Wow, what a week!

For four days inside Wells Fargo Arena, the New Hampton wrestling team displayed the guts and fortitude that was such a huge part of the 2016-17 Chickasaws.  And while the hardware was nice, what may have separated this team from so many others in Iowa was this: They did it for each other.  Ask Nick Hemann, the coach who led the Chickasaws to dizzying heights in 2016-17, what he’ll remember about this team, and the answer comes down to one word.  “Team.”  And as he stood inside Wells Fargo Arena Saturday night, nothing was going to wipe off the smile from Hemann’s face.  For four days, his wrestlers took New Hampton and its wrestling fans on a thrill ride none of us will ever forget.  On Wednesday, the Chickasaws showed without a doubt they were the best Class 2A dual team in the state as they rolled to three victories and a state title.  And over the course of the following three days, New Hampton came within a proverbial eyelash — a half of a point to be exact — of bringing home the traditional state tournament team championship.  Think about what New Hampton did in those four days.   The story, included in a four-page special pullout section, may be found in the Feb. 21 Tribune.