February 24, 2022 at 9:58 a.m.
Ostermann achieves state goal in wrestling return
Ostermann achieves state goal in wrestling return
"They're like, 'Why didn't you just stay in swimming? You would have made it to state anyway.' I was like, 'I think I can make it for wrestling,'" he said.
Ostermann dug deep, convincingly won his second-place match over Marshfield's Cody Weix, and fulfilled his promise of qualifying for the WIAA Division 1 state wrestling meet in Madison.
The state tournament started yesterday at the Kohl Center, where Ostermann (37-4) was set to face a fellow senior, Verona's Cael Wozniak (37-9) in a preliminary bout. This week, leading up to the tournament, Ostermann said he had goals of going out as a state placewinner, but how he got there was a most unusual journey.
Ostermann was a sectional qualifier as a freshman but switched to swimming in his sophomore and junior years. He took to that sport like a fish to water and had plenty of success, qualifying for the WIAA D2 state meet as the butterfly swimmer on the Hodags' 200-yard freestyle relay last season.
"It's definitely a big change between the two sports, but they're both very hard sports," he said. "I'd say they're the two hardest winter sports, and just sports in general. Wrestling brings in different things and swim brings in different things, but I definitely learned great teamwork from the swim team. We had an amazing head coach and athletes all around. It was a great community and I learned how to work with a team better, and hard work. (RHS swim coach) Jenny (Heck) definitely pushed us really hard into swim. I was able to take that into the wrestling room."
Hodag wrestling coach Scottie Arneson said Ostermann has applied those lessons on the mat.
"He's just been an awesome leader for us," Arneson said. "He tries to keep a positive attitude, even when wrestling practices aren't the most enjoyable. There are probably a lot more sports that are more enjoyable than going out, getting punched in the face, getting some bloody noses, but you've got to embrace it. That's what he brings to the program."
Ultimately, Ostermann said the chance to be on the same team with his younger brother, Aiden, helped draw him back to wrestling for his senior year.
"My parents were always talking about how they wanted us both to be making it to state his freshman year and my senior year and both be on the same T-shirt," he said. "Aiden coming back, and definitely Scottie as well (factored in my decision). He's a great coach and I just thought I'd have the best opportunity to do best at wrestling again."
"I think he realized he loved the sport when he took two years off," Arneson added. "Not saying that he didn't love swimming, because he succeeded in that as well, but I think he wanted to come back and spend one more season with his younger brother, Aiden."
All of that passion was put to the test when Gavin Ostermann was called for a locked hands penalty - one that video replay appears to refute - with two seconds remaining in his 182-pound sectional championship bout against River Falls' Gavin Kohel. The penalty point tied the match at 8 and forced sudden victory, where Kohel recorded a match-ending takedown.
Ostermann called the loss "heart-wrenching."
"It was a tough match and definitely one I wanted to win, give myself a better place to be at for state," he said. "You kind of look back and there's points here or there that I should have gotten. It's tough."
Luckily, with the top two finishers in each sectional punching a ticket to Madison, Ostermann could still qualify. He handled Weix, whom he had beaten a week earlier to win the regional championship, by technical fall early in the third period to qualify for state.
"When I knew my kid for the wrestleback, I was already certain I was going to make it to state. I was agitated and upset that I lost that match and I went into the next match and I was just very powerful," Ostermann said. "It's real nice to be true to my word there and be able to pull it off and make it down to the big show."
Ostermann entered Thursday's match against Wozniak, which concluded after press time for today's edition, needing to win to guarantee advancement to the second day of the state tournament. Ostermann was ranked 11th in Wisconsin Wrestling Online's final Division 1, 182-pound rankings while Wozniak came in at No. 9. With No. 3 Evan Danowski (47-1) of Watertown likely looming in the quarterfinals, both Arneson and Ostermann considered Thursday's opener to be a must-win. Otherwise, they would have to rely on Wozniak pulling an upset and reaching the semifinals in order for Ostermann to earn a spot in the wrestleback.
"The only way you can control your own destiny is if you win that first round," Arneson said. "I know if we win that first one, we're going to get at least three matches down at the state tournament. That first one is the only thing we can control right now."
"I'd like to place down there," Ostermann added. "It's going to be tough, but I want to do the best that I can. I've got to win my first match and keeping winning from there on out."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
WEATHER SPONSORED BY
E-Editions
Latest News
E-Editions
Events
August
To Submit an Event Sign in first
Today's Events
No calendar events have been scheduled for today.
Comments:
You must login to comment.