Girls state getting better

CORALVILLE - The Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association held its third girls state tournament Friday and Saturday and it was filled with memorable moments. The key is for it to continue to evolve.

The third installment of the unofficial state tournament for females was bigger and better than ever, moving from Waverly-Shell Rock High School to Xtream Arena in Coralville. The expansion has been well documented. The tournament began two seasons ago, featuring 87 competitors as winter weather that weekend prevented about 30 others from making it. Last season, it blossomed to 250. Last weekend consisted of 457 wrestlers in the two-day event.

This time, there was more pomp and circumstance that surrounded the tournament. More bells and whistles, you might say. Similar treatment as the boys. They wrestled in a larger venue. Six mats under the bright venue lights on Saturday. Large screens on display.

Wrestling legend Dan Gable spoke before the finals. There even was a large backdrop that impressively served as background for the awards podium used for a similar awards ceremony to the Iowa High School Athletic Association's at the traditional state tournament. This was special, even if these wrestlers may have experienced bigger events outside of the high school season.

There were upsets, last-second or overtime thrillers that produced the excitement of victory and the shocking disappointment in defeat and dominating performances.

Mid-Prairie's Bronwyn Brenneman, a junior in her first season of wrestling only because her younger sister, freshman Ellie Brenneman, talked her into it, finished fourth and had an incredible overtime win over Shayla Doran (9-5) of Spencer. Brenneman had already lost once, to Ava Scranton (26-6) of Anamosa who would end up in fifth place, so a loss would end her tournament. She was taken down with 21 seconds left in the first round but escaped seven seconds later to trail 2-1. She started the second round down and escaped for a 2-2 tie starting the third. Doran started down and escaped in 10 seconds to lead 3-2, but Brenneman scored a takedown at the minute mark to lead 4-3. Doran's escape with: 34 left tied the match, sending it to overtime.

'She had me down where I couldn't breathe and thought that's it, it's over, but I somehow got my hips over and reversed the situation and got her,” Brenneman said. 'It was crazy.”

Brenneman somehow wriggled out of a hold that looked to end the match and got a takedown with: 28 remaining to win. From there, Brenneman recorded two pins (one at 4:53 and one at 4:59), received a medical forfeit to get to the consolation title match. In the battle for third, she was pinned in 3:22.

Fourth place in her first year could mean a higher finish next year.

'Hopefully, if I keep working throughout the year, sure,” Brenneman said.

Titles were spread out to nine different schools and 16 total schools were represented in the 12 finals.

Iowa Valley's Millie Peach became the first three-time champion. During the inaugural event, Peach said she hoped one day this would be held in Wells Fargo Arena, like the boys tournament. Make no mistake, she's witnessed and contributed to the success, paving the way for future wrestlers, like her sister, to have this experience.

'I think this is definitely a big step to getting there,” Peach said. 'This is an arena now and that's a very big step. It's great that we get to use this facility for this tournament.”

The tournament was filled with memorable moments, including a rousing speech from Gable, who noted that women's wrestling has helped save the sport's Olympic status.

There were also lump-in-the-throat moments that may have tugged at heart strings. Like when Charles City's Lilly Luft pointed upward after winning the 126-pound title to acknowledge her late brother, Logan, who died in an ATV accident in 2017.

There were grandmothers and mothers jumping, cheering and celebrating while brandishing smiles and tears at the same time. Enthusiastic fathers that could be heard all the way to Williamsburg, urging their children. It was simply fantastic.

The tournament was a shining example of how far the girls' wrestling movement has come. Now, what's next? Wrestlers and coaches need to keep recruiting athletes. Kids' clubs need to continue to attract girls.

Mt. Pleasant coach Anthony Blint issued an open invitation for any girl in the area to come wrestle for the Panthers.

Schools need to find a way to drum up money to support their students interested in the sport and then commit to providing the resources to sustain it.

Continued growth can then lead to qualifying tournaments like every other state championship, making it a truly elite tournament.

This weekend was great. It was a product of a lot of hard work from the wrestlers to the organizers and supporters. More work still is needed to become sanctioned.

The Union's Doug Brenneman contributed to this story.