The third biggest story in our top 10 countdown for Mid-Prairie athletics from the last year takes us to the wrestling mat. It was the first sanctioned season for wrestling with the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Golden Hawks made sure it was a big one. In the dual season, Mid-Prairie was an impressive 7-1, best in school history. Under the direction of head coach Dylan Walther, they scored wins over big school heavyweights including Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa City West, Iowa City Liberty, twice, Solon, Mount Vernon and West Liberty, by a combined 360-225 score. Mid-Prairie won a pair of tournaments during the season, beating the field with 118 points at BGM behind individual titles from Gabi Robertson and Mia Garvey. The Hawks also won the team trophy at their home tournament to end the regular season, scoring 138 points with championships for Robertson and Ellie Brenneman.

For the first time in state history, the Athletic Union required girls wrestlers to qualify for the state tournament by going through Super Regionals. At the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, the Golden Hawks made more history. Mid-Prairie qualified five wrestlers for state, the most in school history, boys or girls, for a single season, breaking the previous record of four boys in 1998. The “Fab 5” included Robertson, Brenneman, Grace Conway, Garvey and Ellie Callahan. It was the ninth time in school history Mid-Prairie had qualified multiple wrestlers for a single state tournament and the fifth time they had sent three or more in any given year.

Once at State at Xstream Arena in Coralville the success continued. The Golden Hawks scored 25 team points. Top individual result belonged to Robertson, who found her way onto the podium for the second straight year, putting together a 3-3 tournament to finish eighth. She is only the sixth wrestler in school history to place at state twice. The other four Golden Hawks all won at least once during their stay in Coralville. In total, three Hawks won at least 30 matches this season and seven had their hand raised at least 25 times. Brenneman had the team lead with 36 victories, Robertson had 35, Ashlee Farrier 32, Marissa Cline, Garvey and Callahan all won 28 times.

This group of Hawks also cemented their names in the school record books individually. Through her junior season Robertson now owns five program records. She is the career leader with 83 takedowns and 16 two-point nearfalls. Her 47 takedowns, 10 two-point nearfalls and 13 three-point nearfalls this season are all best for a single year. Also through three years in the program, Brenneman owns four school marks. Her 48 pins and 19 reversals are most in a career. Her 36 wins and 33 falls this season are most for a single year. Garvey finished her time for the Hawks with a pair of career records with 48 pins and 34 escapes. Cline closed her time at Mid-Prairie with a single season best 14 reversals. Ashlee Farrier already holds a career mark with 34 escapes through just her sophomore season. The Golden Hawk girls posted 222 pins this season, most in program history.

The Mid-Prairie boys program had a 14-7 dual season under long-time assistant and first year head coach Randy Billups. Those 14 victories are tied for the most in school history for a single year, matching the total in 2017-18 and 2019-20. It was the Hawks fourth straight winning season and eighth in the last 10 years. The Golden Hawks closed strong, winning nine of 11 duals after Christmas. Two Golden Hawks reached the 30 win plateau with a pair of seniors leading the way. Kaden Meader finished 36-14 and Mose Yoder 31-12. Yoder’s total included his 100th career victory, a pin of Austin Etzel of Wilton at the Gary Curtis Invitational at Highland January 7th. Mid-Prairie was 10th as a team at the River Valley Conference championships. At the district tournament, senior Terry Bordenave advanced to state as a runner-up at 195lbs by going 3-1.

Thursday, we bring you the second biggest story in Mid-Prairie sports from the last school year when we highlight the Golden Hawk cross country teams.