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From North Tama to NIACC – Monat to return to wrestling mats

North Tama senior wrestler Case Monat (center front) pictured alongside his coaches including (back row, l-r) Brice Girkin, head coach Andrew Knaack, and Rick Samuelson, as well as his parents Jana and Scott Monat last Wednesday, April 24, in the North Tama gym commons. Monat signed his letter of intent to wrestle for North Iowa Area Community College next season. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
North Tama senior wrestler Case Monat (center front) pictured alongside his parents Jana and Scott Monat and siblings (back, l-r) Abi, Maxon, and Lucy last Wednesday, April 24, in the North Tama gym commons. Monat signed his letter of intent to wrestle for North Iowa Area Community College next season. Back in the day, his mother played soccer for Waldorf College (now Waldorf University). PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
Redhawk wrestler Case Monat signs his letter of intent to wrestle for North Iowa Area Community College next season while his parents Jana and Scott Monat look on. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER
North Tama senior wrestler Case Monat (center front) pictured alongside his parents Jana and Scott Monat and members of the Redhawk wrestling team last Wednesday, April 24, in the North Tama gym commons. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

TRAER – After narrowly missing the cut at Districts for the 2023-24 state tournament this past February, Redhawk senior wrestler Case Monat thought his grappling days were over for good. But last Wednesday, with his family by his side, the two-time state qualifier put himself back on the mat and signed his letter of intent to wrestle next year at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) in Mason City.

“When he didn’t make it to State, he just felt like he wasn’t done yet,” Monat’s mom Jana Monat explained as she waited in the North Tama gym commons last week for her son’s signing. “We started looking at different programs including Hawkeye (Community College). NIACC was just a really good fit for him.”

In his sophomore season (2021-22), the consistently top-ranked Monat was one of three wrestlers to break North Tama’s 20-year state qualifier drought and one of two to subsequently break the program’s 22-year medal drought. During the 2023-24 wrestling season Monat – who wrestled this year at 126 pounds – marked another milestone by notching his 100th win.

While at NIACC, Monat plans to enroll in the building trades program. After graduation he hopes to become a lineman.

Along with wrestling, Monat also runs cross country, is part of the North Tama boys golf team, and plays percussion in the North Tama Band.