Former Indian Creek wrestler Jackson Heaston is now competing for Upper Iowa, a Division II school.
Submitted photo
The population in the Iowa town of Fayette has never once exceeded 2,000, and at the moment it’s a little more than half of that.
Jackson Heaston knew this when he made the decision to compete for Fayette’s educational centerpiece, Upper Iowa University, considered among the elite wrestling programs in Division II.
Currently in his redshirt season, Heaston, a four-year standout at Indian Creek who was the state runner-up last February at 113 pounds, has nonetheless impressed.
In open tournament competition so far this season, Heaston, now a 125-pounder, is 11-2.
“It’s great. I feel like I made the right choice,” Heaston said. “This is really preparing me because the competition is way consistent. At the beginning, it was pretty frustrating trying to get takedowns, but it started to click, and you get better and better super fast.”
Members of the Peacocks’ squad began twice-weekly practices in October, gradually immersing themselves into preparing for the season ahead. In a town like Fayette, entertainment options are few and far between, thus accelerating the bonding process among coaches and wrestlers.
The nearest Wal-Mart is 40 minutes to the north in Decorah, where the population a more robust 7,600. Heaston even picked up golf.
“Before it got too cold, I would go to the golf course. Most of my teammates golf, which is a nice change of pace,” he said. “I do all right. I’m getting better, but it’s not like I’m getting a par on every hole.”
Heaston’s most recent bowling score with friends was a respectable, yet headline-avoiding 138 — showing that he made the right choice becoming a wrestler.
And a good one.
Last season, Heaston’s 36-5 record included sectional, regional and Western Indiana Conference titles. He placed second at the Evansville Semistate, and finished his Indian Creek career with a record of 125-24.
The opportunity to wrestle for Upper Iowa proved too good to bypass.
Heath Grimm, the UIU head coach since the 2000-01 season, has guided the Peacocks to nine top-11 finishes at the national level, including the runner-up spot his second year in charge.
“Because of the wrestling, I’ve always been on board with this,” said Heaston, an exercise science major. “There’s always something you can get better at. You have to find your weakness and make them stronger.
“With me, it’s definitely my bottom game. I’ve gotten better at that, along with not hesitating with my finish. I just push our (starting) 125-pounder to be the best he can be. Our coach always redshirts all freshmen, which took me a little time to adjust to.”
But, as Grimm says, never say never. Heaston could still find himself in the Peacocks’ lineup this season, or at least continue to use this season as a springboard into the future.
“It’s Jackson’s maturity. His independence. His ability to navigate the waters,” Grimm said. “We knew he was good, but just watching him compete, there’s that “it” factor.
“Jackson has a pretty good perspective because he needs to get a little bit stronger. Add a little more muscle. He’s pretty compact. We just need to get him a little bit thicker.”
How that will affect Heaston’s golf swing remains to be seen.
