Southeast Polk Rams win Iowa high school wrestling state title
ALTOONA, Iowa (BVM) 鈥� As all the emotion of winning a state championship washed over the Southeast Polk wrestling team and head coach Jake Agnitsch, he took a second to tweet out just one word.
Taken.
— Jake Agnitsch (@J_AgnitschSEP)
鈥淚t was something that I had talked about all year that we were going to take it,鈥� Agnitsch said. 鈥淭hat was kind of the mantra all year that we were going to take it from them.鈥�
The 鈥榯hem鈥� that Agnitsch was referring to were the reigning state champions: Waverly-Shell Rock. The Go-Hawks had won the last three traditional team state titles and their mantra all year had been 鈥楥ome and Take it.鈥�
The Rams took it in thrilling fashion, beating Northwest Waukee by three points on the last day of the state meet. Waverly took third but the title was up for grabs until basically the very end of the event.
鈥淚t was a lot of peaks and valleys in the tournament,鈥� Agnitsch said.
However, the Rams were mentally prepared for the ups and downs of a tight state tournament race. All year they had been preparing themselves for this exact moment so that when it did happen, the moment wouldn鈥檛 be too big for them.
鈥淲e built our schedule so that the kids face quite a bit of adversity and tough matches and just tough situations so that they鈥檙e mentally prepared to bounce back quickly,鈥� Agnitsch said.
Along with a tough schedule, they dealt with injuries but by the end of the season, SEP looked like a team that could win a state championship.
鈥淛ust watching our guys compete at districts and how we looked,鈥� Agintsch said. 鈥淚 thought that we would have a really good chance鈥� I thought at districts we looked the part. We looked like a state championship team.鈥�
But even though they looked the part, that guaranteed nothing. Just before the state meet, the Rams lost the Iowa state wrestling duals championship to the Go-Hawks. It was a disappointment for SEP, but its gaze quickly switched to the state title and the team leaders made sure everyone moved on to the next goal.
鈥淲e had really good senior leadership this year,鈥� Agnitsch said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e kind of the thing that held everything together鈥� They really led by example.鈥�
Joel Jesuroga, Andrew Reed, Cooper Hanson and Carter and Carson Martinson all did a great job of steering SEP in the right direction. Meaning that when the Rams went from one of the best mornings Agnitsch has ever been a part of on Friday to one of those valleys he talked about on Friday night, the Rams were ready to finish strong on Saturday thanks to their leaders.
In the end, it came down to SEP鈥檚 star junior, Iowa Hawkeye commit Nate Jesuroga, and his state title match at 126 pounds. With a team title on the line, the Rams could not ask for a better wrestler to clinch the championship for them.
鈥淗e was a guy I was extremely glad we had in that situation because he didn鈥檛 let things affect him or affect the way he competes,鈥� Agnitsch said.
All Agnitsch told Nate before his match was to push bonus points. Nate did just that earning a team-high 29 points and solidifying SEP鈥檚 championship.
It鈥檚 a title that means so much more because of the two teams that they had to beat to win it all. Both Waukee Northwest (formerly just Waukee) and Waverly-Shell Rock have been in tight competition with each other for the top spot in Class 3A Iowa wrestling.
鈥淥ver the last four years, it’s been one of us three,鈥� Agnitsch said. 鈥淚t was a good feeling to beat both of those teams. In the past we鈥檝e always beat one but not the other.鈥�
The three-team rivalry has led to thrilling meets and tournaments and has brought out the best in all three programs. Agnitsch and the Rams would not have it any other way.
鈥淚t’s awesome, it’s something that I look forward to, it’s something that I know our kids look forward to,鈥� Agnitsch said. 鈥淭hey like to compete, they’d rather it be close and tight.鈥�
But it does mean that they already need to begin preparing for next year and their title defense while appreciating the championship they just one. The Rams know that their opponents are already working towards next season, but SEP will be ready.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait for next year,鈥� Agnitsch said.
Now that they鈥檝e taken it, it鈥檚 time to defend it.
