It has been a long wait to get on the mats for Iowa Central and head coach Luke Moffitt.
And once they do, the season is going to last about the length of a match.
But Moffitt and the sixth-ranked Tritons are ready to hit the ground running this weekend when they tackle NCAA Div. I opponent Iowa State in Ames.
"I would say the one good thing about not having any action during the first semester was that it allowed us to prepare for all the changes," said Moffitt, who has guided the Tritons to multiple national championships during his time in charge of the program. "We've gotten a lot of reps in about the new way of doing things to the point where it has really just become the new normal for us."
That includes multiple COVID-19 tests to adhere to Big XII and Iowa State guidelines to compete. But it is all worth it to Moffitt to give his team the chance to compete against a Div. I program like in previous years when they have wrestled Iowa in Iowa City.
"It was huge getting this dual on the schedule," Moffitt said. "It's a chance for them to compete at the highest level while also gaining valuable experience and seeing where they stand in comparison to those kids.
"Honestly, when the schedules first came out, it didn't look good. But I've had talks with (ISU head coach) Kevin Dresser in the past and we were able to work it out. Plus, we'll get everybody healthy and traveling a match with all the extra matches provided now."
The Tritons return three key wrestlers from a season ago in returning national qualifiers Bret Minor, Nolan Miller-Johnston and Andrew Gamble. They are joined by a solid nucleus of incoming and other returning grapplers looking to secure a spot in the lineup.
"Bret, Nolan and Andrew have been good leaders who are providing the team with that experience you need to get through practices and everything else," Moffitt said. "We've got some guys coming in that are going to be tough to beat, too, but we feel good about several weights with the depth we have."
Among those Moffitt pointed to include heavyweight Jordan Pryor, Jose Rodriguez, University of Northern Iowa transfer Keaton Geerts, Phil Smith Jr., Couy Weil and Hugo Harp.
Geerts was a two-time state champion while competing for New Hampton while also claiming Junior Freestyle and Greco State championships in 2016. Rodriguez returns to Iowa Central after earning All-American honors in 2018 while Pryor was the backup to national champion Boone McDermott a season ago.
Weil competed last year for the Tritons while both Smith and Harp were three-time state wrestling champions.
-By Dana Becker
IOWA CENTRAL WRESTLING
Roster
Brett Carder, Lugoff, SC; Aiden Carr, Ames; Arnold Charleston, St. Louis; James Cline, Limerick, ME; Chris Eastman, Riceville; Andrew Gamble, Belton, MO; Keaton Geerts, New Hampton; Daquion Goodbeir, Duluth, GA; Aaron Goodman, Columbia, SC; Davian Gowens, Hesperia, MI; Marquavious Green, Jonesboro, GA; Jesus Gutierrez, Victorville, CA; Hugo Harp, Smyrna, DE; Aidan Harris, Layton, UT; Reese Hood, Missoula, MT; Lorenzo Jenkins, St. Louis; Chad Klein, Hospers; Jordan Lee, Seneca, SC; Harry Lloyd, Honolulu.
Devon McSorley, Hastings, MN; Nolan Miller-Johnston, Omaha; Bret Minor, Louisburg, KS; Amir Pierce, Dover, DE; Barret Pitt, Magnolia; Jordan Pryor, Baltimore; Jose Rodriguez, St. Paul, MN; Trevion Sample, Grand Prairie TX; Rhyker Sims, Sergeant Bluff; Phil Smith, Jr., Owings Mills, MD; Dashawn Tigges, Dubuque; Couy Weil, Dodge City, KS; Yoseph Yilma, Silver Spring, MD.
Schedule
Jan. 30 - at Iowa State.
Feb. 11 - at Iowa Western; 17 - Indian Hills; 24 - at NIACC.
March 11 - at Iowa Lakes; 17 - Ellsworth; 24 - Iowa Western.
April 10 - at Region XI Championships in Council Bluffs; April 21-22 - at NJCAA National Championships in Council Bluffs.