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Dresser returning to Humboldt

—Messenger photo by Chad Thompson Kay Kollmorgen, left and Jo Kollmorgen, of Humboldt, pose with Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Dresser in Humboldt. Dresser will hold a Town Hall Social at Rustix Restaurant in Humboldt on Saturday.

HUMBOLDT — New Iowa State wrestling coach Kevin Dresser is making a return trip to his hometown on Saturday, as Rustix Restaurant will host a Town Hall Social in support of the Cyclone Regional Training Center.

The event begins with a VIP meet-and-greet session — led by Dresser and ISU assistants Mike Zadick, Derek St. John and Brent Metcalf — at 5:30 p.m. General admission will follow at 6:30.

”We’re excited to come back to Humboldt,” said Dresser, a 1981 graduate of Humboldt High School. ”We had a great time (in May) during our first visit; the outpouring of support and help from the community was awesome, and very much appreciated.

”We’re building a lot of momentum as a program, and the connection with this part of Iowa — whether we’re talking about Humboldt, Fort Dodge, Webster City, Clarion, Britt, or every north-central town in between — is critical to our future as a program at Iowa State.”

The evening’s festivities will include an Iowa Pork Chop dinner, a raffle, a live auction, and a performance by the Kris Karr Band. Dresser will provide recruiting updates, news on the progress of the current squad, and join his assistants in a casual conversation setting with fans.

Dresser is prioritizing a strong relationship with home-grown recruits — most notably well-known 2018 prospects from Fort Dodge Senior High. Dodger senior Cayd Lara committed to the Cyclones last month, and ISU offers are currently on the table for nationally-ranked FDSH standouts Brody Teske and Drew Bennett.

”It’s so important to establish oursevles in Iowa and get the best kids we can from our home state first and foremost,” said Dresser, who left Virginia Tech University for Ames. ”Kids want to wrestle in a big-time environment, and we will offer that. There will also be a tremendous following from these communities once (the wrestler) starts to compete at Iowa State; they’ll watch them and track their careers closely. That’s a big boost to our program from an attention standpoint.

”Fort Dodge, right now, is kind of the center of it all. They have something big going on, with these blue-chip (2018) seniors. Coach (Bobby) Thompson has done a great job. It’s a very active time in their wrestling community, with a lot of Div. I coaches focusing their attention on Fort Dodge.”

Dresser likes the core group he’s inheriting, though he readily admits, ”we have a lot of work to do. We’re not ready to win the NCAA Tournament, which will be the ultimate goal down the road.”

”We have talent, but we’re building. We need to sign three or four really good kids this fall,” Dresser added. ”It’s always important to get the best kids from Iowa first, then start looking (out of state).

”We have to pay our dues a little. You don’t go from good to great overnight, and we want to be great. We’re looking for the right pieces to be a part of that.”

General-admission tickets are $50 per person. A single VIP pass for the evening is $150, with a $250 charge for two or $400 for four.

VIP packages include automatic entry into the raffle, which offers cash prizes totaling $2,000. Fans will also have a chance to bid on Iowa State gear and items donated by local businesses.

All proceeds from the event go to support the Cyclone Regional Training Center, its athletes and coaches.

For more information, or to pay and register on-line, please visit https://www.cyclonertc.org/porkchopdinner. Fans may also pay by check to an event organizer, with checks going to the Cyclone Regional Training Center. All payments and donations are tax deductible.

Rustix Restaurant is located at 716 Sumner Ave. in downtown Humboldt.

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