Panther grapplers fielding two teams with introduction of girls’ wrestling

Pekin head wrestling coach Al Chapman and the boys’ wrestling team will be putting eight grapplers on the mats this year. Three newcomers as freshman that will be seeing significant action this season will be Reed Lauderman (106), Hayden Bowman (113/120), and Zach Doud (120). The lone sophomore bringing in experience from last year will be Gannon Greiner, taking control of the 126 spot in the lineup. The Panther squad will be leaning on the leadership of their four seniors on and off the mat. Murderer row starts with Gavyn Brown at 160, followed by Logan Baker at 170, last year District qualifier Blake Juhl at 182, and Ryan Doud at the 195 spot.

Pekin is also part of the fastest growing sport in the state this year, girls’ wrestling. Last February when the girls’ union announced that wrestling would be a sanctioned sport there were 50 schools and around 250 girls already wrestling. Now there are 191 schools and over 2300 girls wrestling in the state of Iowa. In the inaugural Panthers season Coach Chapman is excited to have seven Pekin wrestlers: senior Rainee Greiner at 135, junior Cheryl Wise at 155, sophomore Emma Hopper at 120, and freshmen Lexa Nelson (115), Payten Coleman (125), Hailey Pedrick (130), and Lila Miller (140).

Both teams will be participating at nine events together throughout the season with three of those events at Pekin. Both squads will have six other separate events leading up to the postseason. The girls will have a Super Regionals to wrestle at in order to qualify for State, that will be held at the new Extreme Arena in Coralville. The state has changed the boys’ state format. They have dropped Sectionals and to qualify for State there is just a District meet. A lot of exciting, challenging, enthusiastic times to look forward to this season on the mat at Pekin!