—Photo by Grand View athletics Fort Dodge graduate Carson Taylor was named the Heart of Iowa freshman wrestler of the year recently for Grand View.

Nick Mitchell has seen a lot in his 13 seasons as Grand View’s head wrestling coach, but this past season still marked plenty of firsts in the storied program’s history.

The Vikings, who were denied their 10th straight NAIA national championship, finished as national runner-ups behind a strong contingent – which included Fort Dodge’s Carson Taylor.

Taylor, a state champion for the Dodgers, was recently named the Heart of America Athletic Conference freshman of the year.

“It’s pretty sweet to be recognized with the award,” Taylor said. “It really shows the work I put in. I’m excited to see what I can do next year.

“I’m still getting workouts in daily and finding spots I can improve on next year and focusing more on that.”

Taylor became the first true freshman to win a league/regional title and earn All-American status as a Viking.

“Carson had a really good year as a true freshman,” Mitchell said. “He’s the first true freshman all-American we’ve ever had which really shows, not only how hard it is to make our line up as a freshman, but how hard it is to become an all-American on top of that.”

Taylor, who was a two-time state finalist for the Dodgers, broke into the lineup for the Vikings and eventually climbed to become the third-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds.

“His progress throughout the season on the mat was a direct result of the time he put in,” Mitchell said. “He spent a lot of time doing individual drills with our assistant coaches and it showed. He got better every week.”

Taylor’s success earned him the second-seed at the national tournament in Wichita.

Taylor placed fourth, earning All-American status and finishing as Grand View’s first true freshman All-American with a 25-5 record.

“He never really let any outside pressure affect him,” Mitchell said. “He was the same guy every time he stepped out on the mat regardless of the competition.”