Jessie Whitmer

2019 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Jessie Whitmer might epitomize the 1997 Iowa National Championship team. Neither Whitmer nor the Iowa squad were favorites to win national titles, but both shocked the wrestling world with impressive victories.

“My success came from great coaching all the way through my career, great teammates who were positive role models, and a great family support system,” the Eagle Grove native stated.

Whitmer started his wrestling career in 7th grade. “A classmate said I should try wrestling because I was so short,” Whitmer recalled. Success quickly followed as Whitmer placed third at the state tournament as a 103-pound freshman. The following three years saw him go 112-3 while winning one state title at 103 pounds and placing third at 112 and 119 pounds.

At the University of Iowa, he won his first match as a freshman only to find himself wrestling behind Mike Mena, a four-time All-American. “I wrestled varsity my junior year until after Midlands. Mike Mena placed second there and I placed fourth, so he took over that spot,” Whitmer explained. He noted at that tournament he was beaten twice by Dave Morgan of Michigan State, who continued to give him trouble throughout his career.

The turning point in his senior year occurred after a dual meet at Michigan State, where Morgan again beat Whitmer. “On the bus after the meet, Coach Gable went through each match, but that day he started at 125. He got to my match last and said that I had learned that I could take him down, turn him, and escape. When Gable was done with all the positive things, it changed my outlook and I started believing in myself,” Whitmer recalled.

Whitmer won his national title after being seeded sixth, beating the fifth, third, and second seeds in the tournament.

Whitmer was one of five Iowa national champions that year, with six Hawkeyes making it into the championship matches. Oklahoma State was the odds-on favorite that year, but the Hawkeyes won their 17th national title with a record 170 points. It was Gable’s last year of coaching.

Gable would later state that the 1997 team peaked at the correct time because he changed his coaching style slightly to get the team more mentally prepared. “He was such a great coach. You didn’t just wrestle for yourself… you didn’t want to disappoint him. He told me before my senior year I was going to be the 118-pound national champion, and I thought he was crazy,” Whitmer said.

In the end, the great coaching, great teammates, and a great family support system resulted in what was indeed an impressive NCAA championship.

Whitmer was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019 along with Joe Corso, Don Buzzard, and Dr. Gary Steffensmeier.