Wrestlers grapple with pandemic

The widespread COVID-19 pandemic has been unavoidable in 2020, and high school sports have had to change because of it. While the summer and fall sports seasons were able to get in without too many disruptions, every season is a new challenge.

For most sports, there are clear ways to stay away from each other as much as possible. In baseball, each team would bring its own balls, which the batting team and fans weren't allowed to touch. In volleyball, opposing teams stayed on their own side of the net instead of switching between sets per usual.

But the sport of wrestling is an entirely different animal. Physical contact is a must. Every rule that goes hand-in-hand with staying clear of a virus goes directly against the makeup of one of Iowa's most beloved sports.

The local teams, however, are giving it their best shot. While wrestlers still go toe-to-toe on the mats, in meets and at practices, everything looks a little different, and a lot cleaner.

The first step for wrestling coaches to keep things under control is to change the way the teams practice. This includes lowering the number of sparring partners, spreading out and wearing face coverings.

'We changed up our practice a little bit,” said Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union co-coach Andy Milder. 'We break them up into groups so they're not so close-quartered all the time, and we constantly preach to wear a mask.”

While wrestlers already usually spar with teammates around their own weight class, some teams have had their athletes come in at different times. Group workouts have also been limited.

'We've been limiting the kids' contact,” said Mt. Pleasant coach Anthony Blint. 'We haven't gotten into our group wrestling with kids being out and not being at school. It's kind of a setback.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has also hurt numbers in the sport of wrestling. Many teams in Southeast Iowa are down in numbers this season, and quarantines have often effected how many wrestlers are able to show up.

'We had some kids not want to go out because of COVID-19 or going out for other sports,” said Blint. 'Wrestling is a hands on sport, so it is what it is.”

Teams have also been focusing on staying clean, especially before and after getting on the mats. Coach Milder says he makes sure his team is taking extra measures to stay germ-free.

'We're constantly telling the kids to keep everything clean,” Milder said. 'We stop practice about every 15 or 20 minutes to re-sanitize.”

Only time will tell if these measures keep the athletes and coaches healthy. If so, the state of Iowa will have made it through its most challenging sport since the CODID-19 pandemic began.