CORALVILLE − Before even getting off the interstate en route to the Iowa high school state girls wrestling championships , exit 242 off onto First Avenue was backed up well before the tournament even began.
Two hours before the tournament started, fans, friends and families lined the streets to watch the second-ever IGHSAU state championships.
All 5,100 seats of Xtream Arena were sold out for the Thursday morning session. An announcement over the PA system told coaches and athletes to leave the spectator’s area so fans could have somewhere to sit. The concourse and suites in most cases were a standing-room-only type of setting as things got underway.
More: Live updates, results: Iowa high school girls state wrestling tournament Day 1
There are not many words to describe the atmosphere, especially considering how far the sport has come in the two years it has been sanctioned by the IGHSAU. Denver girls wrestling coach Jared Pickett remembers just a few years ago when the IWCOA girls state meet was held at Waverly-Shell Rock.