Newman-Winfrey carries on 106-pound tradition for Southeast Polk wrestling

There’s a spot that’s stitched on the upper back of Amir Newman-Winfrey’s singlet he sported during the Iowa state wrestling tournament quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.

That stitch comes from Nico DeSalvo’s mom, who patched the singlet two years ago before DeSalvo won his first state title at 106 pounds. One year after that, Eddie Woody donned the same exact singlet during the season when he won the 106-pound weight class for the Rams. Now, it’s Newman-Winfrey’s turn to wear it. The same duds, with ‘Rams’ printed across the chest, the same weight class and the same goal.

Win a state title.

Thus far, Newman-Winfrey has lived up to the reputation being built by Southeast Polk at 106 pound wrestlers over the last two seasons. He’s in the state finals on Feb. 21, with two pins and a major decision during the tournament to get there.

The major decision he earned was over an elite wrestler, Fort Dodge freshman Knox Ayala, the younger brother of Iowa Hawkeyes and state tournament icons Drake and Dru Ayala. Knox Ayala’s slide-by attacks, speed and grit in the top position are all already at a high level, mirroring much of what his brother’s have done.

More: Iowa high school state wrestling tournament live results, updates

Still, Newman-Winfrey rolled to a 16-3 major decision and is one match away from making it three state championships in a row at 106 pounds for Southeast Polk. At a minimum, he’s already helped his team clinch the team title in Class 3A.

“It’s just passing down to generations,” Newman-Winfrey said. “We all work hard together, we all train together. It’s amazing.”

All three of DeSalvo (138), Woody (126) and Newman-Winfrey (106) are in the state finals for the Rams this year. But the energy the team has for their young freshman is obvious. His talent level is something they have a ton of confidence in, and it has been proven right by his performance so far.

“He’s going out there and wrecking people’s souls,” DeSalvo said. “He’s going out there, no matter who you are, he’s going to try to put his skull through your face.”

Newman-Winfrey got involved in wrestling at a young age, attracted to the physicality, family atmosphere at Southeast Polk, and the ability to travel the country for national tournaments. Right away, Newman-Winfrey was winning a ton at youth-level stages.

It was around middle school, however, where Newman-Winfrey hit a growth spurt. Trying to build his strength and figure out how to use his body saw him start to lose frequently for a period. For a moment, he considered quitting wrestling entirely and going to play football.

More: Rapid reactions from Iowa high school wrestling state semifinals

Southeast Polk continued to work with him on his mindset and body, putting him in the fire at big national tournaments to get him battle-tested so he could learn from losses. As time went on, he found his footing and has become an elite talent in Iowa.

“He’s made those changes and it’s really benefited him,” Southeast Polk head coach Jake Agnitsch said. “People are starting to see, like, how good he actually is.”

With one more win, Newman-Winfrey can turn back-to-back championships at 106 pounds into a three-year streak for the Rams. He’ll draw Dowling Catholic’s Cruz Gannon, whom he defeated by decision in a dual earlier this year by a 17-10 scoreline.

As a wrestler from a young age, winning on a stage like this is the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

“I’ve been wanting to be here for a long time now,” Newman-Winfrey said. “This is where I’m about to prove myself.”

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.