Just keep going: Schwinger’s wrestling career set to conclude at Kohl Center

Three years ago Logan Schwinger could have never fathomed where his wrestling career would take him. 

That’s what made last weekend’s moment — when he pinned Ellsworth’s Sawyer Van Horn in the third-place match at sectionals to qualify for the WIAA state tournament — so special.

“I actually went over to (assistant) coach Figs (Tyler Figueroa) after and I said, ‘Wow I can’t believe it. If you would’ve told freshman me that senior me was making it to state, I would’ve never believed it because I only had eight wins,” Schwinger said. “I didn’t really see my wrestling career going anywhere and now I’m a state competitor. So that’s pretty cool.”

Schwinger gets the chance to end his high school wrestling career on the state’s biggest stage at the Kohl Center in Madison. He wrestled his opening round match yesterday evening and, regardless of the outcome, had the chance to come back today as he competes in the 190-pound bracket in Division 2.

Schwinger’s story is one of hard work and dedication to the sport. Offseason training and tournaments helped him go from eight wins as a freshman to 19 wins as a sophomore and one win away from qualifying for sectionals. That turned into 36 wins and a sectional trip as a junior, and then into 41 wins and a trip to state this year. 

Schwinger said the light bulb went off during the offseason between his freshman and sophomore years, and he started to believe he could become a state-caliber wrestler.

“I decided that to be the best you got to put in that work,” he said. “Obviously I’m not the best yet, but there’s always that road to come along. I did a lot of offseason work that summer. I worked a lot with some coaches that are still cheering me on this year and so that’s always good. You get a couple different aspects of coach to coach.” 

It’s a model that Hodag head coach Scottie Arneson said he hopes can inspire the underclassmen on this year’s squad who toiled at or below .500.

“It just it goes (to show) the progression that we try and tell the kids. It’s ‘hey, it’s probably not going to happen all at once, but if you just stick it out and you believe in the system, like 10 wins then 20 wins, 30 wins to now we’ll get 40 wins, the proof is kind of in the pudding,’” he said. “If you just stick around and you listen, you ask questions and you’re wanting to learn, good things will happen. 

“I’m really excited for the opportunity for Logan. He’s put in a lot of hard work and now it’s no pressure.”

Schwinger went into the tournament as the No. 8 seed in the 12-man bracket at 190 and was set to face ninth-seeded senior Trei Undelhoven of Bellville/

Monticello/New Glarus (45-5) last night in an opening round match at the Kohl Center. The winner was set to face top-seeded and undefeated Max Matthias of Two Rivers (43-0) while the loser would fall into the consolation round on Friday with a chance to wrestle back to fifth place. 

    Rhinelander’s Logan Schwinger, right, and practice partner Reid Schultz listen to coach Scottie Arneson during wrestling practice at James Williams Middle School Monday, Feb. 24. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

“Pressure’s off. We’re playing with house money now,” Arneson said. “There’s too many people that shy away from that competition. They’re excited to make it there. Maybe that was their goal. Well, I’m not letting him settle with that. Our goal is now to place and we’re going to game plan as good as we can to try and get the first win because we don’t know who we’re going to have after the first two rounds. 

“I mean anyone can be beat on any day, so just win in advance and you know final one,” Schwinger added. “This is my final tournament my senior year. I’m just going to kind of try to leave it all on the mat.”

Schwinger is in a bit of uncharted water as the Hodags’ first state qualifier on the boys’ side since Gavin Ostermann in 2022. Schwinger was a freshman that year but did not make the trip to the Kohl Center to watch Ostermann compete. The crowd and the venue will be an entirely new experience. 

“I think the only time I’ve been around a state atmosphere was fifth-grade year I made it to state, which obviously is a lot different than high school state,” he said. “I was the only one that made it on the team, which is unfortunate, but it is a lot of pressure, just in that kind of atmosphere. Everyone there deserves to be there, so, pressure’s definitely on.”

Schwinger can lean on Arneson — who has been to state as both a competitor and a coach — for some guidance. Arneson said it’s much like Gene Hackman’s character said in “Hoosiers,” the playing field is the same no matter the size of the venue. 

“All the mats are 28-foot circles in high school and the venue just has more spectators to cheer you on,” he said. “The mat doesn’t change, the time doesn’t change, the periods don’t change. You always get a choice in the second or third period. Like go out there and compete.”

If Schwinger was to manage to knock off Undelhoven and Matthias, he would earn a spot in tonight’s semifinals and be guaranteed top-four finish. Otherwise, Schwinger would need to win his match this afternoon to stay alive in the tournament, and one more Saturday morning to earn a spot on the podium.

“You just got to kind of show up and hope for the best,” Schwinger said. “I’ve been training all year for this moment, all my career for this moment. It’s awesome, but I don’t want to get too full of myself because the state’s a lot bigger than I am. Just got to keep pushing through and you know, just go out there and give them my all and not just be happy that I made it, but just keep going.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].