Charles City referee also part of state wrestling tournament

By Bob Fenske, editor@nhtrib.com

Ask Jeff Pavlovich about his high school wrestling career, and he’ll give you a wry smile.

“I was not a good wrestler,” he said with a laugh, “and I’m probably being kind to myself.”

But he’s one heck of a referee, one who just wrapped up his sixth year working the state wrestling tournament.

“I remember Bill Roths (the New Hampton man who was one of two officials who led Saturday night’s grand march) telling me it’s a great way to stay involved in the sport and give back to it,” Pavlovich said. “And man, did I have a lot to learn.”

Pavlovich grew up around the sport. His father, Dan, was a longtime wrestling coach at Charles City.

“I loved hanging out in the room, at tournaments and down here at state,” Pavlovich said. “Dad would give me 10, 20 bucks, and tell me to make sure I was back before they left.”

After graduating from Charles City High School in 1998, Pavlovich headed to Omaha, Nebraska, where he earned a degree in chemistry.

He returned to Iowa, and that’s when Roths and others told him he should get into officiating.

“I did junior varsity, junior high stuff, and I probably drove a few coaches nuts as I learned,” Pavlovich said. “I remember moving up to varsity and thinking, ‘Am I ready for this?'”

He was.

In 2015, he was assigned to his first state wrestling tournament.

“We’re just like the kids and coaches,” he said. “Making the state tournament, that’s the pinnacle for us, and it’s hard to do because we have a lot of great referees in this state.”

In 2018, he worked his first finals match, the 160-pound Class 3A match between Iowa City West’s Nelson Brands and Iowa City High’s Wilford Kadohou.

Brands was clad in a green singlet, Kadohou wore red — but their leg band colors for awarding points were the opposite.

“I think your first finals match is always memorable and a little nerve-wracking,” Pavlovich said, “but the thing I was the most nervous about was not getting the red and the green screwed up.”

He didn’t, even though he had plenty of chances to make a mistake because Brands won a 22-7 decision.

Today, Pavlovich is a senior process safety engineer at Cambrex and also serves as president of the Immaculate Conception Catholic School School Board, but his winter nights and weekends are often spent on a mat in gyms throughout Iowa.

That means the unsung hero in this story is his wife, Heidi. The Pavlovichs have three children ages 9, 7 and 5.

“She deserves a lot of the credit,” he said, “and she and the kids definitely support me. I couldn’t do this without Heidi, and I’m grateful and blessed for that.”