title makes his gold medal the most satisfying
ever, personally.” Most had forgotten that
earlier in the year Tim had surgery on both knees.
He overcame injury, illness, and a host of nay-sayers
that could not imagine the size of the heart that
beat within his chest. Other state qualifiers
in 1998 were juniors Mike Vagher-112 and Jason
Cole-140 along with seniors Dillon Kuda-145 and
Kris Ehlinger-160. Cole, an Ironside cousin, placed
third at the district tournament but was inserted
into state competition when the runner-up fell
ill and could not compete. Interestingly, in Jason’s
third place consolation match at districts he
defeated a Washington opponent that had beaten
him 12-3 two weeks earlier in the final dual of
the season. Let it never be said third place matches
have no meaning. Dillon Kuda, a returning state
qualifier, broke his hand in two places during
practice five weeks before Des Moines. Not only
did he return for the tournament run, he would
not miss a practice while rehabilitating. The
1998 squad finished 6-9-1 as a dual team and would
go down as the first sub .500 season in Dick Briggs’
fifteen-year stint at Jefferson. However, when
it came to producing state qualifiers Briggs reigned
supreme when compared to the schools five previous
successful coaches. A statistical analysis of
coaches and qualifiers:
Coach
Years Qualifiers Average/Year
Cameron 6 31 5.2
Fisk 3 16 5.3
Kurdelmeier 1 3 1.0
McNeil 11 56 5.1
Fowler 5 18 3.6
Briggs 15 87 5.8
1999 After analyzing the table above it seemed appropriate
five state qualifiers once again made the trek
to Veteran’s Auditorium for Briggs’
J-Hawks. Senior Mike Vagher-119 secured a fifth
place finish culminating a 101-win career as a
three-time letterman. Also qualifying for state
were seniors David Daly-103 and Jason Cole-145,
along with juniors Clint Miller-152 and Chris
Buesing-189. In earning trips to state Daly and
Buesing turned in season best performances at
the district tournament. Daly, whose best tournament
finish prior to districts was a third place showing
at Ottumwa, scored in a last minute flurry during
the wrestle-back round to earn his trip to Des
Moines. Buesing (seeded fifth) outdid them all
defeating three wrestlers who had beaten him earlier
in the year on the way to his district crown.
As a team the J-Hawks finished the dual season
a frustrating 5-7 placing eleventh out of fourteen
MVC teams at the Super-Meet. Coach Briggs described
the 1999 squad as, “being too nice and accepting
defeat much too easily.” Would a new millennium
see resurgence for the once proud program? Footnote:
Mike Vagher would go on to become a five-year
member of the Buena Vista College wrestling team
and earn All American Scholar status. David Daly
is a history teacher and assistant wrestling coach
in Prescott, Arizona today.
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Our very own Mark Ironside,
Two-Time State Champion
has been inducted to the
Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame
Class of 2010. Read the article and more information on the 2010 induction ceremony!
cick here to visit website |
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