Prairie Wrestling

Netolicky, Northrup top all-Metro wrestling

Andrew Netolicky of Prairie and Joel Northrup of Linn-Mar have been named the Co-Athletes of the Year on the 2013 all-Metro wrestling team.

Netolicky placed third at 285 pounds at the Class 3A state meet last week and Northrup finished third at 145 pounds. Both wrestlers are seniors.

Sam Uthoff (Prairie), Matt Wempen (Linn-Mar), Alijah Jeffery (Linn-Mar), Josh Wenger (Prairie), Michael Moncivais (Jefferson), Trey Blaha (Prairie), Ross Lembeck (Linn-Mar), River Whitters (Prairie), Cameron Rathje (Prairie), Austin Gould (Prairie), Andrew Holladay (Linn-Mar), Casey Becker (Prairie) and Justin Green (Linn-Mar) joined Netolicky and Northrup as first-team selections.

Blake Williams of Prairie was named the Coach of the Year.

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Netolicky, Northrup end careers in style

DES MOINES -- Joel Northrup will be remembered as the devout young man who declined to wrestle a girl at the state tournament two years ago, but he also should be remembered as a talented athlete who enjoyed a highly successful high school career.

Northrup placed third at the Class 3A state tournament in 2010, finished fourth in 2012 and capped his career by taking third at 145 pounds again Saturday for the Linn-Mar Lions.

He also qualified for the state wrestling meet in 2011, but that was the year he forfeited to a girl in the first round due to his religious convictions, saying he did not think it proper to engage a female in that manner.

Saddled with a first-round defeat that season, he failed to place in the midst of intense national attention.

"I'm not ashamed of that," he said Saturday. "I'm proud of what I stood up for and I have no regrets on that."

Cedar Rapids Prairie senior Andrew Netolicky also finished his prep wrestling career Saturday as a three-time placewinner when he finished third at 285 pounds.

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Lions struggle at state wrestling; Hawks 2nd

DES MOINES - Linn-Mar Coach Doug Streicher left Wells Fargo Arena Thursday afternoon with a muffin in one hand and a half-empty feeling in the other.

The Lions struggled in spots on the opening day of the Class 3A state wrestling tournament and face an uphill struggle to catch mighty Southeast Polk in the team standings.

Linn-Mar compiled a sub-.500 record of 8-and-9 in 17 matches Thursday and had four grapplers knocked out of the tournament, leaving only eight in contention.

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Controversies erupt at state wrestling tourney

DES MOINES - Controversy was piled upon controversy at the state dual meet wrestling tournament Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

The Linn-Mar Lions defied a state edict to use their top lineup, got clobbered by Waverly-Shell Rock in the first round  and face possible sanctions from the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

The Prairie Hawks used their best guys in the opening round and beat Dowling Catholic, but their worst fears were realized when 106-pounder Sam Uthoff suffered a knee injury that put his status in doubt for the individual state tournament that starts Thursday.

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