The end of an era at Vets
State wrestling meet will move next year
DES MOINES – Sometime around 10 tonight, a wrestling official is going to bring his hand to the mat or blow his whistle signaling the end of the final match of the 2005 state wrestling tournament.
That final match will end the tournament and an era of a storied tournament at a storied venue, Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
Next year the state wrestling tournament moves to the Wells Fargo Arena, located just across the street from Vets, the tournament’s home since 1970.
Gone will be the constant mobility of fans – “organized chaos, “according to retiring tournament manager David Harty – around the eight-match configuration. Gone too will be the charm of a site nicknamed “The Barn.”
When the Iowa High School Athletic Association began holding state wrestling tournaments, sites included Clarion, Mason City, Iowa State Teachers College (UNI) and then, somewhat of a permanent home at McElroy Auditorium in Waterloo.
The tournament has been at Vets since 1970, except for 1971 when it stepped out of the way for the National Bowling Congress tournament. Since coming to Des Moines, the tournament has grown from two classes to three and has expanded from two days to four.
“The thing has just grown by leaps and bounds over the years, “Harty said, adding that the tournament outgrew McElroy Auditorium.
It was a one-class, two-day tournament back in those days and eventually moved to two classes.
“For a two-day tournament, we’d have 15,000, maybe 20,000 people, “Harty said.
Crowds have grown almost yearly since the tournament came to Des Moines. Upwards of 90,000 fans were expected at Vets this week. As more schools added wresting programs, the tournament has doubled the number of athletes in each weight bracket.
The tournament also has grown from two classes to three and has expanded from two days to four.
The atmosphere may be the tournament’s signature. With the exception of the Saturday evening, fans are admitted with general admission tickets. They can sit or stand almost anywhere.
Most students choose to get as close to the mats as possible, leading to a constant motion of fans circling the arena floor.
“I just call it organized chaos, “Harty said. “That’s really an exciting part of the tournament, and we’ll probably lose that going into the Wells Fargo Arena.”
Seats in the new area will have backs and are above mat level. Each attendee will sit in a seat and only wrestlers, coaches and a handful of media will be allowed on the floor along with officials and tournament workers.
Walt Kreimeyer of Ankeny and Gerald Nelson of Urbandale have each scored the tournament for 36 years, beginning before the event was moved to Vets. They both said they will continue to serve as scorers for the tournament.
Nelson said when he started scoring tournaments at Vets, electronics were not used.
“We had flip charts to keep score and had to keep track of riding time back then, “Nelson said.
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