Freshman class to brighten Toppers wrestling future
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2020-21 GLENWOOD CITY Wrestling Team. Front row (L to R): Peyton Rassbach, Ian Radintz, Noah Brite, Savanna Millermon, Eli Nerby and Jonas Draxler. Back row (L to R): James Knight, Andy Grant, Gabe Knops, Thomas Moede, Will Standaert and Trenton McNamara. Not pictured are Connor Gross and Xavier Gill. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
GLENWOOD CITY — An infusion of fresh faces not only brings new blood to the wrestling mat for Glenwood City, but a surge in its numbers for the upcoming season.
The addition of seven freshmen to 2020-21 Hilltoppers’ wrestling squad coupled with a stable of returning talent gives Glenwood City 14 wrestlers to open the season – the program’s best numbers in the past couple of years.
Which has brought a smile to head coach Shane Strong face as he begins his 12th year.
“We are young,” admitted Strong. “But we have some talent in the younger grades.”
The new talent in the freshman class includes Savanna Millermon (projected to wrestle at 106 pounds), Xavier Gill (132), Eli Nerby (132), Peyton Rassbach (138), Jonas Draxler (138), Will Standaert (145) and Connor Gross (182).
Those seven will blend nicely with Glenwood City’s returning letterwinners headlined by a trio of sectional qualifiers – Andy Grant, Ian Radintz and Gabe Knops.
Grant, the team’s only senior, finished last season with a 28-10 record and will lend his experience and leadership to help build the program.
Sophomores Ian Radintz and Gabe Knops will also be looked at to help lead the team this season. Radintz finished with a 30-8 record in his freshman season at 106 pounds and the title of regional champion while Knops, who was 12-8 a year ago, finished strong. Radintz will likely hold down the 106-pound spot once again with Knops wrestling at 132.
Three other returning sophomores looking to make an impact for the Hilltoppers are James Knight (126), Noah Brite (160) and Trenton McNamara (220). The trio all wrestled 24 or more matches for Glenwood City last season.
The team’s only junior, Thomas Moede, will likely be wrestling at 145 pounds and looks to improve on his 16-14 finish from last year.
The Toppers lost just one wrestler to graduation but it was a big one – Tucker Lagerstrom. The 2020 graduate was Glenwood City’s lone representative at last February’s individual state tournament where he finished with a 29-12 record in his final year.
Glenwood City has hopes to improve on its 7-10 overall record and third-place finish in the Dunn-St. Croix from a year ago, but Coach Strong realizes that even with the improved numbers, this season will one of growth and maturity for his young charges.
“We feel we are a year away from competing for a conference title!” concluded Strong.
The Toppers will not take to the mats for their first match until next Tuesday, December 15 when they host Mondovi. Glenwood City will then travel to rival Boyceville for another conference dual the following Tuesday, December 22 before breaking for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
With the coronavirus pandemic still raging in the state and country, this year’s wrestling schedule will look different. The winter sports season has been shortened by two weeks and squads will be wrestling just once a week and only in dual matches. There will be no multiple-team tournaments until the WIAA postseason begins at the end of January, if that even happens.