March 29, 2024

Popular mat official steps down

Christensen works 35th and final state tourney

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DES MOINES — Jim Christensen continued to show the self-discipline that made him such a revered wrestling official as he signed the bout sheet for his final state championship match Saturday night.

He was so focused on his job that he didn't even realize the public address announcer was recognizing him for 35 years of service at the state championships, noting that this was his final match before retirement. He had just worked the Class 2A heavyweight match won by Spencer Trenary of Clarion-Goldfield-Dows by fall over Harlan's Derec Meyer.

The table official told Christensen his name had been announced and that he should probably go out to the center of the mat and wave to the crowd.

In fact, Christensen said he hadn't even allowed himself to think about the finality of that match until he was encouraged to acknowledge the crowd's ovation.

"I didn't want to get into thinking about that and not do my job as an official," Christensen said. "As I was signing the bout sheet the guy at the table said 'You better go out there and turn around. They just announced this is your last bout for the state tournament after 35 years.' I didn't hear it. I went out and waved to the people clapping and standing. That felt pretty good!"

Christensen's dedication to the job at hand, right up to the final second of his final match at the state tournament, is par for the course for a career that started 41 years ago.

Christensen was a college graduate working in Primghar in northern Iowa for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"I was in Jaycees up there and a couple of the other guys had a football (officiating) crew and asked me if I was interested," Christensen said. "I had played football and wrestled at Lenox, and wrestled for a couple of years in college in Maryville. So, I thought, why not? I registered with the athletic association for both sports."

Longtime partner

When Christensen had a chance to move closer to his roots and work in a southwest Iowa region headquartered in Greenfield, he joined a football officiating crew out of Corning organized by Pat Miller, then the wrestling coach there. He also was busy working wrestling tournaments and dual meets, and did so many years with Fontanelle area neighbor Tim Baier, who retired in 2016 after working 30 years at the state tournament.

"We worked three or four tournaments together every year, and a lot of dual meets," Baier said. "His personality was great in working with the kids and coaches. He studied the rules and made sure everything was by the book. People trusted him to do the right thing, make sure nobody got hurt and to be consistent in his calls."

Jim was one of 12 children of Rose and Wayne Christensen of Lenox, including nine boys, and several of them got involved in coaching. So, it wasn't unusual for Jim to be working a meet where one or more brothers was coaching.

"They would bark at him and he'd bark right back at them," Baier said. "They gave each other a hard time, but it was mostly all in fun."

In an interview with iawrestle.com over the weekend, Christensen remembered one Creston tournament in which one official, John Monroe, had to leave early and the officials couldn't rotate off a mat. So, one match he worked was his own son, John, wrestling against a Winterset wrestler coached by his older brother, Gary.

Jim recalled calling a stalling point against his son that forced the match to go into overtime.

"Yeah, I don't think John cared much for that call and took care of business pretty quickly in overtime," Christensen said, chuckling.

It was a classic example of Christensen working every match in the same manner, no matter who was involved.

"I always told myself to focus on the kids and not anything else that people might be yelling," Christensen said. "Not the coaches, not the crowd. They have their angle. I needed to make sure I stayed focused on those kids on the mat."

And, that's what he will miss most as he steps away. He and wife Kathy have 28 grandchildren busy participating in their sports, including five grandsons on the Nodaway Valley wrestling team. Among them is Elliot Cooney, the Nodaway Valley 106-pound freshman who went 1-2 in this year's state tournament.

"I'm gone every weekend when I'm working (wrestling)," said Christensen, 67, who retired from football officiating four years ago. "So, now I plan to spend some time watching them in all of their sports."

Time is right

Physically, he said, it was becoming apparent that he wasn't what he used to be in reacting quickly on the mat.

"I really like wrestling and I always enjoyed it," Christensen said. "One time a guy sent me a picture of me raising his hand at the state tournament. I had dark hair and was about 30 pounds lighter. That's part of the reason I'm stepping down. It takes a little more effort to get up and down. I can feel it, that I'm not as quick getting there to make the calls as I was. I thought, if everybody else can see it, then it's time."

But, it won't be easy not putting a whistle around his neck and taking his turn on the mat next year. While Baier continued to work a few area meets each year after his state tourney retirement, Christensen hasn't signed any contracts yet for next year. If he does, it would be on a very limited basis.

"I fell in love with the sport when we started our wrestling program in Lenox when I was in school," Christensen said. "I'll miss being around all of those talented kids, just being a part of the sport. I think the sport is in good shape in Iowa. In time I think we'll see a lot more girls wrestling girls in high school, and that will help get even more people interested."