Four native Iowans will be enshrined in the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Foundation, Monday, April 12. Those being inducted this spring are Mike Chapman of Waterloo; Bob Roethler of Emmetsburg and former prep and NCAA champions Jason Smith from Ankeny and Mark Ironside from Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Roethler was the coach who put Emmetsburg among the elite wrestling schools in the history of Iowa wrestling and in the process helped rewrite wrestling history. He wrestled at Central of Elkader in high school and at Loras in college, started his coaching career at St. Edmond, Fort Dodge before becoming the architect of Emmetsburg’s program. His E-Hawk teams went 77-7-1 and won consecutive team titles in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979, the second coach in IHSAA annals to win four straight state titles. From 1974-78 the E-Hawks had 63 consecutive dual meet wins. Among his protégées was four-time undefeated state champion Jeff Kerber.
