Colony graduate to wrestle for Graceland University

PALMER — Wade Booth is carrying on a family tradition. Like his father one did, longtime Valley wrestling coach Dave Booth, Wade will have the opportunity to wrestle on the collegiate level.

Booth, who recently graduated as part of Colony High School’s class of 2014, recently committed to Graceland University, and will compete for the NAIA program in Lamoni, Iowa.

“To go off for wrestling in college just like dad is cool,” Booth said recently. “I’m excited.”

Booth considered a handful of NAIA programs, including Great Falls University, Concordia University and Missouri Valley. But after making a trip to Graceland, Booth said school, which sits just north of Iowa’s border with Missouri, was the clear choice.

“I thought it would be a good fit. I had offers from some other schools, but I really liked (Graceland),” Booth said.

Booth, who plans to pursue a degree in mathmatics and become a math teacher in the future, said Graceland has what he’s looking for academically. He also will have an opportunity to compete right away for the Yellowjackets wrestling team.

Graceland, which had a strong wrestling tradition during the 1960s and 1970s, was without a wrestling program from 1982 until the team was resurrected in

2013.

“It’s a new program. I could be set up to be one of the No. 1 guys on the team as a freshman. To be able to wrestle all four years on varsity would be kind of cool in college,” Booth said.

Booth, who wrestled at 152 pounds as a senior at Colony High, said he’ll wrestle in either the 141-pound or 149-pound class in college.

During his high school career, Booth qualified for the state tournament in all four years. He wrestled three of his four years at Colony High.

As a senior, Booth finished third in the Northern Lights Conference Tournament and fourth at the 4A state tournament at 152. Booth was third in the NLC at 113 pounds as a sophomore, and sixth in the NLC at 106 as a freshman.

Booth wrestled in Hawaii as a junior. He was a conference champion and finished fifth in state.