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Looking back: Champions from Iowa's final state wrestling tournament at Veterans Memorial Auditorium

Looking back: Champions from Iowa's final state wrestling tournament at Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Step inside Iowa's best known barn, and you can't help it. Your heart gets racing. You can't, can't really control your feelings. It's crazy. Your heart don't jump *** beat when you come in here. You're *** dead man. There's no doubt about it. Champions can remember childhood experiences here. They're probably 4th grade. Now the Class 3A heavyweight has *** shot to be the last champion ever crowned in this building Saturday night. After about 30,000 matches, vets' time is almost up. It'll be hard to replace this because of the nature of the program here, but the barn's not the only springtime staple ending its run with some reluctance, but It's time. The man who runs the meat is retiring too. He's the icon of that. For 34 years, Dave Hardy has led this circus that just keeps on growing. There's been *** lot of changes and of course the wrestling keeps getting better and the coaching gets better. The sport is in 3 times as many high schools as it was before Hardy's first match, and the state finals are sellouts every year. But this is *** year to move on, honoring the home of Iowa wrestling and the man who helped build it. I love every bit of it.
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Looking back: Champions from Iowa's final state wrestling tournament at Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Between 1970 and 2005, Iowa high school wrestlers battled for the right to compete at Veterans Memorial Auditorium.Vets — or The Barn, as it was also known — hosted the high school state wrestling tournament for those 35 years. An estimated 30,000 state matches were held at Vets before the tournament was moved to Wells Fargo Arena in 2006. Video above from 2005: Final Iowa high school wrestling state tournament at Veterans Memorial AuditoriumScroll to see the 2005 class of state wrestling champions — the last at Veterans Memorial Auditorium.vlog archives: Sights and sounds from 2003 Iowa high school state wrestling tournamentIowa's 2005 high school state wrestling championsTeam:Class 3A: Waverly-Shell RockClass 2A: Emmetsburg/Armstrong-RingsteadClass 1A: Logan-Magnolia Individual, Class 3A:103: Matt Ballweg, Waverly-Shell Rock112: Russell Weakley, Fort Madison119: Montell Marion, West Des Moines Valley125: Kyle Anson, Iowa City High130: Joey Slaton, Cedar Rapids Kennedy135: Zach McKray, Iowa City High140: Matt Ballweg, Waverly-Shell Rock145: Brad Lower, Burlington152: Mike Stamp, Lewis Central160: Jimmy Waters, Lewis Central171: Jay Borschel, Linn-Mar189: Romeo Djoumessi, Waverly-Shell Rock215: Jesse Smith, Southeast Polk275: Travis Meade, Iowa City WestIndividual, Class 2A:103: Tyler Halverson, Cherokee112: Pat McCaffrey, Centerville119: T.J. Sebolt, Centerville125: Laramie Shaffer, Winterset130: Nick Pickerell, Albia135: Luke Satern, Humboldt140: Travis Eggers, MFL/Mar-Mac145: Justin Kerber, Emmetsburg/AR152: Micah Keller, Mediapolis160: Brett Hakeman, Union171: Chad Beatty, Wilton189: Joe Curran, Bishop Heelan215: Ben Lehman, Independence275: Mike Zimmerly, IndependenceIndividual, Class 1A:103: Dalton Jensen, Missouri Valley112: Mark Kist, Eagle Grove119: David O’Loughlin, Don Bosco125: Austin Baier, Nodaway Valley130: Eric Davis, WACO135: Charlie Ettelson, Hudson140: Daniel LeClere, North Linn145: Mitch Norton, Nashua-Plainfield152: Ryan Morningstar, Lisbon160: Phil O’Loughlin, Don Bosco171: Scott Hazen, Underwood182: Thomas Hess, Bedford215: Rory Miller, Riverside275: Adam Lyons, Central DecaturSource: Iowa High School Athletic AssociationWATCH: Sights and sounds from Day 1 of the 2025 Iowa high school wrestling state tournamentWATCH: Lifelong wrestling fan, former state champion writes love letter to Iowa's state wrestling tournament
DES MOINES, Iowa —

Between 1970 and 2005, Iowa high school wrestlers battled for the right to compete at Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

Vets — or The Barn, as it was also known — hosted the high school state wrestling tournament for those 35 years. An estimated 30,000 state matches were held at Vets before the tournament was moved to Wells Fargo Arena in 2006.

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Video above from 2005: Final Iowa high school wrestling state tournament at Veterans Memorial Auditorium

Scroll to see the 2005 class of state wrestling champions — the last at Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

vlog archives: Sights and sounds from 2003 Iowa high school state wrestling tournament

Iowa's 2005 high school state wrestling champions

Team:

  • Class 3A: Waverly-Shell Rock
  • Class 2A: Emmetsburg/Armstrong-Ringstead
  • Class 1A: Logan-Magnolia

Individual, Class 3A:

  • 103: Matt Ballweg, Waverly-Shell Rock
  • 112: Russell Weakley, Fort Madison
  • 119: Montell Marion, West Des Moines Valley
  • 125: Kyle Anson, Iowa City High
  • 130: Joey Slaton, Cedar Rapids Kennedy
  • 135: Zach McKray, Iowa City High
  • 140: Matt Ballweg, Waverly-Shell Rock
  • 145: Brad Lower, Burlington
  • 152: Mike Stamp, Lewis Central
  • 160: Jimmy Waters, Lewis Central
  • 171: Jay Borschel, Linn-Mar
  • 189: Romeo Djoumessi, Waverly-Shell Rock
  • 215: Jesse Smith, Southeast Polk
  • 275: Travis Meade, Iowa City West

Individual, Class 2A:

  • 103: Tyler Halverson, Cherokee
  • 112: Pat McCaffrey, Centerville
  • 119: T.J. Sebolt, Centerville
  • 125: Laramie Shaffer, Winterset
  • 130: Nick Pickerell, Albia
  • 135: Luke Satern, Humboldt
  • 140: Travis Eggers, MFL/Mar-Mac
  • 145: Justin Kerber, Emmetsburg/AR
  • 152: Micah Keller, Mediapolis
  • 160: Brett Hakeman, Union
  • 171: Chad Beatty, Wilton
  • 189: Joe Curran, Bishop Heelan
  • 215: Ben Lehman, Independence
  • 275: Mike Zimmerly, Independence

Individual, Class 1A:

  • 103: Dalton Jensen, Missouri Valley
  • 112: Mark Kist, Eagle Grove
  • 119: David O’Loughlin, Don Bosco
  • 125: Austin Baier, Nodaway Valley
  • 130: Eric Davis, WACO
  • 135: Charlie Ettelson, Hudson
  • 140: Daniel LeClere, North Linn
  • 145: Mitch Norton, Nashua-Plainfield
  • 152: Ryan Morningstar, Lisbon
  • 160: Phil O’Loughlin, Don Bosco
  • 171: Scott Hazen, Underwood
  • 182: Thomas Hess, Bedford
  • 215: Rory Miller, Riverside
  • 275: Adam Lyons, Central Decatur

Source: Iowa High School Athletic Association

WATCH: Sights and sounds from Day 1 of the 2025 Iowa high school wrestling state tournament

WATCH: Lifelong wrestling fan, former state champion writes love letter to Iowa's state wrestling tournament


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