As we reported earlier this week, the ADM wrestling team is hosting its Tiger Invitational 17-team tournament tomorrow in Adel, and head coach Justin Schmauss is looking forward to seeing how his team keeps progressing against top competition down the season’s stretch run.

There are many quality teams in the field for tomorrow’s event, including 3-A teams such as DC-G, Ames, Waukee and Ankeny Centennial.  But as he looks ahead to sectionals coming up on February 8th, Coach Schmauss will have his eye on one team in particular tomorrow.

“North Polk, they’re going to be in our sectionals.  We need to get some good matchups with them.  Just last weekend it was like that–that tournament had four teams that are in our district, so that was good for our guys to see where they stand against their competition when it comes to that time.”

Just as he had them heighten their focus against wrestlers they’ll be meeting in the postseason during last weekend’s Gary Christensen Invite, Schmauss says he’ll be asking the same of his guys tomorrow.

“You’ve got to take it to the next level when you wrestle those kinds of guys and send a message if you can.  If you can’t beat them, at least send a message that you’re going to put them into a fight, that way they have some nerves going into that match the next time you wrestle them (in the postseason.”

We’ll see how the Tigers can build off their 5th place finish from last weekend’s tournament starting at 10am tomorrow morning inside the ADM North Gym.

Semifinal matches are expected to begin around 3pm, with the finals tentatively scheduled for 5 o’clock.