Youth wrestlers qualify for AAU state

Six youth wrestlers will represent Newton’s new wrestling club — Big Game Hunters Wrestling Club — at the 2018 Iowa AAU Kids State Wrestling Championships. The state tournament is Saturday and Sunday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Four of the qualifiers were AAU district champions at their weight class — Tyson Elliott, an eighth-grader, at 215 pounds; Brennan Amos, an eighth-grader, at 110 pounds; Lane Rozendaal, a fourth-grader, at 94 pounds and Kent Montgomery, a third-grader, at 54 pounds.

Two other eighth-graders Jaden Shannon (152) and Austin Brady (171) were district runner-up and a third-place finisher, respectively.

Mike Kremer, a former assistant coach for Newton High School wrestling, is the founder of the Big Game Hunters Wrestling Club and head coach. He was a two-time high school state tournament place winner from Independence.

Kremer was a two-time academic All-American, ranked sixth as a collegiate wrestler. He was on the three-time national championship team at Wartburg College in Waverly.

“We wanted to provide an opportunity for kids to develop their bodies to be athletes, and this club gives the kids an idea of what it is like to train as a high-end athlete,” Kremer said.

“We are an all-year club with opportunities to train and compete in wrestling not just during the winter.”

Kremer said during this first year, the club has had 50 athletes at practices from kindergarten to high school seniors.

He said the club has had two sessions — the first session was for the younger kids with a lot fun and flexibility to help build the foundations of being athletic and the basics of the sport of wrestling, and the second session which began in January is for the intermediate to advanced wrestlers.

“This second session is really for the wrestlers who want to push themselves and have future goals of wrestling in college,” Kremer said. “The main goal of this club is to have all of our athletes in some sport in college.”

Kremer said the club is about providing opportunities for youth in Newton and the surrounding communities to develop into athletes. He said they don’t push the younger kids to compete as much as the older kids.

“The first session of the season is geared to more fun and just building strength, flexibility and speed. We don’t want to burn them out with wrestling or with being an athlete,” Kremer said.

“I’ve been impressed with these kids’ work ethic. You hear a lot about kids don;t want to work and put in the time and effort but these kids have been working just as hard as I used to in high school and college. They are stepping up to the challenge, which is a good sign for athletic programs here in Newton.’

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
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or jsheets@newtondailynews.com