Ever wonder where that tasty bowl of oatmeal came from?

So, last year, my trip to Iowa for one of the NCAA Wrestling championships marked two major landmarks in my life...1) I managed to get a photo from last year's D3 Wrestling in Sports Illustrated's 'Leading Off' section, and 2) I received one of the heftiest speeding tickets ($280) I've ever gotten.  Determined to repeat only one of those feats, I came here with a lighter foot on the pedal and the same lighting setup I used for my Leading Off picture.

This year, the Division III Wrestling Championships were held at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.  While it may not seem it, but it was a drastic improvement from last year when it was held in Dubuque, a once prosperous, and now 'an afterthought' town on the banks of the Mississippi River in Eastern Iowa.  I actually got to stay in a respectable hotel, not some Days Inn next to the highway.  It had a money breakfast buffet, and best of all, the arena was connected to the hotel!

Now, when you think of Iowa, what comes to mind?  Yup, that's right!  Yes, this is one of the most depressing parts of the country to travel to at the tail end of Winter. Yes, the color pallet of the landscape is grey, white, off-white and brown.  And yes, IT'S REALLY REALLY BITTER COLD!!!  But the people are friendly (How could they not be, they're from the midwest), the wrestling is hard (It's Iowa), and the fans (They're Iowans) are ROWDY!!!

Now, I know some of you are thinking, 'wow, I'm really glad I'm not Trev...traveling to IOWA in the middle of March to shoot sweaty guys rolling around and bleeding all over eachother.' Well, listen here.  I fell in love with shooting this sport about 4 or 5 years ago when it was the first NCAA Championship I shot.  I couldn't believe the action, the passion and the GLORY that wrestling brings to the table.  If you've never been to a wrestling meet where there's something significant on the line, quit watching American Idol (yes, I watch it and David Archuleta is going to win) and peel yourself off the couch and go see some wrasslin'!  It's awesome!!! Additionally, there is a small emotional connection to this sport for me.  My Dad was a rock star on the wrestling mat!  The three time Connecticut state champ was a maniac and should have won four titles, but battled a mean cold his freshman year and fell short in the semifinals.  Thus, it's fun for me to make photos that I know he'll appreciate from a wrestler's standpoint.

Now, you're probably wondering why on earth the title of this entry is about Oatmeal.  Check out the last pic and find out.

Anyway, I'm off to Vegas for a week to shoot the Mountain West Basketball tournament, then back home for a little while before a week of vacation in Arizona with Kristin and her family.

Enjoy the pics!

-TSB2

I told you they were rowdy...

There's just something about this sport that is gladiator like...

When they have multiple mats down, you can get some cool graphic backgrounds...

"Say Uncle!  Say Uncle!"

Better watch out for that Bulldog...

I love getting them when they're off the ground...

Cedar Rapids is the home of Quaker Oats and the whole city smells like cinnamon oatmeal!

Take a look at the snow in the foreground.  That isn't just a snowy field...that's a river that has frozen over!  I told you Iowa is COLD!!!