Prairie Valley duo packs
a powerful one-two punch

NOTE: This article originally appeared in the February issue of The Predicament, before the Sectional and District Tournaments.

BY MATT PFIFFNER
A powerful one-two punch resides in the Prairie Valley (Gowrie) wrestling room this season.

Senior 112-pounder Jackson Winkelbauer (pictured on top) and junior 119-pounder Travis Taylor form a dynamic duo for the Warriors. The two had a combined 61-3 record after winning titles at the Guthrie Center Tiger Invitational on Jan. 27.

Taylor, the Class 1A State runner-up at 119 a year ago, was a perfect 32-0 nearing the end of the regular season. Winkelbauer sported a 29-3 record, with all three losses coming in close matches against highly-rated 2A wrestler Mike Helle of Rockwell City-Lytton/Southern Cal.

"Both expect to win every time they go out on the mat," Prairie Valley assistant coach Dave Heatherington said. "There's no one else in the room who can go with them. Taylor has really made Winkelbauer better. They go at it. There's been some heat in the room."

Both Warrior wrestlers won in impressive fashion at Guthrie Center.
Winkelbauer posted a 20-2 technical fall in the title bout for his 100th career victory. All Taylor did was pin Class 2A rated Matt Boyington of Humboldt in the second period, after trailing at the time, 2-1.

"I just go out and keep wrestling hard. If you get down, just keep working hard to win," Taylor said afterwards.

Taylor's goal is simple this season - make it back to the 1A State finals at 119 and bring home the gold this time.

"It gave me a lot of confidence," Taylor said of reaching the finals last season. "But I want to go back and win a State championship now."

Heatherington said making the finals in his first trip to State was a great learning experience for Taylor. He dropped a 16-4 major decision to Jase Thompson of Mason City Newman, a three-time State place finisher and one of the top wrestlers back at 119 this season.

"I think he realizes he can go with anyone now. He might have had a little fear of Thompson or of the situation last year. And sometimes second is good enough," he said.

Last season didn't end quite as well for Winkelbauer. He advanced to Districts, but had top-ranked and eventual State champion Mark Kist of Eagle Grove and Ben Hartman of West Hancock in his way to State. The Warrior dropped a close match to Hartman and didn't make it through. Hartman went on to place eighth at State.

This year will be another tough task, with returning 112-pound State runner-up Alex Helmich of Graettinger-Terril and 2006 103-pound fifth-place finisher Jeff Short of Garner-Hayfield as possible District foes.

"I just want to win. I have a tough District with Helmich and Short. I just want to take care of business and get to State this year. That's my number one goal, to get to State," Winkelbauer said.

Heatherington said Winkelbauer has improved a great deal over the past few years and has the right attitude to make his first trip to State.

"Winkelbauer knows he can go with anybody. Last year he started beating kids who had beat him previously. He goes out onto the mat expecting to win," he said.

The two friends know they make great workout partners and use that to their full advantage.

"We wrestle a ton. We always stay after practice and go in the mornings. We've been helping each other a lot. And we always keep focused and don't underestimate anyone," Taylor said.

Winkelbauer said Taylor will be a big reason if he makes it to State this season.

"That's the best thing for me right now, is having Travis Taylor," he said. "I think he's going to take State this year and he helps me out a ton."