Legacy of excellence

Several decades of Creston’s wrestling tradition were celebrated at the ninth annual Creston Wrestling Hall of Fame banquet Saturday night.

From Doug Minnick, a tough heavyweight wrestler on Creston’s first wrestling team in 1961-62, to one of the highest state tournament scores in Class 2A history by the incredible 2007-08 team, some of the greats of Panther wrestling shared memories in front of a packed house at Creston Eagles Lodge.

GARY VEITZ

The first inductee was the late Gary Veitz, class of 1975 wrestler and outstanding overall athlete. He was an exceptional pitcher on a successful Panther baseball team coached by Ron “Fox” Clinton and Ron Levine.

Teammate Brian Kelley gave a great testimonial to his best man from his wedding. He mentioned that after he quit wrestling for a year and came back out as a senior, he and Veitz were initially adversaries rather than friends. But they evolved into practice partners with mutual respect, which kindled a lifetime friendship.

“The lesson I learned was to keep an open mind, and an open heart,” Kelley said. “Someone you might see as an adversary could become your best friend. Gary was dedicated and determined, which made him a great practice partner. I miss you Veiter.”

Wife Deb Veitz accepted the honor on behalf of her husband, who died of cancer shortly after retiring as a teacher in 2016.

“He would have been so proud, and we are so proud,” Deb Veitz said. “Thank you for this honor. It’s been a wonderful night for our family.

Veitz mentored generations of middle school wrestlers and athletes in other sports as a coach. He began his teaching career at Collins-Maxwell, where he was head wrestling coach for two years.

DOUG MINNICK

Doug Minnick, class of 1963 from Creston’s first wrestling team, was introduced by Rich Downing, Minnick’s former Creston and Northwest Missouri State teammate. Both became wrestling coaches in Southwest Iowa — Downing at Creston and Minnick at Lenox after beginning his teaching and coaching career in Missouri.

Downing said Minnick was a standout athlete for Creston in multiple sports, as a lineman in football, an infielder in baseball and weight thrower in track and field. At 190 pounds, Minnick was frequently outweighed in heavyweight matches in high school and college, but overcame it with a tough, athletic approach.

Minnick recalled many memories from his high school career as the school began a wrestling program for the start of his junior year. He was 11-1 as a senior with nine pins, his only loss coming to Jon Lambi of Greenfield, who’s going into the Nodaway Valley Wrestling Hall of Fame this weekend.

Minnick enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduating from Northwest Missouri State. He said he was proud of becoming certified in 2nd class diving school during his time of service.

DANIEL SCARBERRY

Daniel Scarberry, an exciting Panther wrestler who placed fifth and first at the state tournament as a 2004 graduate, was introduced by coach Darrell Frain. Clips of Scarberry’s title match, won on a takedown in the final seconds, were shown.

Frain noted that Scarberry trailed in his final three bouts at state in 2004 on his way to the 140-pound title. The wrestler he defeated 8-7 in the finals, Emmetsburg’s Aaron Janssen, went on to become a varsity starter at the University of Iowa.

“The thing that sticks out about Daniel is the love he had for the sport,” Frain said. “He came to us from East Union his sophomore year. It wasn’t instant success. He worked hard to get better. He’d get up and work out with Danny Hayes at 5:30 in the morning before our morning practice at 6:30, which wasn’t fun in itself, then come back after school for the second practice. The one thing you never had to worry about with Daniel was whether he was giving his all. We preach to wrestle to the whistle no matter what, that you never know what might happen. Daniel was the epitome of that kind of wrestling.”

Scarberry was 49-7 as a junior for the Panthers and 45-2 on his way to the 2004 state title as a senior. His only losses that season were to Winterset rival Josh Abel, who placed sixth that season.

Scarberry’s teammate from the class of 2004, Boone Hayes, was a four-time state placewinner for the Panthers. As a junior, his frequent workout partner was senior Willie Harris, a state runner-up wrestler for the Panthers in 2003.

“They say wrestling is an individual sport, but there’s also a team aspect and it’s your wrestling teammates who make you better,” Scarberry said.

Scarberry expressed appreciation for those who helped him develop, such as Panther wrestling alum Denny Loudon and wife Judi, who helped pay his way to the J Robinson 28-day Intensive Wrestling Camp while in high school. To express his gratitude, Scarberry pledged $1,000 to a fund for sending current Panther wrestlers to camp.

2007-08 TEAM

Also inducted Saturday was the incredible team of 2007-08 that scored the most points ever for a state runner-up — 139 — after winning the state tournament in 2007 with 112 points. Ballard set a record that year with 10 placewinners scoring 181.5 points.

To this day, Creston’s total of 139 in 2008 remains the eighth-highest point total all-time in Class 2A. The next closest runner-up was 114.5 points by New Hampton in 1999. (Historical information on the Hall of Fame inductees was compiled primarily by committee member John Walters.)

Ballard also defeated the Panthers in the Dual State Tournament finals.

Some members of that 2008 team attended Saturday’s banquet along with coach Frain, who introduced them by sharing memories of that incredible season. Seven wrestlers qualified for state, with five state finalists (four champs) and six placewinners. Current coach Cody Downing, an assistant coach that year, said it was the best Creston team he’s ever seen.

State champs were Andrew Long (125), Quin Leith (130), Trent Tucker (140) and Kalab Evans (160). Bret Kautz (135), who suffered a broken leg at the state baseball tournament less than seven months earlier, became a two-time state runner-up. Jesse Harris placed fourth at 171 pounds.

Creston had won the 2A state title a year earlier with 112 points. Caleb Brus and Tyler Linderman were graduates that year with state meet contributions.

“Coming off the championship in 2007, we knew we had a good team with a lot of those guys coming back,” Frain said. “Ballard had a lot of transfers that year and had a great tournament. Daniel (Scarberry) and those guys had started to take Creston wrestling to where it is now, but these guys (pointing to the 2008 squad members) took it to a different level.”

Quin Leith said he and the other 2008 seniors were eighth-graders when Scarberry and his teammates were performing at the state level, serving as role models.

“I remember Daniel’s time like it was yesterday,” Leith said. “Watching those guys go through it ahead of you, and coming through, that’s the example we had coming into the room as freshmen the next year. They set the standard. Our room was so tough at the time, and that’s what made us successful.”

Leith said his perspective on those teams of 2007 and 2008 has been enriched over the years, now that he’s a wrestling parent.

“I certainly appreciate the amount of effort that goes into accomplishing those things,” Leith said. “The coaches, family members, support of the community. It was all great, and now as a parent going through those things you really appreciate what goes into it. That (2007 and 2008 era) was certainly one of the most incredible experiences of my lifetime, and I think I speak for the others up here with me in saying that. Thanks for the honor.”

Recognized teams

As is the custom of the committee, teams from years ending in “5” were also recognized Saturday — 2015, 2005, 1995, 1985, 1975 and 1965. Anyone who was a member of the team from grades 9-12 were asked to stand and appear in a group photo.

The 2015 team coached by Darrell Frain went 18-2 in duals, placing fourth in the state dual tournament. The team tied for second place in the traditional state tournament with 86 points. Chase Shiltz was an individual state champion and Spencer Wray was runner-up.

The 2005 Panther team under Frain went 16-5 in duals and placed 13th in the traditional state tournament with 39 points. Quin Leith was state runner-up, Tyler Linderman fifth, Matt Williamson sixth and Andrew Long eighth.

The 1995 team coached by Rich Downing also placed 13th in the state tourney, led by state runner-up Ryan Kinsella and Jake Hayes placing third. The team went 16-5 in duals.

Dannie Stephens was head coach of the 1985 team that went 9-5 in duals and placed 15th at state with 27.5 points. Randy Marlin was state runner-up and Joel Weeks placed sixth.

Jerome Hruska coached the 1975 team that went 10-1 in duals and earned the school’s first state tournament trophy by placing second. Dennis Smith was state champion, John Walters runner-up and Jeff Abel placed fourth.

Rollie Dyer was head coach of the 1965 Panther team that had a 2-6-1 record. Bob Decklever, third place the previous season, was a state qualifier.

Another tradition of the Hall of Fame banquet is a “state of Creston wrestling” address by boys head coach Cody Downing and girls head coach Maggie Arnold.

Arnold recapped the past season that included a runner-up team finish in the regional tournament, with four state qualifiers that included two placewinners. Evy Marlin concluded her career with a record 98 wins and is now wrestling at Indian Hills Community College.

Arnold said a graduate of Creston’s girls wrestling program, Zoey Vandevender, is now the middle school coach. Arnold said returning state qualifiers Alainah Galanakis and Grace Keeler are leaders of this year’s Panther squad of 11 candidates. Creston has moved up from Class 1A to 2A in girls wrestling, which includes the biggest 80 schools in the state.

Downing said while last year was considered a bit of a rebuilding year after the loss of several senior leaders from the 2024 team that placed fifth in Class 2A with four state placewinners. Yet, the 2025 Panthers finished third in the Hawkeye Ten dual standings and tournament, and qualified for the regional dual tournament in a one-point loss to Ballard.

“If that’s a down year, I think we’re probably in pretty good health as a program,” Downing said.

This year’s team has seven returning starters including two state qualifiers. He said the youth Express Club has 105 registrations for the 2025-26 season. The Express youth tournament will be held on Nov. 29, earlier than in past years.

Among the auction items Saturday were tickets to University of Iowa home wrestling meets, provided by a fund created by Creston and UI graduate Scott Clem. His father, Bill Clem, explained his son’s relationship to the Hawkeye wrestling program, including a $1 million donation toward the construction of the university’s new training center for men’s and women’s wrestling located near Carver-Hawkeye Arena.