Fairfield school honors Ralph and Linda Messerli family

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Community School District Board of Directors has agreed to rename the wrestling facility at Fairfield High School in honor of the Ralph and Linda Messerli family.

Ralph worked at the high school for 38 years as a counselor, wrestling and football coach, and was the high school principal for his final 25 years in the district. Linda worked at Pence Elementary School for 25 years as a teacher’s aide and elementary secretary. She was also a founding member of “Mat Mothers,” a support group for wrestlers to help cover their expenses.

Ralph coached wrestling at Northwest Missouri State University, his alma mater, and at Cardinal High School, Fairfield High School and Parsons College. He was a wrestling official for 25 years at the high school and collegiate levels, and was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame. He was inducted as one of the original members of Northwest Missouri State’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1962.

Ralph and Linda retired in 2003, but remained active in community organizations. Ralph served on the school board for four years, after which he, Linda and Greg and June Lowenberg chaired the committee responsible for remodeling the high school, in areas such as science, music, the foyer to the gymnasium, a new elevator and the new wrestling facility.

All three of the Messerlis’ children — Dana, Darin and David — were involved in school activities throughout their careers. After college, all three coached in their particular school systems. Dana and Darin are still involved in coaching activities while David, after 13 years teaching and coaching at FHS, changed jobs and is now a full colonel in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Ralph and Linda said they were honored by the school board’s gesture to name the wrestling facility after them. They were also adamant that the name include their entire family, since their children were such a big part of the family’s commitment to education and extracurricular activities.

Ralph said he got into wrestling as a young boy because his brother wrestled. Ralph started wrestling in the Pee Wee League, and realized he had a passion for the sport, which has stayed with him his whole life. When he began coaching wrestling, Linda became active, too. She and a group of mothers saw the need for a booster organization to help the wrestlers similar to what the football team enjoyed.

“Mat Mothers” was started in 1979. The group sold candy and held other fundraisers to get money for the wrestling banquet and the trophies given to the wrestlers at the end of the year, as well as their meals. Before “Mat Mothers” was formed, those financial responsibilities fell squarely on the parents. Fundraisers also helped defray the cost of attending wrestling tournaments in places like Ames, where the Fairfield wrestlers were able to challenge wrestlers from the biggest schools in the state. Ralph said the Trojans held their own even against stiff competition.

Ralph and Linda said they’re pleased the district was able to build a new wrestling facility that has plenty of room for the program’s wrestlers. Ralph said it is a far cry from some of the practice facilities he used, such as one that was only 12 feet wide, barely big enough to fit one wrestling mat in. Later, the practice facility was moved into the girls’ gym, but the mats had to be rolled up every night.

At one point, the wrestlers and boys’ basketball teams shared a locker room, but that was inconvenient because their practices ended at the same time. A group of wrestling supporters went to the school board to lobby for a new wrestling facility, one with its own heating and ventilation system, and the board agreed to build it.

“This new facility is nice,” Ralph said.

“We’re definitely proud of it,” Linda said.

The district will formally dedicate the wrestling facility to the Messerli family, though that date has not been determined.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com