April 6, 2023 at 6:22 a.m.
RHS wrestling team hands out awards
RHS wrestling team hands out awards
Junior Owen Kurtz and senior Abby Swanson took home the biggest prizes on Sunday. Kurtz was named the most valuable wrestler while Swanson took home most dedicated honors as well as most improved honors among upperclassmen.
Sophomores Logan Schwinger and Dresden Klaver shared the most improved award for underclassmen and freshman Anthony Boldt was voted the team's rookie of the year.
Kurtz went 22-8 on the season, which started late as he recovered from a shoulder injury he sustained during the football season. He won the heavyweight bracket at the Great Northern Conference tournament and then followed that up with a regional title before finishing third at sectionals for the second year in a row - missing qualifying for the WIAA state tournament by one position.
Swanson followed up a fifth-place finish in the inaugural WIAA girls' state tournament with a third-place finish this year, losing to eventual state champion Ella Creighton in the first round before fighting her way all the way through the wrestle back. She went 19-7 on the season.
Schwinger and Klaver both earn all-conference honors in their respective weight classes this season. Schwinger went 19-18 on the season and finished third in the GNC at 170 pounds. Klaver was 16-17 on the year and took third at 138.
Boldt was 5-15 on the season, wrestling primarily at 113 pounds and finished fourth in a six-wrestler bracket at the GNC tournament.
Additionally the team voted on class leaders for the 2023 season. Kurtz, as the lone returning senior-to-be won the award by default. Schwinger, Klaver and Aiden Ostermann split the award for incoming juniors and Boldt received the award for incoming freshmen.
The team also presented the "Guts Club" award for wrestlers how attended 100% of practices plus other team functions throughout the season. Swanson, Kurtz, Ostermann and Schwinger won the award.
The Hodags, who struggled with low numbers throughout the season, finished last in the Great Northern Conference this year. Six of the eight wrestlers the team had compete at the GNC tournament earned all-conference honors by finishing in the top three of their respective weight classes.
"Where we were at the beginning of the year with our technique and willingness to learn to the end of the year was night and day different this year," coach Scottie Arneson said in his remarks to the athletes and parents in attendance Sunday. "We had kids asking to stay after practice and work on small techniques they were seeing in the film they were watching, which was awesome.
"Hopefully next year we can get a few more to the sectional tournament, or even that state tournament."
Arneson discussed voluntary opportunities to improve via open mat sessions throughout the spring, and mentioned the team is looking to put together a team camp in Rhinelander shortly after the end of the school year in June.
"We all understand it's a process and that one year isn't going to fix everything," Arneson said, looking ahead to the future. "But everybody's getting better at wrestling. And it's going through and trusting the process and trusting the coaches to put us in the right spot. I think with the coaching staff that we have right now, we can do that."
Freelancer Bob Mainhardt contributed to this report.
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.