Emotions were running high on Thursday night as two of the state’s top wrestling teams in Class 3A collided in a CIML Conference dual at the Ankeny High School gym.
The final six matches of top-ranked Southeast Polk’s dominant win over No. 4 Ankeny were contested before an empty gym after the referee ejected the entire crowd due to some unruly fans and wrestlers.
“It was his call, but I think it sheds a light on our referee shortage,” said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall. “The Iowa High School Athletic Association talks all the time about how they have to cancel events because we don’t have enough referees. I don’t know why we didn’t have a better ref there–and I’m not calling him out–but what I am saying is that he was in over his head. You can’t have a somewhat inexperienced referee for a CIML dual like that.
“It just sheds that light that nobody else was available to do that,” he added.
The situation escalated after Southeast Polk’s Nico DeSalvo posted a 19-7 major decision over Ben Walsh at 113 pounds to give the Rams a commanding 34-0 lead through eight matches. The two wrestlers engaged in a brief shoving match while shaking hands, then things quickly went downhill from there.
First, the referee ordered a large group of Southeast Polk junior varsity wrestlers–who had been surrounding the Rams’ bench–into the stands. Public address announcer Tom Urban then read a statement calling for everyone to be respectful, which elicited a sarcastic cheer from a part of the crowd.
That’s when the referee called for the entire gym to be evacuated.
“I really don’t think it got out of hand, but I can only imagine how flustered (the referee) must have been to think that that was his only option,” Wignall said. “I really feel bad for him, and I feel bad for the fans and the kids whose parents couldn’t be in the gym to watch them wrestle. It was really just a crazy situation that got overblown. I hope it’s a learning moment for the coaches’ association.”
When the action resumed, Southeast Polk swept the last six matches to close out the dual. The Rams won by a score of 60 to -1, because both teams were penalized a point following the skirmish.
“The flagrant misconduct calls should not have been made, and it wasn’t even administered right,” Wignall said. “The whole thing was not handled correctly.”
On Friday, the two schools released a joint statement, according to Ankeny Activities Director Mike Bakker.
“We recognize that the events that transpired at last night’s wrestling meet between Southeast Polk and Ankeny do not align with the values of sportsmanship and respect expected from all participants and spectators in the CIML. Both teams are working together as we move forward to foster a positive and respectful environment.”
On the mat, the loss dropped Ankeny’s records to 3-2 in the conference and 9-4 overall. The final score showed the wide gap between the Rams and the other teams in the CIML.
Wignall said much of Southeast Polk’s advantage is mental.
“They are really good, but it seems like when they put their singlets on and we take the mat, we spot them three or four points in matches,” he said. “I just wish we could have wrestled harder in some of the matches. We don’t realize until the third period that we can actually wrestle with these guys. Our kids need to not let what’s on the front of the singlet bother them. We need to get better.”
The two closest matches came toward the end of the meet. At 126 pounds, Ankeny’s Truman Folkers dropped a 4-2 decision to Max Riggins in a rematch from last year’s state tournament, when Folkers won by the same score in overtime in a consolation semifinal.
“That was a great match,” Wignall said. “Truman just came up a little short.”
Then, at 132, Ankeny freshman Calvin Rathjen dropped a 1-0 decision to Carter Pearson. Pearson, a defending state champion and an Iowa State recruit, scored the only point of the match on an escape in the second period.
“Neither of them could get a takedown,” Wignall said. “We kind of would have liked Calvin to go down in the third, but he knows that kid can ride. He was in on a shot or two, but it was a really tight, defensive match.”
After competing in the Jack Mendenhall Invitational on Saturday at Ames, Wignall said his wrestlers are planning to meet with former Ankeny girls’ basketball standout Codee Myers on Sunday. Myers is now a mental performance coach.
“I told Codee that this meet (on Thursday) was a great baseline for our fear of failure against Southeast Polk,” Wignall said. “I’m hoping she can help our guys get over that stuff.”
Here are the match-by-match results from Thursday’s meet:
Southeast Polk 60, Ankeny -1
157: Biladeau won by technical fall over Rouh, 24-9; 165: Bushong won by technical fall over Andersen, 17-2; 175: Gibson won by technical fall over Schlee, 19-4; 190: Keomala beat Egeberg, 14-10; 215: Hansen beat Haase, 10-3; 285: Martinson pinned Dorfler, :42; 106: Vestal beat Salgado, 9-2; 113: DeSalvo beat Walsh, 19-7; 120: Lawson pinned Fontana, 1:15; 126: Riggins beat Folkers, 4-2; 132: Pearson beat Rathjen, 1-0; 138: Hanson beat Winkie, 12-1; 144: Jesuroga won by technical fall over Claeys, 19-4; 150: Trenary pinned Johnson, 1:38.
