In Iowa, a high school wrestling meet concluded to the sound of eerie silence rather than raucous applause after officials kicked the fan section out of the gym.
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In Iowa, a high school wrestling meet concluded to the sound of eerie silence rather than raucous applause after officials kicked the fan section out of the gym.
According to KCCI News 8 Des Moines, the competition between Southeast Polk High School and Ankeny High School was loud from the start. An announcer paused the meet to warn spectators to quiet down and remind them of the good sportsmanship. When that warning failed to change the crowd’s noise levels, officials began the process of emptying the bleachers.Â
The final ten wrestlers of the competition did not have any family or friends in the stands, and they competed to a nearly empty gymnasium. In a video shared online, bleachers go from packed full to empty, with even the cheerleaders being asked to sit down.
“Those are tough circumstances to try to compete under,” said Dave Ewing, former Ankeny wrestling coach.
Ewing said, “It's a heated rivalry, and it got a little bit chippy in some of the matches. The referee was under a lot of pressure, and the situation got to a point where the administration had to get involved and try to resolve things and be reminded of sportsmanship and how important that is.”
Our Wrestling Hawks welcome SE Polk to The Nest in a tough CIML matchup. pic.twitter.com/FlAAOhGm4x
— Ankeny High School (@Ankeny_HS) January 10, 2025
In all his years coaching, Ewing told KCCI News 8 Des Moines that he had never seen fans kicked out of the competition.
Ankeny and Southeast Polk schools released a joint statement on the issue, saying, “We recognize that the events that transpired at last night’s wrestling meet between Southeast Polk and Ankeny do not align with the values of sportsmanship and respect expected from all participants and spectators in the CIML (Central Iowa Metro League). Both schools are working together as we move forward to foster a positive and respectful environment.”
The Iowa High School Athletics Association and the director of officials both declined to comment on the situation or clarify why fans were asked to leave.
