Every year, just before the snow melts and winter becomes a cold and distant memory, an event takes place in the heart of Iowa to captivate the state for four days.

The Iowa state wrestling meet is arguably the pinnacle of the athletic careers of hundreds of high school wrestlers.

Emotion and pressure sit in the air of Wells Fargo Arena as wrestlers from across the state stride to the center of the mat, ready for glory. However, wrestlers are not the only people on the mat experiencing pressure.

Beyond the coaches and the wrestlers, there will be trainers. Look closer, and some of them might be recognizable.

This year marks the 42nd year that ISU students studying athletic training will make the trip to Des Moines and serve as volunteer athletic trainers on the mats.

“Nose bleeds, cuts to the face or limbs, dislocations, knee injuries, concussions — these are all things we as athletic trainers will take care of,” said Kayla Kleihauer, a coordinator for the trainers. “It’s all about being prepared.”

Kleihauer has been at the meet the past four years, but this will be her first visit as a coordinator, bringing along 38 students.

State wrestling in Iowa is known for its sellout crowd, high intensity environment and a raucous fan base full of passionate communities.

“It’s almost like a funnel: There are whole communities on either side of you cheering for their wrestler,” Kleihauer said. “A lot of times you can’t hear yourself think, or even communicate with the other trainers.”

For Eric Bornholdt and Billy Lutz, both juniors in athletic training, this will be their second time working the event.

“Last year, I went for the first time not really knowing what to expect,” Bornholdt said. “Once I got out there I realized how intense and crazy things were and it was a little overwhelming.”

Lutz’s feelings at the meet were no different.

“It’s definitely an experience,” Lutz said. “You have thousands of people watching you do your job and such a small time frame to get them back on the mat.”

As if thousands of screaming, red-faced strangers are not enough to rattle the nerves of the trainers, they must also work against the clock. When a wrestler comes off the mat for an injury, the trainers have a small 90-second window in which they must not only assess the injury, but also treat it.

In case the trainers have trouble treating an injury, there is a certified athletic trainer on hand. ISU students studying athletic training have been volunteering at the meet for the past 42 years.

“It’s the commitment from the Iowa State athletic training program and their dedication and desire to a part of the meet. That’s what keeps this relationship going,” said Alan Beste, assistant executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association. “We’re looking for qualified people and adequate numbers of trainers to cover the needs of the competitors. We get both of those things from Iowa State.”

The university also benefits from this partnership.

“It’s definitely a huge draw for prospective students that we get to go to these big events,” Kleihauer said. “It’s something that we offer that Iowa or the University of Northern Iowa can’t.”

Later this year, the trainers will work at the Drake Relays and the NCAA wrestling tournament that will also be held in Wells Fargo Arena.

This time around, Lutz and Bornholdt are more prepared for the environment.

“Things do settle down and you start to focus on what you need to do,” Bornholdt said. “As long as you do your job, it will be OK.”

The state wrestling meet kicks off the morning of Feb. 13 and continues into the weekend through the night of Feb. 16.