DES MOINES — Jessie Whitmer will be adding a second hall of fame title to his incredible resume, as the Eagle Grove native was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame Saturday night.

Whitmer, a former state champion for the Eagles, was also enshrined in the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame last year.

“It’s incredibly humbling to be receiving this award,” he said. “The state of Iowa has a lot of well deserving people each year to pick from and to be chosen as one of those makes me extremely grateful.

“I have seen some of the past inductees and it’s a true honor to be among them.”

A four-time placewinner at Eagle Grove, Whitmer captured gold in 1990 by going 38-1 at 103 pounds. Coached by both Mike Woodall and Dave Morgan, he placed third each of the other three seasons, finishing his high school career with a record of 142-8 — a mark that included 112 wins in 115 matches over his last three seasons.

Whitmer went on to shine for the University of Iowa, winning the NCAA title under the direction of legendary head coach Dan Gable in 1997 at 118 pounds.

The title helped the Hawkeyes claim their 17th team gold in Gable’s last year as head coach. Whitmer topped the fifth, third and second seeds on his way to winning it all.

Joining Whitmer in the 2020 class will be Humboldt’s Justin Hanson, Iowa City West’s Nate and Nick Moore, Bart Reiter from Don Bosco and coaches Bob Yilek of Belle Plaine and Tom Kettman from Don Bosco.

“I think stepping back on the mats on Saturday night will bring back a number of memories for me,” Whittmer said. “It will bring back good ones and some heartache. To be successful in this sport it takes a ton of dedication, not just the athlete, but parents, coaches, friends and the community.

“I knew that when I wrestled and you never wanted to let anybody down. I had plenty of good memories too; now I get to share that atmosphere with my family.”

Whitmer, Hanson, the Moore brothers and Reiter combined to win 13 individual state titles during their prep careers.

Whitmer helps the Clipper Wrestling Club in Tiffin, as well as the Big Game Wrestling Club in North Liberty.