Marshfield wrestling off to hot start
By Paul Lecker
Sports Reporter
MARSHFIELD — Third-year head coach Jackson Hein has been trying to build up the Marshfield wrestling team to be a contender in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.
It is hard to say if the Tigers are already at the level of being a top-tier team in the always competitive Valley, but they are definitely on their way.
A strong group of returning athletes has Marshfield off to great start to the 2016-2017 season. Heading into Thursday’s meet against Wisconsin Rapids, the Tigers had won seven-straight dual matches.
Marshfield went a perfect 5-0 to win the Neenah Duals on Dec. 10 and followed that up with a 55-22 rout of Stevens Point in its WVC dual opener on Dec. 15.
Senior Anthony Kanable, a 2015 conference and 2016 regional champion, is wrestling at 138 pounds; sophomore Nolan Hertel was a state qualifier last season; and 152-pounder Bentley Ostermann-Schwanebeck was a conference champ at 145 a year ago. All three are back for the Tigers.
Seniors Conner Peterson (195 pounds) and Sam Bauman (220) also return for Marshfield as well as sophomores Caden Dennee (113), Tanner Kanable (120), Caden Pearce (132), Alex Wehrman (152), and Sam Mitchell (170) and juniors Alex Brost (182), A.J. Leonhardt (285), and Payton Young (152).
Freshmen Shane Westerhausen (106) and Brayden Richardson (126) have also seen varsity time.
Westerhausen, Anthony Kanable, Hertel, and Ostermann-Schwanebeck all were 5-0 at the Neenah meet.
“It has been a great start to the year,” Hein said. “We are currently 9-2 in dual meet competition. This has been a great group of student athletes to coach. They are great wrestlers and even better people. I am excited to see what the future will hold for this team.”
Hein said he is taking the day-by-day approach, but continuing to get better each day could lead to big things at the end of the season, which is what really matters.
The Wisconsin Valley Conference Meet is at Stevens Point on Feb. 4, followed by the regionals and sectionals and eventually the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament in Madison on Feb. 23-25.
“Our goals for the season are to improve every day, keep wrestling fun and exciting, and always wrestle our style when competing,” Hein said. “If we can do this, big things will happen this year for this team.”
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