By Becky Walz,
Ready to take on the 2023 season for the South Winn boys’ wrestling team are (front, l-r) managers Delaney Steffans, Gracyn Humpal, Jule Sadler, Paige Jaster, Josie Tollefsrud, Brooke Steffans; (second row) Parker Dahl, Cooper Huinker, Bo Wangsness, Gavin Thuente, Jamison Zweibahmer, John Donovan, Collin Holm, Kyle Kuboushek; (third row) Matthew Horstman, Aiden Feickert, Lukas Weiss, Quinn Huinker, Cody Meyer, Landen Schnuelle, Luke Williams; (back) Kolton Brummond, Eli Higgins, Ray Lienau, Parker Timp, Brady Ohrt and Eric Greve. Not pictured is Toa Ryan. (Driftless Multimedia photo by Becky Walz)
There will be a turnaround this season for the South Winn boys’ wrestling team.
The focus of the squad is to exchange last year’s varsity experience for wins during the 2023-24 season.
The man in charge of bringing home the victories is Head Coach Jacob Elsbernd, who is in his 13th season as head coach. He will be assisted by Dakota Gray, along with volunteer coaches Jason Schmelzer, Logan Schnuelle, Jake Everts, Kenny Mikota, Ethan Adams and Tayton Bullerman.
Qualifying last season
It was a year of growth for the South Winn boys wrestling team during the 2023-24 season. The team featured seven returning letter winners. The Warriors put together a 14-16 dual record for the season and finished third at the Upper Iowa Conference individual meet, crowning two champions – Aiden Feickert at 113 pounds and Parker Timp at 195 pounds.
At the Class 1A district meet in Monona, they finished third in the team standings and sent a quartet to state — Collin Holm (138 lbs.), Kyle Kuboushek (152), Kaden Bullerman (170) and Parker Timp (195). When the last match was wrestled in Des Moines, Holm came up just short of a title, finishing runner-up to become just the seventh wrestler in Warrior history to reach the finals. Bullerman concluded his high school career 36-14 and Timp wrapped up a 20-12 junior season.
Top returners
Coach Elsbernd has 13 athletes back with a letter. At the top of the list is last year’s runner-up, Holm (144), who is ranked No. 2 in the preseason standings and finished his junior campaign with a 40-2 record.
In addition to that, Kuboushek returns with state experience and is likely to move into the 165-pound division. He sits at No. 5 after finishing 37-13 last season. At 190 pounds, Timp went 20-12 as a junior and returns for another shot at the podium.
Other letter winners include Aiden Feickert (113/120), Jamison Zweibahmer (113/120), Bo Wangsness (126), John Donovan (126/132), Eric Greve (132), Lukas Weiss (138), Landen Schnuelle (150), Brady Ohrt (157), Quinn Huinker (175) and Ray Lienau (215).
Coach Elsbernd also has a host and underclassmen on his radar including Gavin Thuente (106) and Kolton Brummond (285).
“I think we will have a solid line up for the dual season and have some guys who could make a nice run at the state tournament as well,” said Coach Elsbernd. “I believe we have four to six guys who could qualify for the state tournament this year.”
Work to do
Coach Elsbernd noted that while the Warriors return a lot of athletes who return with experience and can start the year covering all of the weight classes, South Winn’s depth at most weights is limited.
“We are hoping to see an aggressive style of wrestling. Personally I am looking for athletes who will give it everything they have each time on the mat and who are receptive to the coaching we provide,” noted Coach Elsbernd. “I think we should win 20 duals this season and can be a top 15-20 dual team in the state.”
When it comes to the conference race, Coach Elsbernd anticipates perennial powerhouse MFL MarMac as the frontrunner for the Upper Iowa Conference title.
The Warriors kick off the season Tuesday, Nov. 28, against New Hampton/Turkey Valley, Clear Lake and Central Elkader at Turkey Valley at 5:30 p.m.
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