EDITOR’S NOTE: This is sixth in a series of preseason articles about Metro wrestling teams. Next: Linn-Mar.
By Jim Ecker
jim.ecker@metrosportsreport.com
Braxton Chicchelly set a series of goals for himself when he joined the Xavier wrestling team as a freshman.
He wanted to go undefeated as a freshman for the junior varsity, qualify for the state tournament as sophomore, place at the state meet as a junior and win a state title as a senior.
Let’s get an update.
He went 21-1 as a freshman for the JV squad, made the state tournament as a sophomore and placed seventh at state as a junior.
“So I’ve come pretty close to all three of those goals,” he said. “I’ve just got to make sure I get that last one.”
Chicchelly placed seventh in the Class 3A state tournament at 130 pounds last February. He said he plans to wrestle at 130 pounds again this year, or maybe 125, and not to worry that he was listed at 160 for the Xavier football team.
He said he weighed only 145 during the football season (they must have weighed him with pads and helmets), so cutting from 145 to 130 won’t be so bad. He’d be cutting 15 pounds, not 30, which is exatly what he did last year.
“Getting from 145 to 135 last year, that was kind of difficult,” he said. “That last five pounds (to 130), that wasn’t too bad. Once you get 10 pounds knocked out of the way, a fraction of that doesn’t seem that much to you.
“It just comes down to discipline and your desire and how much you want to compete and how bad you want to win,” he said.
Chicchelly eliminates pop and candy, sticking mostly with fruits and vegetables. “Some pasta here and there,” he said. “And some sandwiches.”
His father, Chris, was a wrestler, so the family understands what it takes.
Chicchelly is determined to reach his final goal this season.
“State championship,” he declared. “There’s no other goal in my mind, other than that.
“It’s all a mental game,” he said. “When I was a sophomore I didn’t believe it. I just went down there (to Des Moines) and tried to wrestle my match, but you really have to get it in your head that it’s a mental game.
“If you want to win, then you can win. It’s just up to you. That was the good thing about qualifying as a sophomore. I got that experience. I came back last year, and there are some things I would have done a little differently, but for the most part I was pretty happy with the outcome.”
Chicchelly posted a 32-9 record last season. He placed second at the Mississippi Valley Conference meet, won a district title and then placed seventh at state.
Peter Ickes is the only other letterman who had a winning record for Xavier last season. He went 19-8 at 171 pounds, placed third in the MVC meet and finished fourth at the district tournament.
“We’ve got a nucleus with those two coming back,” Xavier Coach Craig Kadlec said. “Those two have to be our leaders on the mat. They’re both solid wrestlers.”
Chicchelly hopes to wrestle at the University of Northern Iowa next year and said new UNI coach Doug Schwab has expressed interest.
“I love the sport, just because you have no excuses,” he said. “If you screw up or if you do something wrong, you can’t say, ‘This guy fumbled, or this guy made a bad pass.’ It’s on you.
“You have to make the correction and you have to do it. That’s why wrestling is so different.”
SCHEDULE
Thursday, Dec. 2 — Iowa City West, Linn-Mar at Xavier, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 4 — Independence Tournament, 10 a.m.
Thursday, Dec. 9 — Xavier, Waterloo West at Cedar Falls, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 11 — Dyersville Beckman Invitational, 9 a.m.
Thursday, Dec. 16 — Iowa City High, Prairie at Xavier, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 18 — Doug Philipp Duals, at Xavier, 9 a.m.
Thursday, Jan. 6 — Washington at Xavier, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 8 — Linn-Mar Duals, 9 a.m.
Thursday, Jan. 13 — Xavier, Wahlert at Waterloo East, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 15 — Marion Tournament, 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, Jan. 20 — Xavier, Jefferson at Dubuque Senior, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 22 — Bean City Duals, at Iowa City High, 9 a.m.
Saturday, Jan. 29 — MVC Tournament, at Xavier, 10 a.m.
Thursday, Feb. 3 — Xavier, Hempstead at Kennedy, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 12 — District Tournament
Feb. 16-19 — State Tournament, Des Moines
Saturday, Feb. 26 — State Duals, Cedar Rapids
Jim Ecker 