Photo Courtesy Mid-Prairie Wrestling Social Media

The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk girls wrestling team is on the mat for the first time in 2022 tonight when they travel to North Scott for a tournament. The Hawks are coming off of a successful season last year that included a ninth place team finish at the Iowa Wrestling Coaches Association State meet at Xstream Arena in Coralville. The Golden Hawks took 10 grapplers to state, with nine scoring points for the team. A pair found their way to the podium with senior Bronwyn Brenneman leading the way at fifth place in the 130lbs class and sophomore Gabi Robertson taking seventh at 100lbs. Senior Madison Kelly at 140lbs and junior Mia Garvey at 155lbs were knocked out one round shy of placing. Mid-Prairie posted a combined 32-20 record in Coralville. Along with Brenneman, Robertson, Kelly and Garvey, juniors Grace Conway, Marissa Cline and Ali Bolanos, sophomore Ellie Brenneman and freshman Ashlee Farrier also scored at state last season.

The Golden Hawks lose Brenneman Kelly and Ainsley Lueck to graduation but return the other seven with state experience and add juniors Kenda Shaqir and Sam Stacey, sophomore Hannah Jamieson and freshman Mardie Berry to the mix. Along with the additions to the roster, is a new addition to the bench. The Golden Hawks are led by new head coach Dylan Walther. He inherits the program started by long time coach Justin Garvey who stepped down after last season. While Walther may be the new head man, he’s not new to Mid-Prairie or the wrestling program, having served in some capacity for the mat Hawks for nearly a decade. He spoke this week with KCII Sports about his coaching experience, time at Mid-Prairie, this year’s team and opening tournament. “I’m in my 11th year at Mid-Prairie, this is my 16th year overall coaching. It’s my third year as an assistant at the high school and this year I’m kind of heading up the girls’ side of things. Other years I have volunteered at the high school level at Mid-Prairie and I also served eight years as the Mid-Prairie Middle School coach. We have a lot of girls that have experience coming back. Gabi Robertson was on the podium last year in her first year. Mia Garvey has been doing this a long time and she was one match away from placing last year. Ellie Brenneman, this is her third year wrestling and she’s really motivated. Marissa Cline and Grace Conway are really fun to work with. Everybody is really progressing over the last couple of years.”

The competition will be tough tonight to open the season for Mid-Prairie, facing large schools including Davenport Assumption, Bettendorf, Central DeWitt, Clinton, Davenport West, Muscatine, Western Dubuque and the North Scott Lancers on their home mat, along with smaller schools Burlington Notre Dame, the Washington Demons and Wilton. Action gets underway tonight at 5p.m. and continues into the evening in Eldridge.