HAWK TALK

September 2018

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37 McGinness finished the season 36-9 and placed second in the Big Ten and fih in the NCAA at 126 pounds. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. e following season he was undefeated in 30 bouts, winning his first Big Ten and NCAA titles. "I was undefeated because wrestling was fun and I was doing everything right: controlling my weight correctly, I was going to class, and everything in my life was balanced," McGinness said. A growth spurt between the end of the 1994-95 season and the beginning of 1995-96 caused a hiccup. Rather than compete for a spot at 134 pounds, McGinness used his redshirt. en, during his junior season, McGinness was cutting a lot of weight and it took its toll at the end of the season. He finished 27-3 and was second in the Big Ten and did not place at nationals. e days with McGinness at 126 pounds were over. As a senior, he bumped up two weight classes to 142 pounds, finished 34-4, and won his second conference and national championships. "I had a lot of naysayers both nationally as well as people connected to the program," McGinness said. "For me, coming back (to win) my senior year wasn't as much about proving people wrong, but proving to myself that given the right environment and me focusing on the way I want to wrestle and not having to worry about cutting weight and all these other issues was very rewarding." With McGinness in the lineup, the Hawkeyes won four Big Ten and three NCAA team championships. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of Big Ten Championships in 1998. McGinness won 43 consecutive matches from 1994-96 and twice received the Mike Howard Award as the team most valuable performer. Aer graduating from law school, McGinness spent seven years working for a law firm in Chicago, specializing in civil litigation defense. He returned to Iowa and worked in Cedar Rapids from 2007-12, then decided to make a career move outside of private practice. Since 2012, McGinness has served as general counsel, vice president of franchise operations, and national beverage director for WineStyles of West Des Moines. WineStyles is a franchise of national boutique wine stores and wine bars. McGinness met his wife, Jami, in rhetoric class at the University of Iowa. ey live in Waukee with their three children.

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