DES MOINES, Iowa – Wrestling is a tough sport with tough competitors. A contingent from Iowa State wrestling visited one of those tough competitors this afternoon at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines.
Iowa State wrestling head coach Kevin Jackson, 149-pound senior Mitch Mueller and assistant coaches Chris Bono and Yero Washington spent time with Urbandale’s Zac Duncalf. Duncalf, nine years in age, could only enjoy the Iowa Staters' company from his hospital bed as he has begun a battle with leukemia.
The smile and excitement on Duncalf’s face did most of the talking for the aspiring wrestler. Monica Duncalf, Zac Duncalf’s mother, noted that he had scored a pin over one of his opponents in a recent wrestling match. The comment drew words of encouragement from the ISU coaching staff and even technical advice from Mueller.
“They were cool,” Duncalf said. “I was really excited to see them.”
Jackson knew taking time away from the office to visit Duncalf was time worth spending.
“As a staff, we want to be a part of the community across the state,” Jackson said. “For us to be able to make his day even a little better is important. Zac being a wrestler is icing on top of the cake.”
The Cyclone head coach hopes Duncalf is watching for the Cyclones this upcoming season. Jackson is certainly cheering for Duncalf even harder.
“No one deserves to be in that situation,” Jackson said. “We’re confident Zac is going to be make a great recovery.”
