Junior Nora Bockes is one of three returning placewinners for the Ankeny girls’ wrestling team, which will open its season on Tuesday by hosting a quadrangular meet at Ankeny Centennial.
Bockes owns a career record of 76-19. She posted a 38-9 mark and placed seventh at 110 pounds last year after going 38-10 as a freshman.
Here is some inside info on Bockes:
Let’s talk some volleyball first. You helped the Ankeny Centennial team to a 32-5 record and a third consecutive trip to the semifinals of the Class 5A state tournament earlier this month. Were you happy with how you played?
Yes, I was pretty happy with how I played when I got my opportunities on the court. It was a great team, and I was so glad I got to be a part of it this year.
Were you able to continue training for wrestling during volleyball season, or did you have to take a break from it?
I had to take a break for the most part because of how busy volleyball season can get, and it was very hard to find a day I could make a practice. But when I did get to go, they were very good!
How have the wrestling practices gone during the preseason?
They’ve gone very well, and I am getting a lot better day by day.
Do you feel like the team is much further along now that the program is in its third season under coach Dustin Roland?
Yes, I think our team has gotten so much better since the first year. We have a lot of talented girls and a lot more coaches in the room with us this year to help so it has gone really well. I am very excited for this season with the team and to see how everything turns out for us.
You are second in Class 2A at 115 pounds in the preseason rankings. After wrestling at 110 in each of the previous two seasons, I assume you’ve grown a little bit. Are you having any trouble making weight at 115?
I feel like 115 is a pretty comfortable weight for me and has been the last two years. My freshman and sophomore years I ended up going to 110 late in the season. This year I’m not sure if I will stay at 115 or go down to 110.
Do you feel any pressure being ranked second in the state, or do you like being someone that others are looking to beat?
I don’t feel a ton of pressure being ranked No. 2 because I know it pushes me to work harder every day, knowing that people are looking to beat me and do their best when they wrestle me.
You should earn your 100th career victory sometime this season. Did you ever imagine when you started wrestling two years ago that you could reach a milestone like that?
I would’ve never thought two years ago coming in with absolutely no wrestling experience that I would ever win 100 matches, and it is crazy to think about how much I have improved in the last two years.
What are your individual goals for the season?
My goal this year is to go to state again and work to place better than I did last year, but to overall just continue improving all year.
I know coach Roland told me that the team’s goal is to bring home a trophy from the state tournament. Do you think this team has the potential to win it all?
I think we do have the potential this year. We have so much talent and a lot of girls stepping up this year that could have a key role in it. I think if everyone continues to work hard and improve consistently that it is definitely a possibility. I also think that last year we had many close matches at state that if we can get those to go the other way a lot of things can change.
I know your team went to Iowa City on Saturday to watch the Iowa women’s wrestling team. Would you like to wrestle in college, and have you looked at any schools yet?
I have thought about wrestling in college a lot, but I have not yet started to reach out to any colleges yet. I haven’t decided if I would like to play volleyball or wrestle or maybe do no sport at all, but I think I will start to figure a lot of that out soon.
Do you know what you want to study?
I do not yet know what I want to study, but I am very interested in things relating to science and medicine so most likely something in that field.