It’s opening night on the mat for the Mid-Prairie girls wrestling team when they travel to North Scott for the Lancer Invitational this evening. In their first season as an Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union sanctioned program, the Hawks enjoyed tremendous success. They posted a 7-1 dual record, scoring wins over Iowa City Liberty twice, Iowa City West, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Solon, Mount Vernon and West Liberty. They won a pair of tournament championships, beating the field at BGM and their home tournament in Wellman.

The Hawks sent a school record, boys or girls, five athletes to the state tournament at Xstream Arena in Coralville. At state, the Hawks were led by Gabi Robertson and her eighth place individual finish. As a team, Mid-Prairie scored 25 points at the meet. On the season, they had three athletes win at least 30 matches, Ellie Brenneman with 36, Robertson with 35 and Ashlee Farrier with 32, and seven get their hands raised at least 25 times, including Marissa Cline, Mia Garvey and Ellie Callahan all winning 28 times. The Hawks set 11 different team and individual school records.

Looking ahead to this year, the Hawks return eight of their 11 athletes that competed a season ago. Back again are seniors, Robertson, who will be limited due to injury, Kenda Shqair, Brenneman and Sam Stacey, junior Farrier and sophomores Mardie Berry and Callahan. This week, the Golden Hawks senior trio Brenneman, Stacey and Robertson talked about their goals and what they are looking forward to most this season. Brenneman said, “I have a lot of goals. A big one for me is getting first place at regionals and qualifying for state. Then hopefully placing at state. That is my big end goal.”

Stacey continued, “Make it to state, that’s big.”

Robertson added, “For me, I just want to help everyone else. Not necessarily focus on myself. I’m still going through my recovery. By the end of the season I hope to be drilling a little bit more with everybody to help them on their journey to state.”

The Hawks will be joined tonight by athletes from Davenport Assumption, Central DeWitt, Clinton, Davenport, Western Dubuque, Muscatine and the home Lancers. Action starts at 5p.m. and continues into the evening in Eldridge.