In a world of crewcuts and closely-cropped hair, Linn-Mar junior Alijah Jeffery stands out in a crowd at a wrestling tournament with his mop of thick brown curls.

"That's Alijah," Linn-Mar Coach Doug Streicher said with an amused smile Saturday. "We love it."

Jeffery's curly hair isn't the only reason he stands out in a group of wrestlers, of course. Only a junior, he's already enjoyed an impressive career with the Lions.

He finished third at the state tournament as a freshman in 2011 and placed third again last year. He's currently ranked No.1 in Class 3A at 120 pounds with a sparkling 23-0 record.

His perfect mark includes 18 pins, four major decisions and one regular verdict. He starred again Saturday at the 47th Linn-Mar Invitational with five straight victories.

The Lions went 4-0 in pool play, but lost to Mediapolis 35-32 in the finals.

Jeffery loves those 18 pins - he collected 29 last season - but he can live with some major decisions along the way if he has to. Just as long as he keeps winning.

"I'm not necessarily mad or disappointed (when he doesn't get a pin)," he said. "I know there are tough kids that are hard to pin."

He knows all about tough competition from his two straight trips to the state tournament in Des Moines. Last year, he suffered a gut-wrenching 1-0 loss in the semifinals at 113 pounds before bouncing back for third place.

This year, he plans to go straight to the top. "I'm on a mission to be a state champion," he said without hesitation or equivocation.

"I've had a little bit of a letdown the last two years finishing third. This is what I'm going for."

Streicher thinks Jeffery has the talent, maturity and experience to claim the gold medal this year.

"He's done what it takes to get better," the coach said. "He's spent the time and the money and the pain and the sweat. A lot of kids don't do that much in the summer. He did and it paid off."

Jeffery placed eighth at the junior national freestyle tournament in Fargo, N.D., this past summer and spent a considerable amount of time at other freestyle tournaments, improving his technique for the high school campaign.

"He's got motivation, he's more mature now, he's worked hard in the offseason," said Streicher. "You put that whole thing together and you can see where he's at and why he's there."

Jeffery had to cut only 10 pounds this year to make weight at 120. In a pinch, of course, he could shed a few ounces with a trip to the barber shop.

"I've never had to do that," he said, smiling at the suggestion. "It's never been that close."

Linn-Mar defeated Mount Pleasant (48-22), Dubuque Hempstead (68-6), Clinton (45-21) and Mount Vernon (40-27) in pool competition Saturday before facing Mediapolis in the finals.

Linn-Mar is ranked No.2 in Class 3A by The Predicament and Mediapolis is ranked No.3 in Class 2A. The Lions won eight of 14 matches against the Bulldogs, but Mediapolis collected five pins and a technical fall to win the match.

Matt Wempen, a 2012 state champion, returned to the lineup Saturday for Linn-Mar after missing several weeks with a hand injury. Ross Lembeck, another top wrestler for the Lions, did not wrestle but is expected back in the lineup soon, according to Streicher.

Streicher did not seem overly concerned about finishing second in the tournament.

"We want to find good competition, and Mediapolis has a heck of a team," he said. "That's what we want. We want to see where we're at and try to figure out what we're doing wrong."

The Marion Indians finished eighth in the tournament. The Xavier Saints placed 10th and last.

FINAL ROUND
1st - Mediapolis 35, Linn-Mar 32
3rd - Clinton 55, Western Dubuque 9
5th - Mount Vernon 58, Keokuk 18
7th - Mount Pleasant 57, Marion 18
9th - Hempstead 39, Xavier 36