Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The career climb for Cale Nash and the recent ascension of the Clear Creek Amana wrestling program follow a similar upward trajectory.

As a freshman in 2022 Nash was the only Clear Creek Amana state qualifier and went 0-2 in his state meet debut.

Last season Nash was one of eight Clippers to qualify for the 3A state meet where he went 3-2 and was one win away from securing the first state-meet medal of his career.

This season Nash and the Clippers are even better and both the 120-pound junior and Clear Creek Amana have even bigger goals ahead over the next several weeks.

“I’ve learned a lot from the past two years,” Nash said. “I’ve learned in the room that going against tougher people that iron sharpens iron.”

Nash isn’t alone in helping to elevate the Clear Creek Amana program.

It was a total team effort that helped Clear Creek Amana go 9-2 in dual meets before the holiday break and led the Clippers to top-three finishes in their final two tournament appearances of 2023.

However, Nash has certainly been a tone setter in the Clippers’ climb up the Class 3A ranks.

The junior 120-pounder is off to a 27-1 start this season after winning 36 and 39 matches the previous two seasons and eclipsed the 100-win mark at the Solon Invitational last month.

“He’s pretty young for his age and now he has kind of grown into I and he’s just getting after people,” Clear Creek Amana coach Kyle Forness said. “He leads in the room, he doesn’t like to give up points, he’s stingy, he’s mean, he’s everything you want right now.”

Nash has been good the past two seasons, compiling a 75-19 record and making back-to-back trips to the 3A state meet.

This season Nash has been better than good.

He has 16 pins and five tech falls among his 27 victories and is ranked fifth in 3A at 120 pounds.

“He went from a boy to a man, that’s just what it is,” Forness said. “He’s getting after guys, you see him in the room, and his tenacity. He’s just getting after it.”

Last season ended for Nash with a 6-1 loss to Aiden Serrano of Carlisle in the blood round of the 113-pound bracket at state.

A win away from a state medal.

Nash realized this season could be different in the first tournament of the year.

In the third-place match at the Kliff Keen Independence Invitational Nash pinned Serrano who is ranked sixth in 3A.

“After I beat Aiden Serrano that’s when I knew that I could hang,” Nash said. “I know there are a lot of great guys at my weight class but that gives me some guys to look at. It’s something that motivates me.”

It is no coincidence that the improvement of Nash has followed the rise of the Clear Creek Amana program.

The two are intertwined.

Nash helps set the tone in the practice room and on the competition mat but he credits his teammates for helping him up his level.

“I’m just trying to up the gas tank, keep conditioning, stay ahead of the game and I feel like against better people if I keep up pace I can put it on them,” Nash said. “We have great guys in the room. Nolan Howell puts me to pace and makes me a lot better and I’ve realized how much that work can help you improve.”

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