Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Shaona Emmanuel is among the most improved wrestlers in the state.

In two short seasons the City High junior has gone from a 16-21 record as a freshman to a 25-4 mark and number three ranking in Class 2A this winter.

There is no secret behind the improvement from Emmanuel.

Her rise on the wrestling mat has boiled down to one thing – hard work.

“The number one thing is just working hard,” Emmanuel said. “I feel like I’ve definitely gotten better with my conditioning. I can wrestle longer matches now. When I was a freshman I never could go past the second period.”

The hard work from Emmanuel extends beyond the wrestling room and starts before wrestling season begins.

She has gone out for swimming the past two seasons and made an impact on City High co-head coaches Jeff Koenig and Ryan Ahlers for her work in the weight room.

“She worked hard the last couple of years but I think the difference is the last two years she’s gone out for swimming so she has come into the season with a much higher base,” Koennig said. “Then add to that her work ethic in the weight room is second to none.”

The better conditioning has helped Emmanuel get off to a stellar start this season.

After posting a 34-10 record a year ago Emmanuel is 25-4 this season and is coming off an impressive performance last Saturday at the Mississippi Valley Conference meet in which she didn’t need to test her conditioning all that much.

Third-ranked Emmanuel pinned her way to the 155-pound title, her second consecutive MVC title.

Of her four pins on Saturday four came in under 40 seconds.

“Sometimes I know that I can pin someone fast but there are other girls that are really good and I have to be able to be aggressive for a full six minutes,” Emmanuel said. “I have gotten myself more used to that.”

Emmanuel won an 8-3 decision over eighth-ranked Jocelyn Schwartz of Cedar Falls in a dual meet on Thursday.

In the 155-pound MVC title match on Saturday Emmanuel needed just 38 seconds to pin Schwartz for her fourth win in eight matches this season against ranked opponent.

“When I wrestle someone once I want to do better the next time I wrestle them,” Emmanuel said. “That’s always been my mindset.”

The four losses for Emmanuel have come to the number two ranked wrestler in Class 2A and 1A, the third ranked wrestler in 1A and seventh ranked wrestler in 1A.

“A year ago or two years ago she was just trying to find her way and now she is saying give me the best competition in the state,” Koenig said. “She wrestled the Cedar Falls girl to an 8-3 decision on Thursday night and then came out and pinner her. Once she wrestles someone once she sees what she does and then she makes the adjustment.”

After narrowly missing the state tournament last season Emmanuel has her sights set on a trip to state this season.

She will get her shot at securing that spot on Friday when City High hosts a Class 2A regional qualifying meet.

“We knew going into that regional last year she was going to have to have a really good day to make it and she just missed it and obviously she was crushed,” Ahlers said. “She isn’t very vocal about it but when she does mention anything about a goal she says she wants to go to state.”

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