Young wrestling squad chases new expectations

With the start of a new season come new faces, a fresh outlook and new expectations.

Fourth-year head coach Clint Manny and the Storm wrestling team are raising the bar in 2011-12 with hopes of moving up the ranks in the Iowa Conference, the nation's toughest in NCAA Division III.

"Our expectations are completely different than what they've been during my first three years," Manny said. "We want to put guys in the finals at tournaments; we don't just want to be place-winners anymore. We want to win tournaments."

In order to meet those goals, Manny will rely on a big group of freshman and sophomores, as 14 of 18 wrestlers on the team are in their first or second year.

"We are a young team, just as we have been the last few years," Manny said. "But we do have a good foundation in the room this year. We have some returning guys who have experience in the Iowa Conference and we're looking forward to seeing our young guys hit the mat."

Junior class provides leadership

Leading the group is a pair of juniors who know what life is like in the Iowa Conference.

149-pounder and team captain Cory Stratton (Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes) is the team's returning wins leader, going 25-22 at 157 and 165 a year ago. 141-pounder Jeff Sand (Waukee, Iowa/Waukee) looks to recapture the form of his freshman year when he notched 20 wins and placed fourth at 133 in the Iowa Conference Championship. He went 6-8 last year before his season was cut short by injury.

"I'm looking for those guys to not only be vocal leaders in the room but to pick everyone up," Manny said. "Wrestling in the Iowa Conference is wrestling the best kids in the country every single week and it can be a grind.

"We have a great attitude in the room. We've had more fun this year than in years past because we have good solid leadership and those guys bring a positive attitude every day we're in the room."

Sophomores make up "foundation" of team

A strong group of sophomores make up the bulk of Simpson's roster, as all five returners in the class saw varsity action last season.

Stephen Blayer (Iowa City, Iowa/City) and Derek Entz (Spokane, Wash./Shadle Parks) will battle with Stratton at 149 pounds, the deepest weight on the team. Blayer went 6-11 last year, splitting time between the 149 and 157 pound weight classes. Entz benefits from lots of mat time in 2010-11, going 14-24 overall and 4-4 in conference duals. Freshman Tim Routh (Des Moines, Iowa/North) will also factor into the equation.

"Stephen and Derek will most likely be used throughout the middle of our lineup," Manny said. "Both are very capable and experienced wrestlers in the Conference."

Justin Bruce (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit) is the incumbent at 165, going 16-17 in 2010-11. He went 3-4 in conference duals and placed seventh at 184 in the Iowa Conference Championships.

"Justin is an exteremely tough and physical wrestler for his weight class," Manny said. "We're expecting good things from him this year."

Taylor Witzel (Aurelia, Iowa/Aurelia) will likely hold down the spot at 184 pounds and two-sport athlete Jared Bevins (Creston, Iowa/Creston) will grapple with the 197 pounders. Witzel went 5-13 last year and Bevins, also a member of the Storm football team, went 13-21.

"Taylor was a two-sport athlete last year, but is focusing solely on wrestling this season which will help him be much more competitive in the early part of the season," Manny said. "Jared had a good season last year is bigger and stronger than ever before."

Rather than focusing on large recruiting classes, Manny and his staff have made an effort to build recruiting classes that stick together for four years.

"We continue to build depth," Manny said. "We want to get the right type of kids in our program. We've really focused on retention; we want to get a group of guys together and keep them together, which is what we did with our sophomore class. They are the foundation of this team; Cory and Jeff are our leaders, but they are our foundation of this team right now."

Newcomers step in right away

The Storm will also dip from a talented pool of newcomers who expect to make an immediate impact.

A pair of freshmen in Mike Nemer (Spring Hill, Kan./Spring Hill) and Devin Rausch (Fredericksburg, Iowa/Sumner-Fredericksburg) will tangle for the starting spot at 125 pounds. Nemer was a state qualifier in Kansas and Rausch was a state-qualifier in Iowa.

"Both had very successful high school careers and battle every day in practice," Manny said. "They provide much-needed depth at our lower weights."

Transfers Spencer Courier (Lee's Summitt, Mo./Lee's Summit) and Justin Broberg (Chadron, Neb./Chadron) have eyes for the varsity spot at 133 pounds. Courier placed fifth as a junior and third as a senior in the Missouri State Championships before attending UW-La Crosse as a freshman.

"I'm very excited about Spencer," Manny said. "He's very tough and has already made a name for himself in our room. Spencer will be wrestling in March if he keeps doing what he's doing."

Freshmen Tyson Bowman (Winterset, Iowa/Winterset) and Mike Smith (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Thomas Jefferson) will push Sand at 141 pounds.

At 157, Missouri state-champion Brian Haynes (Gladstone, Mo./Oak Park) will likely hold the starting spot as a freshman. California-native, Greg Harlow (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) will also battle for mat time.

Junior Tanner Erdman (Tecumseh, Neb./Johnson County) and lone senior Ryan Haworth (Indianola, Iowa/Indianola) are the contenders to fill the spot vacated by four-year starter Jordy Amons at 174.

"Both of these wrestlers have been in the program for two years and have shown lots of improvement," Manny said.

Final Thoughts

After three-straight two-win seasons, Manny believes his team is poised for a jump in the right direction. And the only way to make the jump is old-fashioned work ethic.

"We want to let people in our conference and in the country know that we are getting the ship righted and will be back toward the top of the Iowa Conference," Manny said. "What we are about is hard work. Our guys have done everything I've asked of them, which is all a coach can ask. We are building our foundation on hard work."

Simpson opens the season this Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Knox Invitational in Galesburg, Ill.