HS meet in Ames this weekend?

**enisthemenace** · 01-03-2013, 08:55 PM

I heard there was a 16 team, all classes tournament in Ames this weekend. Supposed to be pretty good. Does anyone know anything about it? Where and when, specifically and possibly what schools are participating?

I have a work associate in town from AZ on an extended project. He wrestled in HS (AZ) and he's wanting to catch some "Iowa wrestling". I went to a 4A school, so I'm familiar with some of the CIML powers, but told him small school wrestling is where it's at. Since this one is all classes, I thoight it might be a good one for him to check out.

Any help would be appreciated.

**theshadow** · 01-03-2013, 09:17 PM

Mendenhall Invite
Ames HS
11 a.m. Saturday

Ames
Indianola
Fort Dodge
Valley
Perry
Clarion-Goldfield
Aplington-Parkersburg
Spencer
Sgt. Bluff-Luton
CR Jefferson
CR Prairie
OA-BCIG
Humboldt
CR Kennedy
Dowling
Ballard

**Clone83** · 01-03-2013, 09:20 PM

Sounds like a big tourny. Here is a thread about it on the Predicament's 3A message board: The Predicament's Message Boards - Ames Tourney January 5th

You can find another thread about it there on the 2A board.

**enisthemenace** · 01-03-2013, 09:26 PM

Perfect. Thanks.

**Clone83** · 01-03-2013, 09:40 PM

They list them in that thread, but you can find the state rankings, individual and team, at the Predicament's home page. I didn't see a direct link to the home page from their message boards.

Home page
The Predicament- Your Ulitmate source in Iowa Wrestling

Rankings - direct link
The Predicament.com-your ultimate Iowa wrestling source

**Clone83** · 01-05-2013, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by enisthemenace

I heard there was a 16 team, all classes tournament in Ames this weekend. Supposed to be pretty good. Does anyone know anything about it? Where and when, specifically and possibly what schools are participating?

I have a work associate in town from AZ on an extended project. He wrestled in HS (AZ) and he's wanting to catch some "Iowa wrestling". I went to a 4A school, so I'm familiar with some of the CIML powers, but told him small school wrestling is where it's at. Since this one is all classes, I thought it might be a good one for him to check out.

Any help would be appreciated.

Probably not many here are aware of this, and not sure if your friend from AZ would still be here, but one of the best small town tournaments has to be the John J. Harris Invitational in Corning.

It is a two day tournament, starting at 4 p.m. on a Friday, and is Jan. 18-19 this year, the 58th annual. (See Pride of Iowa, Corning calendar for Jan. 18 and Jan. 19)

Twenty three teams participated in 2012.

I don’t see a lot of publicity online, and can’t be sure of this year’s line up (the link above says TBA). There could be a change or two, but here are the teams, finish, and size class from last year:

Marlin, Creston win at Corning invite - Omaha.com

1. Creston/Orient-Macksburg, 2A (216)
2. Atlantic, 2A (203)
3. Winterset, 2A (136)
4. Tri-Center [Neola], 1A (135)
5. Bedford/Lenox, 2A (109)
6. Red Oak, 2A (94)
7. Coon Rapids, 1A (83)
8. Nodaway Valley [Greenfield], 1A (75)
9. Corning, 1A (72.5)
10. Chariton, 2A (71)
11. Clarinda, 2A (70)
12. Central Decatur [Leon], 2A (68)
13. Missouri Valley, 2A (62)
14. Panorama [Panora], 1A (57.5)
15. Carroll, 3A (38.5)
16. Mount Ayr, 1A (36)
17. Southwest Iowa [Sidney], 1A (31)
18. Griswold, 1A (27.5)
19. Riverside [Oakland], 1A (26)
20. Wayne [Corydon], 1A (20)
21. East Mills [Malvern], 1A (20)
22. Clarke [Osceola], 2A (18)
23. Shenandoah, 2A (17)

Teams: Class 3A (1); Class 2A (11); Class 1A (11)

The depth of competition is not the level of the one in Ames - which seems likely the most competitive in Iowa - but with 23 schools it is still tough. Some schools might not have a strong team, but still have an individual or two among the state’s best.

Looking at this year’s team rankings from the Predicament, Creston is 4th in 2A, and Tri-Center is 8th in 1A.

Wrestlers this year include seniors Jake Marlin of Creston, at 138, who is going for his 4th state championship, and Loren Williams of Tri-Center, at 152, who is shooting for his 3rd. Marlin signed with the Hawkeyes, and Williams with the Cyclones.

Atlantic radio station KSOM 96.5 posted the seeds in 2012 (and presumably will cover it again this year): 96.5 KSOM Audubon, Atlantic, Red Oak, Harlan Iowa News, Sports and Weather

A description and preview from a Predicament article for the 50th anniversary of the tournament in 2005:

The Predicament.com-your ultimate Iowa wrestling source

Many of the top teams and individuals in Southwest Iowa will be packed into the Corning High School gym, along with some of the most rabid fans in the state. This one is definitely standing room only. I know, I've tried to squeeze my way in there a few times.

The action will start with pigtail matches Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. and won't get over until around 5 p.m. Saturday. It isn't 25 non-stop hours of wrestling, but when you leave the gym after the finals, it will feel like it has been with all the action you take in. ...

(As noted there, 2005 was Andrew Long’s freshman year at Creston.)

From the current Iowa State roster, I see that it includes three Cyclones who would have wrestled at Corning in high school: state champions Seth Esaias from Red Oak and Quinn Wilson from Riverside (Oakland), and Trevor Paulson from Tri-Center (4th at state as a junior, injury default as a senior).

Corning is a decent small town. It is the county seat of Adams County, and the population was 1,635 in 2010: Corning, Iowa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My memories are old, and this makes me feel old, but I recall having a tasty malt at a local drug store (which a quick internet search suggests is still there). Probably hard for many here to relate, but where we stayed, I remember us watching a lot of the Three Stooges on this then relatively rare thing called cable TV. (Corning was probably in something of a dead zone for antenna between Omaha, Des Moines, and Missouri.) The town is best known as Johnny Carson’s birthplace, but the wrestling tournament surely ranks high as well.

The Johnny Carson Birthplace Society

**heyguy85** · 01-05-2013, 05:15 PM

CR Prairie should win the tournament. Ballard and Dowling have some decent wrestlers. McCrystal is a phenomenal wrestler from a small school.

**Clone83** · 01-05-2013, 05:24 PM

ISUChip is doing updates for the Ames tournament on the other board.

**Clone83** · 01-13-2013, 10:17 AM

The Register's Kyle Munson has a good column today on restoration of the house in Corning where Johnny Carson was born, including video:

Munson: Old photo changes restoration of Carson's birthplace
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/art...nclick_check=1

(try something like Chrome Incognito or FF private browsing if unable to access)

The Corning tournament is this Friday and Saturday, beginning at 4PM Friday. Looks like Atlantic radio station KSOM will provide good coverage again (updates every half hour last year):

96.5 KSOM Audubon, Atlantic, Red Oak, Harlan Iowa News, Sports and Weather

(... member of the Cyclone Radio Network, as I found out last week after downloading their Android app and hearing Bill Fennelly on the pregrame!)