Mustang seniors aiming to end careers on top
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| PCM senior Zach Findlow lets out a celebratory yell to the Mustang fans after defeating Grinnell’s Jared Keenan at the district meet last Saturday. Findlow qualified for state despite this being his first varsity season. (Shane Lucas/Daily News) |
“Tat Power” has become more than just a light-hearted rallying cry for members of the Prairie City-Monroe wrestling team.
Started at the beginning of the this season in a dual against Gilbert, the expression is now immortalized on a mat hoist in the PCM wrestling room. It could be a coincidence that all four inked up members of the group, seniors Dalton Kingery, Bryce Wignall, Zach Findlow and Jake Tool, are the Mustangs’ four state qualifiers.
Then again, maybe there’s really something behind “Tat Power.”
“It’s just kind of fun and it’s ironic that it’s the four guys that are our final four guys,” Kingery said. “I’m glad it’s a good group of guys that I can share that with.”
The members of the group will be hoping to shout out their tattoo-related encouragement to each other starting today at the state wrestling meet in Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Three of the four seniors will be returning to the Well, while Findlow is the group’s first-time participant.
Kingery, making his fourth appearance at the tournament, enters the meet as the only undefeated wrestler in the 126-pound bracket at 36-0. He has been on a mission all season, and that mission ends with nothing short of a state title. Standing in his way in the first round will be Mediapolis sophomore Drew Foster, who compiled a 39-8 record this season.
“I’m very focused right now,” Kingery said. “A lot of people have been talking about the state meet and predictions, and there seems to be a lot of doubting on my behalf. I just really want to finish the state tournament and shut them up for good. It’s huge motivation and they’ve got my motor going.”
Kingery is unaware of most of the competition in his bracket, but got a lot of scouting help from a good friend that is searching for a state title of his own _ Southeast Polk’s Cory Clark, who is searching for a state title of his own at 126 pounds in Class 3A.
“I’m more or less nervous because I’ve accepted the fact that after this week, I’m done,” Kingery said. “I’ve got goals and I’m not going to quit and I won’t be content until I get them. But when it’s all said and done, it’s said and done.”
At 138 pounds, Wignall is making his second trip to state. He qualified at 145 pounds last season and wrestled most of this year at the weight before making the drop to 138 a few meets before sectionals. While the move got him to state, it has also been tough for him to keep the weight down.
“Yeah, I’m fighting it a lot this week,” Wignall said. “But I’ve still got to lose a little bit tonight and just be ready (Thursday). That’s all there is to it.”
Wignall will square off with Harlan senior John Schwarte (40-6) in the first round. He feels that he is definitely a step ahead of where he was last season at state, when his nerves admittedly got the best of him.
“We went up to watch the duals (Wednesday) and just with the atmosphere, I’m really excited and ready to wrestle,” Wignall said. “Last year I was a lot more nervous, but this is just more excitement. I’m ready to roll and whoop some butt.”
Findlow, possibly considered at the Mustangs’ Cinderella story going into state after his championship match thriller in districts, is the group’s only first-timer at the tournament. Luckily for him, the fellow members of Tat Power have done this once or twice and have been helping him through the process.
“Dalton, Bryce and Jake have all told me to just act like I’ve been there before and just go out and wrestle smart,” Findlow said. “I’m feeling pretty good actually, the nerves haven’t hit me yet. They’ll probably hit me when I walk out the mat to jog and see all the people there, but I’ve just got to go out and wrestle. You can’t let it get to you.”
Facing Louisa-Muscatine junior Dalton Wheeler (29-10) in the first round, Findlow also has some familiar faces in the 182-pound bracket in Nevada’s Sam Lodestein and Grinnell’s Jared Keenan, who Findlow defeated at districts.
Findlow’s story of struggling through the first three years of his career has been documented, and it’s because of those struggles the past three seasons that Findlow feels he’s really going out on top.
“It means a lot, because this might be the last sport I do,” Findlow said. “It means quite a bit ending it at state and not at districts, which could’ve easily happened. I’ll just have to do my best as a senior and maybe try to shock the world.”
Tool enters the meet with a nearly perfect record of 32-1 and will face Tyler White (30-10) from Perry in the first round. After reaching state as a sophomore and missing out last season, Tool isn’t taking any chances with any of his competition he’ll face this weekend.
“The kid I have in the first round isn’t the toughest, but everyone’s good at state, you’re there for a reason,” Tool said. “I’m just hoping to take everything one step at a time.”
Receiving his tattoo as a birthday present back in December, Tool is Tat Power’s newest member. He spent the season consistently ranked third at 285 pounds in Class 2A and while he’s out for business like the rest of his teammates, he’s appreciative of the way his career at PCM will come to an end.
“It’s pretty special since I grew up with these kids and wrestled with them since Kindergarten,” Tool said. “So to go out his way is pretty cool.”
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