Everyone Should Go Watch A Dual In West Gym Before They Die
Everyone Should Go Watch A Dual In West Gym Before They Die
West Gym is an incredible place to watch a college dual, and every D1 wrestling fan should go to West Gym for at least one home match.
West Gym is an incredible place to take in a college dual meet, and I'm here to tell everyone you have to attend a dual there before you die.
Sunday was an amazing day for wrestling in the state of Iowa, with over 11,000 attending Iowa's 29-6 win over Iowa State in Hilton Coliseum. But less than two hours away in Cedar Falls, a community filed into West Gym as they have done for hundreds of duals since 1926.
Now I've never been to Carver-Hawkeye when it's been at full force (think Ramos over Oliver), or attended a sellout dual in Gallagher-Iba (Picc pinning Spencer Lee comes to mind), so there's a lot I've yet to experience. But outside of Rec Hall, the duals at West Gym are some of my favorite events I've covered in my time at Flo.
Sunday's dual between Northern Iowa and Nebraska had it all: an upset, a couple of top-five matchups, star power, and toss-up matches that caused both the meet and the crowd to ebb and flow. They erupted when Jacob Schwarm pinned Alex Thomsen, they went silent when Collin Purinton knocked off Max Thomsen, and they gave a standing ovation to Taylor Lujan when he majored Taylor Venz.
It was a perfect Sunday afternoon dual that was in the balance the whole time, and it was only amplified by the Panther Train. Nebraska was able to overcome the raucous crowd to get the hard-earned victory. But the Schwab Mob no doubt left an impression on the Husker coaches and wrestlers.
Something that makes wrestling great is how programs at every level can embed themselves into the fabric of their community. For the folks in Black Hawk County and the surrounding parts of north-central Iowa, the 33 wrestlers who wear the Purple & Gold are irreplaceable, and head coach Doug Schwab's staff are some of the most well-respected men in these people's lives.
And the beautiful thing is, it's like this in college towns all across the country. There are many programs just like UNI that are hugely impactful in their locales, especially places with a deeply embedded historical respect for wrestling. Our sport has that kind of impact on people, and it's on display in dozens of places all over America.
All of this is to say, visit West Gym sometime. Take in a dual, no matter who it's against. Go to Single Speed Brewery afterward and listen to the members of the team stand up and speak to the boosters and fans who support them. It'll be worth your while.