As the wrestling mats are unrolled and the sound of bodies hitting the mat echoes through the gym, the Lennox High School wrestling team is gearing up for what promises to be an exciting and challenging season under the leadership of first-year head coach Matt Hanson.
While Hanson may be in his first year as the head coach at Lennox High School, his wrestling expertise is far from novice. With a background that includes coaching the Lennox Youth Program for seven years and serving as both the Lennox Middle School Coach and Assistant High School Coach for two years, Hanson brings a wealth of experience to the mat. Over the course of his career, he has coached an impressive 65 state qualifiers and 47 state place winners.
Guiding the athletes alongside Hanson are assistant coaches Sam Bowers, Brandon Otte, and Tate Barnhardt.
Last year, Lennox saw five athletes qualify for the State Tournament and had 12 earn letters. This year the team is hoping for continued success, bringing back three of the five state qualifiers which include: Ramsey Williams, Grant Larson, and Jocelyn Thoms.
The roster is a mix of seasoned wrestlers with years of experience and newcomers in the early stages of their wrestling careers. Also included on this year’s team will be (boys): Cade Aasheim, Jack Aasheim, Cole Dressen, Kedren Fergen, Lincoln Ford, Nate Haar, Noah Hanson, Rylan Langbehn, Cale Mower, Preston Otte, George Scott, Colin Wendt, and Sullivan Weeldreyer. Girls’ team members include Jaelyn Fergen, Kyla Henney, and Emma Seykora.
Hanson acknowledges the unique composition of the team, stating, “Currently we have an interesting room, about half of our roster is made up of seasoned wrestlers who will have several years of experience, yet the other half are in the infant stages of their wrestling career. We will need to develop those young wrestlers as quickly and thoroughly as possible while still challenging and developing our experienced wrestlers as well. It is going to be a fun year with plenty of challenges, but this team will persevere.”
The team’s strength is rooted in their work ethic. Hanson is confident that the dedication of this young roster will translate to success both on and off the mat. He encourages spectators to keep a close eye on the team throughout the season as these young men and women aim to make their mark.
The wrestlers open their season this Saturday, Dec. 2 when they travel to Sioux Falls Roosevelt to compete in the Rider Invite. They will be at Yankton on Tuesday, Dec. 5 and at Dell Rapids on Dec. 12. The team is scheduled to compete in an Invite on Dec. 16 and the boys’ team will be at Tea Area on Jan. 1 facing off against the Titans and the West Central Trojans.