Mediapolis senior Josh Glendening commits to wrestle at Upper Iowa

MEDIAPOLIS -- Josh Glendening had narrowed his college wrestling choices down to four schools.

But there was just something about Upper Iowa University that kept drawing him like a magnet.

So earlier this week, the Mediapolis High School senior followed his gut instinct and verbally committed to wrestle for Upper Iowa, an NCAA Division II school in North Fayette.

Glendening is excited for the next chapter of his wrestling career, but also is anxious to get rolling on some unfinished business his senior season in high school.

"The town is a lot like Mediapolis in that it is pretty small and there aren't many things to get distracted by," Glendening said. "The coaches are really cool, too. I went on a visit and I really liked it. It's close enough to where my parents can get up to watch my home meets and I can get home once in a while if I really need to."

Glendening qualified for state for the third straight year and placed for the second time last season at New London. Glendening placed second at conference, then won sectional and district titles. He advanced to the Class 1A semifinals before losing and coming back to take fourth.

He ended the season with a 48-8 record at 182, with four of those losses coming against Notre Dame-West Burlington's CJ Walrath, the Class 2A state champion and another against Class 1A state champion Cade Tenold of Don Bosco.

Glendening will bring a 143-19 career record into his senior season.

After spending the last three seasons at New London, Glendening decided to come back to Mediapolis, where his family makes its home.

"I decided to move back home three days after the state tournament last year," Glendening said. "I want to watch my brother Joey wrestle and I was missing my family. I was getting up at like 5:30 every morning, driving to New London to lift weights and go to school, then I would have practices or meets and I wouldn't get home until 9:30 at night. I never really got to see my family much during the school year."

Glendening will come into his senior season ranked No. 2 at 182 pounds in Class 1A behind Jackson Dewald of Westwood. Dewald beat Glendening, 4-3, in the state semifinals a year ago.

Glendening currently is training with Big Game Wrestling in North Liberty. He started training at Big Game Wrestling after qualifying for the Fargo National Freestyle tournament.

Glendening, after sitting the required 90 days for transferring schools, is playing running back for the Mediapolis football team. The ninth-ranked Bulldogs travel to play 10th-ranked Sigourney-Keota on Friday night.

"I'm having a lot of fun with it. We're like a big family," Glendening said.

Glendening will join an Upper Iowa wrestling team coached by Heath Grimm.

The Peacocks are perennial national contenders, but are coming off a season in which they placed 41st at the NCAA Division II Championships.

Glendening is looking forward to helping Upper Iowa get back to the upper echelon of NCAA Division II programs.

"They always placing in the top five or six at nationals," said Glendening, who plans to pursue a degree in criminal justice. "I am looking forward to going up there and getting started and getting better."

Matt Levins is a sports reporter for the USA Today Network in Burlington, Iowa, who has covered local sports for 32 years at The Hawk Eye. Reach him at mlevins@thehawkeye.com.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Glendening placed in Class 1A at last year's state tournament