LOCAL COACH STILL LOVES TO GRAPPLE

BY NUR KAUSAR • nkausar@thespectrum.com • January 11, 2009

CEDAR CITY — The threat of getting kicked out of school for fighting sparked a lifelong love of wrestling that transcended the Green River high school gym boundaries for Jerry Womack.


“It was a fluke,” the 48-year-old Cedar City Police detective sergeant said of his beginnings in the sport. “My principal said you either join the wrestling team or I’ll kick you out.”

The ultimatum paid off in the end, as Womack went on to become the wrestling team captain his senior year with a 27-2 record 30 years ago.

It paid off even more as the sport later encompassed his family and became a hobby he still enjoys today as an assistant coach for the Canyon View wrestling team.
Canyon View High, Cedar High and Iron Town Duels Wrestling Tournament honored Womack for his dedication Saturday afternoon during the tournament with the Iron Town Duels Service Award. Womack’s family, along with 11 different teams and dozens of community members and coaches, cheered on as he received a plaque in the Canyon View High gym.

“I’d say he’s ornery,” Womack’s oldest son, Zade Womack, 23, joked about his father.

“But at least he’s consistent,” Womack’s mother Clydene Womack chimed in, laughing.

Zade Womack started wrestling at age five, with his dad as his mentor as he continued the sport in high school, he said.

Jerry Womack started his children off as soon as they could, coaching a little league club team at Cedar High School before Canyon View even existed, he said.
The little league wrestlers traveled all over the state, and Womack’s parents said they missed very few matches of their son or even their grandchildren.

“We would travel with him all over,” Clydene Womack said. “I was a wrestling mom – the real soccer mom.”

“Once there was this terrible referee and he didn’t even leave from the front door. He snuck into the locker room, didn’t even take his things and sped off in his car. He knew I was going to lynch him. I was off the bleachers and on the mat during that match. (My husband) was always embarrassed of me,” she laughed.

This passion passed on to Jerry Womack as he helped his six children when they joined their respective sports, but wrestling was always No. 1.

“Wrestling is the best sport to teach discipline,” he said. “It’s one-on-one so you can’t rely on anybody to help you. You can’t go into it half-hearted – you have to give it your all, whole-heartedly, if you want to come out on top.”