Grothus chooses Iowa
- Thread starter HawkeyeDaniel
- Start date
Churlish79
Well-Known Member
Intermat ranked #16 nationally among a lot of seniors.. were we working on Edwin Cooper out of Providence (I grew up in the South Suburbs) or Zach Witte out of Cedar Rapids?
I don't know if their is interest in either but Witte is just a Junior i thnik so he would not be on the radar until next year.
AustinMNHawk
Well-Known Member
USAF will know better than I but my understanding is our facilities will be bigger but not really any different.
forcheyhawk
Well-Known Member
Great Quote. That sent a chill down my spine and a little fire into my gut.
Coach Brands in your living room saying stuff like that, I can't imagine how we lose ANY recruiting battles.
IowaboyinNC
Active Member
Well....we might not have the "Best" facilities but look at all the National Champions and National Titles we have! Iowa knows how to get it done and put some hardware in the trophy case. Hell I remember working out in the old Fieldhouse wrestling room.
Iowa knows how to get it done and put some hardware in the trophy case. Hell I remember working out in the old Fieldhouse wrestling room.
fulsaasfan
Well-Known Member
This is a very solid pick up for Iowa and he chose the Hawks over a couple of very good programs. He provides some great depth at 149 and could be a very good wrestler for Iowa down the road. With the injury problems that Dylan Carew has had in the past we really needed another guy besides Jake Ballweg for this weight just in case Dylan can't stay healthy going forward.
pin2win
@hagertony
Assumption senior joins Iowa wrestling | Hawk Central
Brody Grothus wasn’t one of those lifelong Iowa wrestling fans who grew up hoping to one day wear a black-and-gold singlet and step onto the mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The Davenport Assumption senior’s dreams were connected to diamonds. He pictured himself running down fly balls and hitting home runs somewhere in college.
It wasn’t until last year sometime that Grothus said he realized his future was brighter in wrestling. And it wasn’t until this month that the state champion realized there might be an opportunity to wrestle for the Hawkeyes.
“Most kids in the state grow up wanting to wrestle for Iowa, but I wasn’t that way,” Grothus said. “It wasn’t until coach (Tom) Brands called me that I really had any thoughts of wrestling for the University of Iowa.”
“I never really realized I had Division-I potential (in wrestling). But when coach Brands and the Iowa Hawkeyes are knocking on your door, that’s the place you want to be. That gets your motor going a little bit.”
Grothus, who projects as a 149- or 157-pounder in college, was set to sign a letter of intent Thursday with Iowa after his whirlwind recruiting process concluded Wednesday night during his flight home from a visit to Oklahoma.
“I had lots of time to think and it hit me that Iowa was the place I wanted to be,” Grothus said. “Iowa is going to make me a national champion the fastest. I know I could get it done wherever I would’ve went, but (with) the coaches and the guys in the room, Iowa is the best place to wrestle in the country bar none, hands down. The fan support is tremendous, and I’m a guy who likes to wrestle in front of fans.”
Grothus popped onto Iowa’s radar late. He compiled a 175-16 record — 10 of his losses came as a freshman — at Davenport Assumption, placing third as a sophomore and junior before going 52-0 as a senior. He claimed the Class 2A 145-pound title, winning a bracket that included Iowa State recruit Aaron Sorenson and Northern Iowa recruit Tanner Hiatt.
Grothus said Iowa’s interest increased after he placed third earlier this month at Senior Nationals. He said he picked the Hawkeyes over offers from Northern Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa State and George Mason.
“UNI was an extremely close second,” he said. “I built a real strong relationship with coach (Doug) Schwab, and telling him no was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life. He’s got that program headed in the right direction, and I know they’re going to do great things, but I want to be part of what Iowa has now and jump right into it and win both individual and team titles.”
Grothus is thought to be the third wrestler to commit to Iowa’s 2011 recruiting class. He joins three-time South Dakota state champion Kris Klapprodt, who signed with the Hawkeyes in November, and George Mason transfer Cayle Byers, who committed to Iowa in February.
You won’t see Grothus listed among InterMat’s top recruits or in the Amateur Wrestling News national rankings. His commitment to baseball kept him from wrestling on the summer freestyle circuit.
“I’ve only wrestled four months out of the year,” said Grothus, who was a second-team all-district outfielder last year. “I’ve only wrestled one day of freestyle in my entire life and a lot of coaches take freestyle and Fargo into consideration, and I’ve never had a chance to be a part of that. Really, the only time I’ve been able to show what I’ve got — with the exception of my senior year — is at the state tournament.”
Brody Grothus wasn’t one of those lifelong Iowa wrestling fans who grew up hoping to one day wear a black-and-gold singlet and step onto the mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The Davenport Assumption senior’s dreams were connected to diamonds. He pictured himself running down fly balls and hitting home runs somewhere in college.
It wasn’t until last year sometime that Grothus said he realized his future was brighter in wrestling. And it wasn’t until this month that the state champion realized there might be an opportunity to wrestle for the Hawkeyes.
“Most kids in the state grow up wanting to wrestle for Iowa, but I wasn’t that way,” Grothus said. “It wasn’t until coach (Tom) Brands called me that I really had any thoughts of wrestling for the University of Iowa.”
“I never really realized I had Division-I potential (in wrestling). But when coach Brands and the Iowa Hawkeyes are knocking on your door, that’s the place you want to be. That gets your motor going a little bit.”
Grothus, who projects as a 149- or 157-pounder in college, was set to sign a letter of intent Thursday with Iowa after his whirlwind recruiting process concluded Wednesday night during his flight home from a visit to Oklahoma.
“I had lots of time to think and it hit me that Iowa was the place I wanted to be,” Grothus said. “Iowa is going to make me a national champion the fastest. I know I could get it done wherever I would’ve went, but (with) the coaches and the guys in the room, Iowa is the best place to wrestle in the country bar none, hands down. The fan support is tremendous, and I’m a guy who likes to wrestle in front of fans.”
Grothus popped onto Iowa’s radar late. He compiled a 175-16 record — 10 of his losses came as a freshman — at Davenport Assumption, placing third as a sophomore and junior before going 52-0 as a senior. He claimed the Class 2A 145-pound title, winning a bracket that included Iowa State recruit Aaron Sorenson and Northern Iowa recruit Tanner Hiatt.
Grothus said Iowa’s interest increased after he placed third earlier this month at Senior Nationals. He said he picked the Hawkeyes over offers from Northern Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa State and George Mason.
“UNI was an extremely close second,” he said. “I built a real strong relationship with coach (Doug) Schwab, and telling him no was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life. He’s got that program headed in the right direction, and I know they’re going to do great things, but I want to be part of what Iowa has now and jump right into it and win both individual and team titles.”
Grothus is thought to be the third wrestler to commit to Iowa’s 2011 recruiting class. He joins three-time South Dakota state champion Kris Klapprodt, who signed with the Hawkeyes in November, and George Mason transfer Cayle Byers, who committed to Iowa in February.
You won’t see Grothus listed among InterMat’s top recruits or in the Amateur Wrestling News national rankings. His commitment to baseball kept him from wrestling on the summer freestyle circuit.
“I’ve only wrestled four months out of the year,” said Grothus, who was a second-team all-district outfielder last year. “I’ve only wrestled one day of freestyle in my entire life and a lot of coaches take freestyle and Fargo into consideration, and I’ve never had a chance to be a part of that. Really, the only time I’ve been able to show what I’ve got — with the exception of my senior year — is at the state tournament.”
